September 2023
All book descriptions are from the publisher unless otherwise indicated.
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people… In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance — and Papi’s secrets — the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves
Seventeen-year-old Enrique “Quique” Luna decides to get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi before the end of summer by pursuing other romantic prospects, but he ends up discovering heartfelt truths about friendship, family, and himself.
When her mother is arrested by ICE, sixteen-year-old Argentinian Manu–who thinks she is hiding in a Miami apartment because she is an undocumented immigrant–discovers that her entire existence is illegal.
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira
Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Which involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship– performing in a ball gown– during the summer– in Miami! Then the company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera. And her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex. If Carmen can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera, she might just get that happily ever after.
The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta
Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end–an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive. Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer–she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift–and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers.
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
Home is not a place. It’s a heartbeat. Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans-leaving Pen to choose between not disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. Then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s, who sees through her hard exterior. Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigration status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discover where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.
No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado
Seventeen-year-old Kat Sanchez uses photos of a friend to create a fake Instagram account, but when one of her posts goes viral and exposes Kat’s duplicity, her entire world–both real and pretend–comes crashing down around her.
Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia
A teen who secretly arrived with the meteor that gave her small hometown its name discovers that she is turning back into stardust and teams up with her best friend in an effort to secure her human existence by entering a local beauty pageant that has always been won by thin, blonde, white girls.
In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university. But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol–and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her. Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own.
In 2032, when sixteen-year-old Vali’s mother is detained by the Deportation Forces, Vali must flee Vermont with her little brother, Ernie, hoping to reach their Tía Luna in the sanctuary state of California.
Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school’s bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family.
On the Hook by Francisco X. Stork
Hector has always worked hard and minded his own business. He wants to be captain of his school’s chess team, go to college, and help his family make their way to a better life someday. Until Joey singles him out. Joey, whose older brother, Chavo, is head of the Discípulos gang, tells Hector that he’s going to kill him: maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday. And Hector, frozen with fear, does nothing. From that day forward, Hector’s death hangs over his head every time he leaves the house. He tries to fade into the shadows, to drop off Joey’s radar, to become no one. But when a fight between Chavo and Hector’s brother Fili escalates, Hector is left with no choice but to take a stand. The violent confrontation lands Hector in a reform school where he has to live side-by-side with his enemy, Joey. There, it’s up to Hector to choose whether he’s going to lose himself to anger and seek revenge, or get back to the hard work of living
When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez
Sarai uses verse to navigate the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn, questioning the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives.
You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
Seventeen-year-old Valentina jeopardizes her future when she gets into an altercation with her rival, Leticia, during a soccer game, so the two girls must co-captain a soccer team to redeem themselves and what starts as a shaky alliance of necessity blossoms into something more.
Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds by Camilo Moncada Lozano
Navigate through monsters, mysteries, and the will of the gods with two young extraordinary adventurers in fifteenth-century Mesoamerica as they search for a missing father. Donají is a fearless Zapotec girl who, even though she’s only fifteen, is heralded as a hero by her village. In Codex Black, Donají sets out on an adventure-accompanied by the god that lives inside of her poncho-to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets a 17-year-old winged Mexica warrior named Itzcacalotl, and over time their temporary partnership blooms into an incredible friendship. The search brings the young pair closer to danger and deeper into mystery than either could have predicted. What exactly was Donají’s father involved with? And how did a simple search for a missing relative lead Donají and Itzcacalotl into a fight with a terrifying bat monster to defend an entire village?!
– Gail Lordi (Youth Services Assistant) and Jason Weissmann (Young Adult Librarian)