We are pleased to share several new and forthcoming titles on Central America and Central Americans in the United States. Two of the titles (Mani Semilla and Avocado Dreams) are by Teach Central America advisors Anna Lapera and Ana Patricia Rodríguez. Two other advisors, Claudia Portillo and Jennifer Cárcamo, contributed essays to Central American Women in Diaspora.
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Mani Semilla Encuentra Su Voz de Quetzal
By Anna Lapera
The Spanish edition of a middle school book about a young girl’s activism at school while she learns about her family’s fight against femicide in Guatemala. |
Together We See
By Ari Tison
This young adult novel is about a Bribri-American teenager, searching for the truth behind her land-activist father’s mysterious death on their Native territory in Costa Rica.
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Avocado Dreams: Remaking Salvadoran Life and Art in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area
By Ana Patricia Rodríguez
“A needed perspective on Salvadoran invisibility, identity, and place-making in Washington, D.C.” — Yajaira M. Padilla
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Central American Women in Diaspora: Testimonios of the Generations
Edited by Karina Alma and Ester E Hernández
A tapestry of testimonies about what it means to be a Central American woman in the United States.
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Guatemalan Rhapsody: Stories
By Jared Lemus
“So rarely are Central Americans portrayed so thoughtfully, with both love and clear-sightedness, and what a gift it is to read.” — Ruben Reyes Jr.
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Crocodopolis: A Novel
By John Manuel Arias
“With the wisdom of biblical myth and the soapy wit of a telenovela, Crocodilopolis is a masterful interrogation of power, masculinity, destiny, and legacy.” — publisher
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They Hold Grudges
By Diana Rojas
They Hold Grudges is a riveting exploration of the lines we draw between loyalty and truth. |
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We hosted Anna Lapera and John Manuel Arias for an event with their first books. They are both returning along with more authors on September 23 at Busboys and Poets (14th and V) in Washington, D.C.
Find more books on Central America at SocialJusticeBooks.org. More resources for teaching about Central America are available at TeachingCentralAmerica.org.
Central America Booklist
New Books on Central America
We are pleased to share several new and forthcoming titles on Central America and Central Americans in the United States. Two of the titles (Mani Semilla and Avocado Dreams) are by Teach Central America advisors Anna Lapera and Ana Patricia Rodríguez. Two other advisors, Claudia Portillo and Jennifer Cárcamo, contributed essays to Central American Women in Diaspora.
Mani Semilla Encuentra Su Voz de Quetzal
The Spanish edition of a middle school book about a young girl’s activism at school while she learns about her family’s fight against femicide in Guatemala.By Anna Lapera
Together We See
By Ari Tison
This young adult novel is about a Bribri-American teenager, searching for the truth behind her land-activist father’s mysterious death on their Native territory in Costa Rica.
Avocado Dreams: Remaking Salvadoran Life and Art in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area
By Ana Patricia Rodríguez
“A needed perspective on Salvadoran invisibility, identity, and place-making in Washington, D.C.” — Yajaira M. Padilla
Central American Women in Diaspora: Testimonios of the Generations
Edited by Karina Alma and Ester E Hernández
A tapestry of testimonies about what it means to be a Central American woman in the United States.
Guatemalan Rhapsody: Stories
By Jared Lemus
“So rarely are Central Americans portrayed so thoughtfully, with both love and clear-sightedness, and what a gift it is to read.” — Ruben Reyes Jr.
Crocodopolis: A Novel
By John Manuel Arias
“With the wisdom of biblical myth and the soapy wit of a telenovela, Crocodilopolis is a masterful interrogation of power, masculinity, destiny, and legacy.” — publisher
By Diana Rojas
They Hold Grudges is a riveting exploration of the lines we draw between loyalty and truth.
We hosted Anna Lapera and John Manuel Arias for an event with their first books. They are both returning along with more authors on September 23 at Busboys and Poets (14th and V) in Washington, D.C.
Find more books on Central America at SocialJusticeBooks.org. More resources for teaching about Central America are available at TeachingCentralAmerica.org.
Central America Booklist
Posted: March 1, 2026