Check out this list of action-packed audible books for you and your young reader.
My favorite audiobooks lately are the ones with a lead character who is flawed, quirky, makes horrendous mistakes, and yet… still manages to save the day! And even the world! Keeping that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my fave books that are written by some epically talented Latina children’s authors and available as audiobooks. After all, listening to audiobooks is still reading.
Many of the books on this list provide a different perspective of the Latino/Latina diaspora, which I love. Through these audiobooks, Latina storytellers continue to shine with stories that not only reclaim the Hispanic and Latina/o narratives, but also dispel stereotypes, challenge societal norms and keep all of us wanting to read more.
Keep kids entertained with action-packed audiobooks by Latina authorsSo, whether you’re seeking heartfelt stories to connect you with your Hispanic and Latina roots or thrilling mystery to ignite the young minds around you, I hope you’ll pick up these audiobooks today. :)
Read by Victoria VillarrealTUMBLE by Celia Perez
A 2023 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Honor Book that tells the story of young Addie Ramirez who must collect the missing pieces of her origin story from the family of legendary luchadores she’s never met.
Read by Jane SantosEVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY by Meg Medina
From Newbery Medalist Meg Medina comes the bittersweet story of two chicas who will always be each other’s número uno, even though one is moving away.
Read by Dominique FranceschiOMEGA MORALES AND THE LEGEND OF LA LECHUZA by Laekan Zea Kemp
Omega Morales’s family has been practicing magic for centuries, but over the years, the town’s reputation for the supernatural is no longer one the people carry with pride. So Omega’s family keeps to themselves until one day when a witch with the power to transform herself into an owl—known in Mexican folklore as La Lechuza—shows up unannounced.
Read by Anthony Rey PerezTHE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF NESTOR LOPEZ by Adrianna Cuevas
A 2021 Pura Belpré Children’s Author Honor Book about a Cuban American boy, Nestor Lopez, who must use his secret ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a tule vieja, a witch that transforms into animals.
Read by Rebecca SolerCONCEALED by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
A thrilling and suspenseful novel about a Latina main character, Katrina, who doesn’t know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. A new name, a new hair color, a new story.
Read by Victoria VillarrealME, FRIDA AND THE SECRET OF THE PEACOCK RING by Angela Cervantes
Twelve year-old Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. While in Mexico, Paloma meets two kids, Lizzie and Gael, who want her help to find a ring that once belonged to iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward-and the thanks of all Mexico. But do they really want to return the ring, or are they after something else?
Recently, several of my novels like Gaby, Lost and Found and Lety, Out Loud became available as audiobooks. I was thrilled to be part of the selection of narrators for them. It was very important to me that the narrator was a Latina actor who’d understand and could pronounce many of the Spanish words sprinkled throughout my novels. I’m happy to say that the amazing Victoria Villarreal (pictured above) has narrated most of my children’s novels.
Read by Victoria VillarrealGABY, LOST AND FOUND by Angela Cervantes
International Latino Book Award Winner that tells the story about sixth-grader Gaby Ramirez Howard who comes from a mixed-status family and loves volunteering at the local animal shelter. She writes adoption profiles so that the strays can find their forever homes.
Read by Frankie CorzoTHE LAST CUENTISTA by Donna Barba Higuera
A 2022 John Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Award winner that tells the story of a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But the Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children—among them Petra—have been chosen to journey to a new planet and must carry on the human race.
Read by Trini AlvaradoESPERANZA RISING by Pam Muñoz Ryan
A Pura Belpré Award Winning book that tells the story of Esperanza a wealthy young woman who is forced to flee with her Mom from their home of Aguascalientes, Mexico, to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, where they must adjust to a life without fancy dresses and servants. Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression.
Read more!
How audiobooks are a powerful reading tool for children
Where to find the best children’s audiobooks:
- Audible.com – Owned by Amazon
- Audiobooks.com – Non-Amazon alternative
- Overdrive– a digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, online magazines, and streaming video titles that is free- you just need your library card.
- Scholastic audiobooks for kids
