Cinco de Mayo State of Mind!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! As you may or may not know, this day is a celebration of the Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. For most of us, Cinco de Mayo is also a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. In honor of the holiday, here’s a list of book titles for children, teens and adults that incorporate the Mexican culture into the story, or are simply celebratory of Cinco de Mayo specifically and of the Mexican heritage as a whole. So kick back with some Mexican food and a margarita (if you are 21+) and relax with some of these great titles!
Children’s Books
My Mexico / Mexico Mio by Tony Johnston
Cinco de Mayo by Mary Dodson Wade and Nancy Reginelli Vargus
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
The Pinata Maker / El Pinatero by George Ancona
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
Celebrate! It’s Cinco de Mayo! / Celebremos! Es el Cinco de Mayo! by Janice Levy
Young Adult Books
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Summer of Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico by Malin Alegria
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Adult Books
El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition by David E. Hayes-Bautista
The Territory by Tricia Fields
Black Flower by Young-ha Kim
The Mexico Reader: History, Culture and Politics edited by Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson
My Mexico: A Culinary Odyssey with More Than 300 Recipes by Diana Kennedy