This list draws from authors who have won three or more ALA Youth Media Awards as well as bestseller lists. It’s a starting point to explore Latinx authors and illustrators.

Yuyi Morales. Award winning author and illustrator. See more in recommended reads below.

Pam Muñoz Ryan. Excellent school-wide author study potential as Ryan has written picture books, early readers, and novels. Her novels span a range of genres, from historical to contemporary to fantasy. 

Duncan Tonatiuh. With his distinctive, award-winning, codex-style illustrations, Tonatiuh has authored biographical works, historical works, and myths.

Rafael López. An award-winning and best-selling illustrator, López has worked with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as many other authors on this list.  

Margarita Engle. Another author with school-wide author study potential, Engle could also be featured in April (National Poetry Month) with her poem-based picture books and her novels-in-verse. 

Elizabeth Acevedo. For older readers, or educators, Acevedo tackles issues of sexuality and conflicted families in her beautiful novels-in-verse. 

Matt de la Peña. de la Peña works include beautifully imagined picture books that deftly capture young children’s perspective (don’t sleep on Carmela Full of Wishes), as well as a middle-grade fantasy series with a tie in to an online game.

Sonia Manzano. You may know her as Maria from Sesame Street. Manzano has gone on to write several picture books and middle-grade novels that beautifully depict and explore the Hispanic American experience.  

Raúl the Third. Best-selling author-illustrator Raúl the Third, has collaborated with Jason Reynolds on an excellent middle-grade graphic novel series, Stuntboy. His Toro books are bilingual early readers that would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library.

Meg Medina. A recent National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature, Medina recently published her first fantasy middle grade novel after the smash success of her Merci Suárez series.

Christina Gonzalez. A best-selling author of both fantasy and historical fiction, Gonzalez recently teamed up with Gabriela Epstein to publish her first middle-grade graphic novel, Invisible. 

Claribel Ortega. Calling all fantasy lovers: check out Ortega’s series the Witchlings. For lovers of Raina Telgemeier, check out her graphic novel, Frizzy.

Ryan Calejo. Are you hooked on Percy Jackson and need a fix of that modern-day mythological mystery genre? Check out Calejo’s Charlie Hernández series

Celia C. Pérez. Award winning author Pérez, writes excellent middle-grade realistic novels.