Hispanic Heritage Month in the School Library

Are you celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in your school library?

In the USA, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 to October 15 every year. Why these dates? Because September 15 is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico declared its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.

Library Display

Every year I create a display of books about famous Hispanic Americans and books by Hispanic authors and illustrators. We have a significant Hispanic population in our school, and I want our students to see themselves represented in our library books. Once these books are on display, they start circulating and students start discussing them with each other.

Hispanic Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt

If you want to spend two to four class periods on this topic, I recommend my Hispanic Heritage Library Lessons and Scavenger Hunt. I can help you take time to celebrate the contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our country. Your students will explore your online card catalog and your library shelves. They’ll also complete a couple of research tasks, citing a source and taking notes in their own words.

I learned so many interesting facts doing the research for this helpful product! Did you know that there were rumors that Walt Disney was born out of wedlock to a woman from Spain? They aren’t true, but you’ll see Walt Disney on a few Hispanic Heritage lists online! As educators, we need to carefully evaluate our sources.

The Hispanic Heritage Month Library Lessons include a list of great picture book biographies of famous Hispanic Americans as well as a list of picture books written and/or illustrated by Latinx creators. Below are a few recent titles that I think you’ll love reading aloud with your students.

Hispanic Heritage Picture Books

Here are some great titles that you might want to add to your school library collection.

Vlad the Fabulous Vampire is the latest picture book from Flavia Drago, an author/illustrator from Mexico City, Mexico. Vlad is a vampire who doesn’t want anyone to notice his rosy cheeks, but finds a friend with a secret of her own. Together, they learn to celebrate their colorful differences. You’ll spot Hispanic culture in the Dia de los Muertos sugar skull costumes featured in this story.

Miguel Must Fight! is a picture book in English with some Spanish words, written by Jamie Ofelia (a biracial Latina) and illustrated by Sara Palacios (a native of Mexico). The main character Miguel would rather draw than fight, but he faces pressure from his sword-fighting family. When a ferocious dragon threatens their town, will Miguel’s pencil and sketchbook be able to save the day? This story is a great combination of adventure and affirmation!

How to Hear the Universe–-what an intriguing title for this biography of Gaby Gonzalez! Growing up in Argentina, Gabriela was curious about time, space, and gravity. She moved to the US and began using modern technology to prove Einstein’s theory of gravitational waves. Although this sounds quite complex, author Patricia Valdez (author of Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor) and illustrator Sara Palacios make this STEM topic understandable and interesting to young readers.

Esquivel! Space Age Sound Artist tells the fascinating story of magnificent Mexican musician Juan Garcia Esquivel. After teaching himself to play the piano, he became a composer and orchestra director, creating songs for TV shows and movies. You can listen to many of his songs, like The Peanut Vendor, on YouTube, to bring this book to life for your students. You’ll have fun reading all the sound effects aloud!

Hispanic Heritage Month Word Search

I’ve created a Hispanic Heritage Word Search, and you can check it out here. If you only have one class period to teach about this culture, this is the resource I would recommend for you. It includes a link to a video overview of Hispanic Heritage Month, two versions of the word search, plus links to additional learning activities.

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