In my second grade classroom, we kick off each year with an inquiry into Growth Mindset. This critical unit coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15. What better way to weave the two together than by centering hispanic heritage read alouds that also teach growth mindset?
Which Hispanic Heritage read-alouds do I find myself grabbing year after year? Check out this list of 5 favorite picture books!
Hispanic Heritage Read Alouds
Read aloud #1 : “Dreamers”
✏️ Author: Yuyi Morales
🎯 Summary: This read aloud is a beautifully illustrated autobiographical story of a young mother and her son immigrating from Mexico to the United States. Through challenges, they discover the magic of books, learning, and imagination.
🧠 Growth Mindset Connection: This book emphasizes resilience, adaptation, and the power of learning through struggle. It shows how libraries and literacy can empower us to grow in new places.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- What challenges did the mother and child face when they came to a new country?
- How did learning and reading help them grow?
- What do you do when something feels too hard or new?
- What can this story teach us about never giving up?
Hispanic Heritage read alouds #2: “Turning Pages: My Life Story” by Sonia Sotomayor
✏️ Author: Sonia Sotomayor
🎯Summary: This picture book is written by the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor! The memoir tells of Sotomayor’s early life, challenges, and how books helped her navigate difficult times.
🧠 Growth Mindset Connection: This book inspiring model of grit, goal-setting, and the power of perseverance, this book helps students see that mistakes and hardships are part of the path to success.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- What obstacles did Sonia face as a child?
- How did she use reading and learning to help her through tough times?
- What does Sonia’s story show us about working hard and believing in yourself?
- What goal do you have that you’ll need to work hard to reach?
Read-aloud recommendation #3:“Pepe and the Parade: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage”
✏️ Author: Tracey Kyle
🎯Summary: In this read-aloud, Pepe excitedly participates in his community’s Hispanic Day parade. He learns about the diverse cultures of Latin America. Though shy at first, he finds joy in celebrating his Hispanic heritage.
🧠 Growth Mindset Connection: Pepe demonstrates confidence-building, risk-taking, and pride in cultural identity, encouraging students to embrace who they are even if it feels a little scary.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- What was Pepe unsure about at the beginning of the story?
- How did participating in the parade help him feel more confident?
- How does learning about our culture help us grow?
- What is something new you’ve tried that helped you grow braver?
Hispanic Heritage read aloud books #4: “Mango, Abuela, and Me”
✏️ Author: Meg Medina
🎯Summary: A young girl, Mia, learns to connect with her Spanish-speaking grandmother after she moves in. Together they teach each other new words and build a lasting bond.
🧠 Growth Mindset Connection: Shows how language learning, patience, and empathy can help overcome communication barriers.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- What challenges do Mia and her abuela face?
- How do they work through their differences?
- Why is it important to keep trying even when something feels hard to understand?
- What is something new you’ve learned by practicing over and over?
“¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!” by Diana Cohn
✏️Author: Diana Cohn
🎯 Summary: This bilingual book follows Carlitos, whose mother is a janitor. When the janitors go on strike for better conditions, Carlitos learns the value of persistence and solidarity.
🧠 Growth Mindset Connection: It highlights perseverance, agency, and the belief that effort and unity can lead to change, even when success isn’t immediate.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- What problem were the janitors trying to solve?
- How did Carlitos learn from watching the adults in his life?
- Why do you think it’s important to speak up for what’s right, even when it’s hard?
- What does this story teach us about working together to make things better?
Hispanic Heritage Read-Alouds: closing thoughts
- Head over to Bookstore.org to grab these books AND support local bookstores!
- Looking for more Hispanic Heritage Read Alouds? Check out my post with even more books here!
