In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month-long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), when America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration to align with the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Looking for pre-K-12 resources for Latine Heritage Month? Then check out our Latine Heritage Month LibGuide of more than 100 new books for children and young adults from our Curriculum Materials Collection (CMC). You’ll find additional recommendations below. The CMC is located on Level 2 behind the elevator and includes picture books, early readers, middle grades, young adult, and non-fiction.
Picture Books
A book in which the message depends upon pictures as much or more than text. The pictures extend the text in a way that would not be possible from the words alone.
Early Readers
A book that is written at a first through third grade level in which phrases or sentences are repeated in the text in easily recognized patterns to help new readers make meaning of the text. This includes chapter books with short chapters that serve to introduce the idea and structure of novels to beginning readers.
Middle Grades
Fiction for readers aged eight to twelve. A novel, unlike a picture book, relies entirely on text to tell the story. Newbery Medal winners often (but not always) fall within this category.
Young Adult (YA)
Young adult novels, also sometimes called teen novels, are generally read by children anywhere from age 12-18. They are longer books, with contemporary stories and often involve the contemporary problems of teenagers.
About the Curriculum Materials Collection
The children’s literature portion of the Curriculum Materials Collection (CMC) has more than 5,000 children’s books for grades pre-K through 12, both fiction and nonfiction. The primary function of the collection is to support the learning and teaching needs of students and faculty in LMU’s School of Education, but the collection is available for all library users. CMC books circulate to all LMU students, staff and faculty for three weeks, with one two-week renewal.
Here are three additional library resources for Latine Heritage Month:
- Diversity in Children’s Books (you can visually browse the newest library books)
- Curriculum Materials Collection (CMC)
- Chicana/o Latina/o Studies Research Guide
If you have questions or suggestions regarding the Curriculum Materials Collection, contact Elisa Slater Acosta, reference and instruction librarian for education.
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