Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 through October 15
National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the contributions of people from Spanish-speaking countries to America's growth and continued development. Explore Hispanic history and culture with these links to books, music, games, activities, and information about Hispanic heritage available at Skokie Public Library and on the Web.
At the Library
...books and other materials
Youth nonfiction and fiction books about Hispanic heritage and culture
Youth biographies about Hispanics throughout history
Youth Spanish language books
Latin music for children
- Encyclopedia and magazine articles about Hispanic heritage
Available from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders
- Culture Grams Online
Search the World Edition or Kids Edition to find facts and information about countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, and other Spanish-speaking countries. A Recipe Collection is also available. - Gale Virtual Reference Library
Use the following sources to find information about Spanish-speaking regions and countries- Cities of the World for cultural, geographic, and political conditions in 193 countries and their cities.
- Encyclopedia of Multicultural America for essays about Hispanic culture groups in the United States, religions, holidays, customs, languages, historical background, and settlement patterns.
- Encyclopedia of World Biography for biographies on notable people from every part of the world and from all time periods.
- Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia for maps and geographical information such as climate, vegetation, physical geography, and more.
- Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations for information on 200 countries and dependencies from around the world. Articles include topics ranging from banking and securities to climate, from government data to demographic statistics. Biographical essays on national leaders are also available.
- Kids Search from EBSCO
Try a keyword search for "hispanic heritage month" to find newspaper and magazine articles about Hispanic Heritage Month.
On the Web
- American Library Association: Pura Belpré Medal
- The Pura Belpré Award is presented every two years to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for young people. This list highlights winning books from 1996 to the present.
- Arte Latino: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- This online art exhibit features more than 200 years of Latino art from across the United States. More than seventy paintings, sculptures, and photographs represent many different cultural traditions developed by mostly Spanish-speaking artists who have settled in America.
- Hispanic Heritage Biographies from Thomson Gale
- Get to know some famous Hispanic people from throughout history and popular culture. This list includes César Chávez, Christina Aguilera, Sammy Sosa, Jennifer Lopez, and many more. There's also an Hispanic Heritage timeline, quiz, and a list of activities for celebrating Hispanic customs and festivals.
- National Hispanic Heritage Month from the Library of Congress
- This tribute recognizes generations of Hispanic Americans who have made made positive contributions to American society.
- Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement from the Smithsonian Institution
- This online exhibit features 25 portraits of outstanding Latinos including Nobel laureates, scientists, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians, and community activists. Content is available in English and Spanish.
...fun and games
- Crosswords: Hispanic Heritage from the New York Times Learning Network
- See if you can finish this Hispanic heritage crossword puzzle without peeking at the answers!
- Piñata Concentration Game
- Learn some Spanish words while you try to find the matching cards!
...for teachers
- Bilingual Booklist/Lectura Recomendada from the National Education Association
- This bilingual reading list for K-12 students is compiled by NEA staff. The titles are listed by grade level and includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books for which English and Spanish editions are available.
- Celebrate Hispanic Heritage!
- This online learning activity from the Scholastic Hispanic Heritage
series includes information about Hispanic and Latino history in America,
a Teacher's Guide, and a Research Starter.