“With the Fire on High”
Elizabeth Acevedo (2019)
“With the Fire on High” follows the story of high school senior Emoni Santiago. Emoni’s life is anything but simple. Her life is centered on doing what needs to be done for her abuela and 2-year-old daughter. Acevedo weaves the narrative through prose that takes you on a journey of self-discovery, struggle and sacrifice as the talented and prideful Emoni Santiago finds the confidence to pursue her talents and pave her own path toward success.

“Mexican Gothic”
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)
The highly anticipated “Mexican Gothic” is set in 1950s Mexico. “Mexican Gothic” follows aristocrat Noemi Taboada as she heads to the gloomy High Place estate for a wellness check on her recently wed cousin Catalina. In this spooky supernatural novel, Noemi becomes an unlikely heroine. The glamorous debutante quickly becomes entangled by the seductive High Place estate. With only one ally in the inhospitable estate, Noemi unravels the secrets behind the walls of the Doyle family’s once wealthy mining empire.

“You Had Me at Hola”
Alexis Daria (2020)
“You Had Me at Hola” takes us to the set of Carmen in Charge, a bilingual romantic comedy for the No. 1 streaming service, as the main characters, actors Jasmine Lin Rodriguez and Ashton Suarez, bring the chemistry to the set and off the set as they attempt to save their careers. Jasmine is armed with her “Leading Lady Plan” to help her readjust her public image after a nasty breakup that landed her on the front page of the tabloids. Ashton is worried about his career heading to a dead end after his last telenovela character is killed off. The spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to expose Ashton’s most safely guarded secret.

“Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From”
Jennifer De Leon (2020)
Jennifer De Leon’s debut young adult novel humorously and thought-provokingly navigates issues of race, immigration and social acceptance as we follow the struggles of Liliana Cruz. Liliana is a first-generation American Latinx teenage girl. She has just been accepted into a wealthy suburban high school. Liliana struggles to fit in at her school while protecting family secrets. When those secrets are uncovered, racial tensions at her new school reach a feverish peak. Liliana is caught between two cultures and must decide who she is, what she stands for and how to speak her truth.

“Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America”
Maria Hinojosa (2020)
Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa recounts her experience growing up Mexican American in Chicago. Hinojosa offers an intimate first-person account of American attitudes toward immigrants. Her memoir spotlights the negligence and profiteering of America’s most vulnerable populations. Hinojosa utilizes her memoir to recount her experiences and make an urgent plea to the audience. Her honesty and portrayal of the immigration crisis makes a passionate call to action to improve America.