Book blog authors credited include past contributors Jéssica Pereira, Alice Donahue, Katrina Dillon, Jasmine Morse, Kalyn Finnell, Ericka, Lorraine, Marleen Linares-González, Jake, and Whitney Wagner.
While we continue our regular weekly posts here at the LAII, we have many blog posts and resources from previous years to use in the classroom or pursue for your own interests. February is notoriously the shortest month of the year even with the occasional Leap Day, which is why we compiled this reference post updating our recent posts featuring Afro-Caribbean and Afro-descendant narratives. For additional compilations lists, lesson plans, media studies, and additional information about teaching these narratives and recognizing Afro-Latinidad, reference our compilation posts from previous years. While we offer many resources, we also encourage you to pursue your own, and recommend consulting other area studies departments and dedicated organizations like Teaching Central America, the Hemispheres Curriculum Units at the University of Texas, the Consortium of Latin American Studies K-12 resources, Tulane University’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies K-12 resources, and the University of Arizona’s Caribbean/African Latin America lesson plans through their Center for Latin American Studies.
Below, see excerpts from book blog posts over the years illuminating the work of authors and K-12 literature.
Celebrating author Ibi Zoboi
“Zoboi’s writing is powerful and rooted in a celebration of her Haitian heritage. More than celebratory, however, her writing confronts and challenges how Haitian culture is generally portrayed – and how young women of color, particularly young Black and Latinx women, appear in literature and the media. She grapples openly with questions of poverty and institutional racism, white supremacy and violence. And in the process, her writing helps to humanize individuals whose lives are too frequently dehumanized, degraded, and stigmatized in popular media – if they’re fortunate enough to appear at all. As Zoboi writes in her blog, “what matters most is that we black content creators within all-white industries take the helm and steer the ship to tell stories that are true and humanizing – narratives that pull from lived experiences and are based on a deep love for black people.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/authors-corner-ibi-zoboi/
Celebrating author Lynn Joseph
“Lynn Joseph is originally from the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. At the age of ten, she moved to Baltimore but continued to return to Trinidad for her summers. According to an interview with Joseph on her personal website, she started writing because of the nostalgia that was born from her bicultural childhood: “So, I lived two separate lives: an American school life and a Trinidad summer life. I began writing because I missed Trinidad so much; riding my bike everywhere, building forts in the hills, and just limin’ (hanging out) with friends. I also missed the steel pan music, and the joy I felt in Trinidad. The energy on my island is incredible.” Like this month’s featured book, Dancing in the Rain, most of Joseph’s books include elements of Caribbean culture. Dancing in the Rain won a Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (2015) prize, and skillfully focuses on the intersection between the culture, society and current events of New York City and the Caribbean. While exposing readers to certain Caribbean traditions and ways of life, this book also emphasizes the strong influence of Caribbean culture here in the U.S., particularly in New York.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/authors-corner-lynn-joseph/
Celebrating author Edwidge Danticat
“Danticat is an artful and inspiring author whose work, infused with many levels of social conscience, educates readers of a variety of ages in a variety of ways. She is one of our most consistently featured and written-about authors here at Vamos a Leer, in large because the beauty and depth of her writing continue to amaze us…” Her works featured on the blog include Krik? Krak!, Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation, Eight Days, A Story of Haiti, and The Farming of Bones.
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/mira-look-authors-corner-edwidge-danticat-2/
Malaika’s Costume
“This book is an Honorable Mention recipient of the 2017 Américas Award. It tells the story of Malaika, a young girl in Jamaica living with her granny while her mummy works in Canada to provide for them. In the story, Malaika is struggling with not having a costume for carnival, one of the most exciting festivals in her town. Malaika’s worries and frustrations with the costume are interwoven with missing her mummy, struggling to allow her granny to fill that motherly role, and optimistic expectations of no longer having financial issues since her mummy is working in Canada. In the end, Malaika and her granny find a resolution and Malaika dances beautifully in Carnival.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2018/02/05/mira-look-malaikas-costume/
Planting Stories: The Life of the Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
“Pura Belpré was the first Puerto Rican librarian at the New York public library. This book tells us her inspirational story, and the way in which she planted in New York the seeds of all the stories she heard on the island where she grew up. These stories were told to her “under the shade of a Tamarind tree, in Puerto Rico.” The seeds she plants in the library are an extension of this tree, transplanted in New York City and for all the boys and girls who wanted to hear these stories. Belpré wrote the first book on Puerto Rico’s folktales for the city’s public library. She saw the importance of having access to books in our maternal language and to having representation of our own culture and imagery.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/mira-look-planting-stories-the-life-of-the-librarian-and-storyteller-pura-belpre/
Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa
“This book is a great education tool. The reader is able to see how Celia blossoms into a performer, while also learning about Afro-Cuban music traditions and genres. It includes select words in Spanish and even touches on historical-political information of how, after moving to the U.S., to her deep disappointment, Celia was no longer able to return to Cuba…For the classroom, this book could…accompany lessons that aim to utilize bibliographies, or Cuban-American history. Students can compare this book to another about Celia, or choose their own influential Latina, artist, musician, or any combination thereof! It can also accompany an activity that involves listening to Celia’s music, playing instruments, and/or learning to dance salsa.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/mira-look-celia-cruz-queen-of-salsa/
Pelé, King of Soccer (Pelé, El rey del fútbol)
“Pelé, the King of Soccer” recounts several of Pelé’s achievements, both with the team that brought him to prominence, Santos Club, and the Brazilian national team, which led the country to victory in three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970). Additionally, the book delves into Pelé’s charismatic personality and his influence not only in the world of sports but also his social and cultural impact. In this way, readers, whether soccer fans or not, can understand the significance of Pelé to Brazilians and the reasons why many consider him the king of soccer.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2023/10/27/pele-king-of-soccer-pele-el-rey-del-futbol/
Additional book reviews of interest
With the Fire on High
“Laura Acevedo tells the story of an aspiring Afro-Boricua chef and teen mom in the heart of Philadelphia, in With the Fire on High. Emoni, in her senior year of high school faces one of life’s toughest challenges, growing up and learning how to continue following her passion. Emoni juggles parenting, working and being a full time student when she takes a leap of faith and joins a cooking class as her senior elective, with the opportunity to travel to Spain. This book is a wonderful coming of age story that portrays its protagonist as a capable, loving and independent young woman who need a little help from her friends and family along the way.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2022/01/28/with-the-fire-on-high/
Eight Days, A Story of Haiti
“Eight Days, A Story of Haiti tells the story of a young boy who is trapped under his house for eight long days following Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. In order to keep his spirits high and make the time pass, he daydreams of running and playing in the sunshine, scenes which have been beautifully illustrated by Delinois to “reflect the beauty of Haitian life before the earthquake, and what is possible for the future.” Despite living through a terrifying experience, the child protagonist embodies hope and potential.”
See full post here https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/mira-look-eight-days-a-story-of-haiti/
Additional Titles of Interest
Hold Tight Don’t Let Go
Freedom Soup
My Day with the Panye
Selavi: A Haitian Story of Hope
Climb on! https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2023/09/27/climb-on/
El Secreto del platano https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2023/04/13/el-secreto-del-platano-the-secret-of-the-platano/
The Lightning Dreamer: https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/book-review-the-lightning-dreamercubas-greatest-abolitionist/
Dominicana https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2023/04/19/dominicana/
American Street https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/our-next-good-read-american-street/
The Jumbies https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/our-next-good-read-the-jumbies/
María Calabó: de niña curiosa a mujer líder https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2024/02/16/maria-calabo-de-nina-curiosa-a-mujer-lider/
Additional Resources
10 Afro-Caribbean Narratives https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/reading-roundup-10-afro-caribbean-childrens-and-young-adult-books/
Resources to teach about Haiti Afro-Caribbean Narratives https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/sobre-febrero-resources-to-teach-about-afro-caribbean-culture/
Relevant Materials from 2021 https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2021/02/01/black-history-month-2021/
Loss and Resolution compilation https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/reading-roundup-loss-and-resolution-in-latinx-ya-literature/
Resources for teachers: https://blackhistorymonth.gov/ForTeachers.html
Additional resources: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/dos-and-donts-of-teaching-black-history
Vamos a Leer 