Los Angeles Books Festival: Texts that celebrate diversity

LA Libros Fest will offer two days of live programming with storytellers, local and international authors, art workshops, concerts and much more.

On Friday, LA Libros Fest will be virtual with all programs broadcast live via and YouTube.

On Saturday, the festival will be held in person at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, with select shows broadcast live via YouTube.

These are some of the books that celebrate diversity and that attendees will be able to find and enjoy:

Miss Quinces / Srta Quinces

Synopsis:

Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at camp with her friends, but instead she embarks with her parents and two sisters on a trip to Honduras to visit family who live in the middle of the countryside! so you won’t be able to send messages and you won’t have cable or internet! Things take a turn for the worse when Sue’s mom announces that they’re throwing the girl a surprise quinceañera, even though this is the last thing she wants. She can’t imagine wearing a huge, bulky and colorful dress! What can she do? How will she survive all this time with her rambunctious relatives?

author: Kat Fajardo
Available in English and Spanish.
Editorial: Scholastics
Readers: Teenagers

The Last Cuentista/ (The Spanish translation is regarding to come out)

(Dear Levine Publisher)

Synopsis:

Once Upon a time . . .

There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her grandmother. But Petra’s world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and her children, including Petra and her family, have been chosen to travel to a new planet. They are the ones who must continue with the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes up on this new planet and discovers that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its voyage, hell-bent on erasing humanity’s past sins. They have systematically purged the memories of everyone on board, or purged them completely.

Only Petra now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Will she be able to make them live once more?

Pura Belpré-winning author Donna Barba Higuera presents us with a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.

Author: Donna Barba Higuera
Available in English, but the Spanish translation is yet to come out.
Publisher: Levine Darling
Readers: Adults

Lucero / Bright Star

(Editorial: Neal Porter Books)

Synopsis:

From the creator of the New York Times bestseller dreamers comes a heartbreakingly beautiful story regarding growth, empowerment, and finding your own voice.

This is the story of a fawn making its way through the frontier landscape, teeming with the region’s native flora and fauna. A sweet voice, but that stimulates her and gives her strength, encourages the fawn to face her fears when she encounters an obstacle in the form of an insurmountable barrier. This is the first book by Yuyi Morales following dreamers, bestseller of The New York Timesand is aimed at very young readers who are looking for their place in a world full of uncertainty. It is a book that resonates with all children, especially those whose safety is under threat due to the immigration crisis in the United States.

Author: Yuyi Morales
Available in Spanish and English.
Readers: children’s audience

Dear Primo: a letter for you.

(Publisher: Vergara & Riba)

Synopsis:

“Cool! I just got a letter from my cousin, my cousin. I live in the United States and he in Mexico, where my family is from. Maybe one day we’ll meet!” Through letters, two cousins ​​realize they have more in common than the boundaries of their lives and their communities suggest. From Mexican author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh comes the story of two cousins, one in the United States and one in Mexico, and how their daily lives are different but similar. Charlie takes the subway to school; Charlie rides a bike. Charlie plays with the fallen leaves; Carlitos plays among the local cacti. Inspired by the ancient art of the Mixtec and other cultures of Mexico, Tonatiuh incorporates his stylized forms into his own artwork.

“Through my children’s books I have been able to talk regarding issues such as migration and segregation. I hope that my books can have a positive impact. I hope that the children learn regarding the past, but also how they can fight for a better world.”

Author: Duncan Tonatiuh (Mexico)
Available in Spanish and English.

Publisher: Vergara & Riba
Readers: children’s audience

Zonia’s Rain Forest

Editorial: Candlewick

(Editorial: Candlewick)

Synopsis:

Zonia’s home is the Amazon jungle, which is always green and full of life. Every morning the jungle calls to Zonia, and every morning she answers. She visits a family of sloths, greets the anteater and has a race with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the jungle calls her with a worried voice. How will Zonia respond? Acclaimed author and illustrator Juana MartinezNeal ​​explores the wonders of the Peruvian jungle with Zonia, an Ashaninka girl, in her playful daily adventures. The illuminating final appendix includes an Ashaninka translation of the story, information regarding the Ashaninka nation, and facts regarding the Amazon rainforest and its fauna.

Author: Juana Martinez-Neal (Peruvian American)
Available in Spanish and English

Editorial: Candlewick
Readers: children’s audience

Iguana lady: the life of Graciela Iturbide

Publisher: The Factory

(Publisher: The Factory)

Synopsis:

Written by Isabel Quintero and illustrated by Zeke Peña, this biography in comic form shows us the life and photographic work of Graciela Iturbide. Graciela Iturbide was born in Mexico City in 1942. She wanted to be a writer, but her conservative family had other plans for her. She at first accepted her fate, but she felt more and more uncomfortable with him. When tragedy struck, she turned to photography to better understand the world. The photographic journey she embarked on would take her all over Mexico and her globe, introducing her to fascinating peoples and cultures, eventually bringing her success and fame. Iguana Ladywhich contains more than two dozen photographs by Graciela Iturbide, explores what it means to be an artist.

Author: Zeke Rock (USA)
Available in Spanish and English.

Publisher: The Factory
Reader: Adult

!Thanks, One! / Thank you One!

(Editorial: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Synopsis:

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of trying Omu’s delicious stew! One by one, they follow the delicious scent. And to each one, Omu offers a portion of his food. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?

Author Oge Mora brings to life a moving story of sharing and community through colorful cut-paper illustrations. The author’s note explains that “Omu” (pronounced AH-moo) means “queen” in the language igbo of her parents, but growing up, she used it to name her “grandma”. The inspiration for this book comes from the strong female figures that Oge Mora had in her life.

Author: Mora time (USA)
Available in Spanish and English.
Editorial: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Readers: children’s audience

Onsen. What do the monkeys do?

Publisher: Well done

(Publisher: Good Step)

Synopsis:

The protagonists of this book are monkeys who live on top of a snowy mountain and seek warmth in its hot springs. The reader will be able to accompany them throughout their day, while they take care of everything that, whether you are a monkey or a human, is necessary: ​​eating, cleaning, sleeping and… playing! Yes, for these monkeys playing is very important. Pato Mena has not only created some characters with whom to empathize immediately, but also presents the reader with a linguistic game, presenting each need of the monkeys through pictograms. Some will be easy to guess; others, not so much. A cute, fun and bright book that will awaken the minds and curiosity of its young readers.

Author: Ore Duck (Chile)

reader: children

Publisher: Well done

My community / My community

Synopsis:

My community! is a moving and lively book in Spanish and English that celebrates community helpers. The book is accompanied by two new songs – one in each language – to read and sing with the family, which are available through a QR code printed on the last page of the book. With My Community! we walk around our community and meet some of the people who help us stay safe, learn and move forward.

Author: 123 Andrés Bilingual edition.

Editorial: Scholastic

Readers: children’s audience

For more information and all the programming, Click here