Fiction books that have Hispanic or Latine main characters.
Realistic Fiction
A collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora and centered on one extended family, the Beléns, across multiple generations.
Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute.
Told with interstitial historical chapters, fourteen-year-old Taína (Ty) must draw from the strength of her Taíno ancestors to bring her family and community hope and healing after a devastating incident.
Pedro & Daniel is a sweeping and deeply personal novel, illustrated with beautiful linework throughout, that spans from childhood to teenage years to adulthood, all the while tracing the lives of two brothers who are there for each other when no one else is.
It's the beginning of sophomore year, and Piedad "Piddy" Sanchez is having a hard time adjusting to her new high school. Things don't get any easier when Piddy learns that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn't even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she's done to piss her off. When the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang takes over Piddy's life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off from those who care about her or running away?
Fantasy
When sixteen-year-old Mateo and Chela discover each other and their powers during a political battle between neighborhood factions, they set aside their differences to unravel the mystery behind their sunken homeland and to stop a dangerous political operative.
Three teenagers are invited to spend seven days on the secluded island floating off the coast of Puerto Rico to learn the magic of the elves. All they have to do is give up their dreams.
An edge-of-your-seat fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect her sister--even if it means striking a dangerous bargain. Dark forces, forgotten magic, and a heart-stopping queer romance make this a must-read.
During Mile's in-school suspension, he finds himself in a fierce battle with a classmate turned insidious termite who is determined to destroy books and the Black and Brown history they contain, and only Miles can stop him.
Eighteen-year-old flamenco dancer Zarela Zalvidar must work with a disgraced dragon hunter to learn the ways of a Dragador and save her ancestral home.
Paranormal Fiction
When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode in its history in the process.
Ava Granados arrives too late for her grandmother's deathbed blessing, then Nana appears as a ghost asking for help so Ava, with the help of her two older sisters and bumbling spiritual guide, Medardus, must befriend the mysterious boy who received the blessing the night of the storm.
Three teenagers face their demons to forge a bond strong enough to escape a haunted house and its ghosts. Alex Crespo’s queer haunted house mystery is equal parts spine-tingling thrills, a celebration of found family, and must-read for paranormal romance fans.
From a young age, Althalia knew she would someday be the last of her kind--a bruja, tasked with keeping the power and stories of the ancient ways from fading fully into history. The prejudice her people have always faced continues, and after a seemingly random encounter with a priest, Althalia feels the weight of hundreds of years of religious oppression coming down upon her and her abuela. She must realize her destiny and grow into it quickly if she is to prevent the church from achieving its ultimate goal--destroying the last bruja.
In an adventure reminiscent of Homer's Odyssey, fifteen-year-old Odilia and her four younger sisters embark on a journey to return a dead man to his family in Mexico, aided by La Llorona, but impeded by a witch, a warlock, chupacabras, and more.
Romance
Danna Mendoza Villarreal's grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade, and Danna's not sure her plan to help him remember through the foods he once reviewed will be enough to bring him back.
Raúl Santos has been lost ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated two years ago. Playing guitar for the elderly has been his only escape, to help them remember and him forget. But when his mom unexpectedly comes back into his life, what is he supposed to do when she isn't the same person who left?
When Danna and Raúl meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal her grandfather and themselves because healing is something best done together--even if it doesn't always look the way we want it to
A modern story about learning how to love--starting with yourself--as three teens with confident online identities have the opportunity to meet in real life and find themselves questioning everything.
When seventeen-year-old Julieta starts writing a rom-com mystery and posting it online, she unexpectedly receives comments from a mysterious user, so with three suspects in mind, Julieta sets out to find her secret admirer.
In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner's mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.
As seventeen-year-old Rubi secretly juggles participating in a baking competition, improving her grades for college admission, and a newfound romance, she soon realizes she must learn how to manage her family's expectations while finding her own path.
In modern-day Mexico, Sitlali is all alone after the death of her beloved abuela. Targeted by a dangerous gang member, she flees to the United States to find her father. The night before her journey, she finds an ancient conch shell on the beach and takes it with her as a memento of home.
In 1521, Calizto is trapped in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which is besieged by Spanish invaders. He has fought valiantly, but hope for his people is running out. Desperate to escape, he takes up his mother's sacred conch and sounds a plea to the gods.
The conch holds magic neither Sitlali nor Calizto understand, magic that allows them to communicate across centuries--and find comfort in each other as they fight to survive.
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.
Science Fiction
In this collection of stories by acclaimed young adult authors, the Latin American diaspora travels to places of fantasy and out into space.
A sharp and funny novel that's Back to the Future with a twist, as a gay teen travels back to his parents' era to save a closeted classmate's life.
Three Latinx teenagers struggle to deal with encounters with an alien, and try to warn the world of the possibility of an alien invasion.
A 13-year-old girl growing up in Mexico is visited by her 30-year-old future self in this powerful novel in verse about handling depression.
Historical Fiction
Loosely based on a school explosion that took place in New London, Texas, in 1937, this is the story of two teenagers: Naomi, who's Mexican, and Wash, who's black, and their dealings with race, segregation, love, and the forces that destroy people.
Three teens chase their own versions of the American Dream during the Roaring 20s.
In 1920s Cuba, Rima is bullied and shunned for her illegitimacy, but finds solace in riding her horse and forges unexpected friendships with others who share her dreams of freedom and suffrage.
Two teen vigilantes set off on an action-packed investigation to expose corruption and deliver justice inspired by real seventeenth century Latinx teenagers.