Jasminne Méndez

2 months ago | afrolanews.org | Marina Peña |Jasminne Méndez |Alyssa Reynoso-Morris |Mariyah Rahman

DONATE A school book fair hosted by MiJa Books. (Courtesy MiJa Books) If you’re a parent searching for children’s books that celebrate diverse voices, consider stories that feature Afro Latine characters. There are now far more options than in past years, with many new titles released in recent years, including If Dominican Were A Color, Plátanos Are Love, Counting With Ché, One Whole Me, Aniana del Mar Jumps In, and Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music.

Jan 26, 2023 | publishersweekly.com | Jasminne Méndez |Jordan Scott |Monica Edinger |Lesley Younge

Jasminne Mendez. Dial, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-53181-5In Galveston, Tex., 12-year-old Aniana del Mar loves to swim: “All I want/ is to/ slip/ slide/ drift/ glide.” During daddy-daughter dates, she and Papi head to the YMCA for swim practice and meets, but the two keep these events secret from Mami, who still grieves losing “her brother/ her house and/ her village” as a child during Hurricane Georges, and regularly fears the worst for her family.