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A Sea of Lemon Trees

by María Dolores Águila

John Newberry Honor Book
Pura Belpré Award Children’s Author Honor Book
Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner
NCTE Charlotte Huck Children’s Book Award Winner
National Book Award Longlist

Based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove Incident, this vivid and uplifting middle grade debut novel in verse about one young child’s courage to stand up for what is right, and the determination of the Mexican community is perfect for fans of Esperanza Rising and Inside Out and Back Again.

Menudo Sunday

by María Dolores Águila
and Erika Meza

Top 10 Title on the 2026 Rainbow Book List from the American Library Association’s Rainbow Roundtable
School Library Journal Best Pictures Books of 2025
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Books of 2025

Paletero Man meets Besos for Baby in this Spanish-English counting picture book that’s bursting with all the love, laughter, and chaos found at a large family gathering. Sundays are the best: that’s when a little girl and her mamá, abuelitos, tías and primos all gather together to eat yummy menudo, a traditional Mexican soup. But when playtime with the cousins and family dogs gets out of hand and Abuelito Esteban’s special bowl of menudo breaks, everyone has to pitch in to make a new batch!

Barrio Rising

by María Dolores Águila
and Magdalena Mora

John and Patricia Beatty Award Winner
Children’s Title for One Book, One San Diego
NPR’s Books We Love
Picture Book Award Finalist for Jane Addams Peace Association

Barrio Rising is a vivid historical fiction account of the community activism behind San Diego’s Chicano Park—home to the largest outdoor mural collection in the U.S.—and just one example of the Mexican American community’s rich history of resistance and resilience.

El barrio se levanta

escrito por María Dolores Águila
ilustrado por Magdalena Mora
traducido por David Bowles

Un vívido relato de ficción histórica sobre el activismo comunitario que dio lugar a la construcción del Parque Chicano de San Diego, hogar de la colección de murales al aire libre más grande de los Estados Unidos, ejemplo de la rica historia de resistencia y resiliencia de la comunidad mexicoamericana.

You Don’t Have to Say

by María Dolores Águila
and Mirelle Ortega

A picture book that encourages a child with speech delays to understand that there are many ways that go beyond words to share who they are and what they are feeling.

Releasing in Fall 2027

Signed with Corazón

Get a signed and personalized copy of Barrio Rising or El Barrio Se Levanta at María’s Tiendita.

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