Authentic Spanish List - AUTHENTICSPN

Here at Lee & Low Books, we pride ourselves on publishing culturally and linguistically authentic books that all children can enjoy. We are proud to showcase stories that celebrate cultures, voices, and experiences of communities historically underrepresented or misrepresented in children’s literature. High-quality bilingual and Spanish books help build a solid foundation to achieve Spanish literacy or bilingualism while also affirming and validating a child’s identity, culture, and home language. The following suggested read-alouds are some of our most popular bilingual and dual language texts written by authors from the cultures featured in the books. 

Authentic Spanish List (34 Books): $453.85

Authenticspanishlist
Themes

Identity/Self Esteem/Confidence, Latino/Hispanic/Mexican Interest, Immigration, Imagination, Grandparents, Friendship, Forgiveness, Families, Environment/Nature, Discrimination, Cultural Diversity, Coping with Death, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Breaking Gender Barriers, Empathy/Compassion, Persistence/Grit, Courage, Mexico, Fiction, Spanish, Diversity

Included formats shown below in BOLD

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Antonio's Card/ La tarjeta de Antonio

By González

Illustrated by Álvarez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: Q
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.2
Lexile Level: N/A
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
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Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol

By Gonzalez

Illustrated by Gonzalez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: I
Spanish Guided Reading: H
Grade Level: 1
Interest Level: K - 4

Lexile Level: NP
DRA: 16

HC: $19.95
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Drum, Chavi, Drum! / ¡Toca, Chavi, Toca!

By Dole

Illustrated by Tonel

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: N
Spanish Guided Reading: M
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K - 3

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.1
Lexile Level: N/A
DRA: 30

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Confeti

By Mora

Illustrated by Sanchez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: N
Spanish Guided Reading: N
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 4

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.8
Lexile Level: NP
SRC: 2.9
DRA: 30

PB: $12.95
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Family Poems for Every Day of the Week/Poemas familiares para cada día de la semana

By Alarcón

Illustrated by Gonzalez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: M
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: PreK - 5

Lexile Level: NP
DRA: 28

PB: $12.95
HC: $20.95
Medium_large

Featherless/ Desplumado

By Herrera

Illustrated by Cuevas

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: O
Spanish Guided Reading: O
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K - 3

AR Level: 0.5 - 2.4
Lexile Level: N/A
DRA: 34

PB: $11.95
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Finding the Music / En pos de la música

By Torres

by Alarcão

Teacher's Guide | Interviews

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: O
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 1 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.5
Lexile Level: AD660L
DRA: 38

PB: $12.95
Medium_from_north_to_south

From North to South / Del Norte al Sur

By Colato Laínez

Illustrated by Cepeda

Teacher's Guide | Interviews

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: O
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.3
Lexile Level: AD640L
SRC: 2.7
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Gracias • Thanks

By Mora

Illustrated by Parra

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: I
Spanish Guided Reading: I
Grade Level: 1
Interest Level: K - 4

AR Level: 0.5 - 2.8
Lexile Level: AD620L
DRA: 16

HC: $19.95
Medium_large

Grandma and Me at the Flea / Los Meros Meros Remateros

By Herrera

Illustrated by De Lucio-Brock

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.0
Lexile Level: NP
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina

By Brown

Illustrated by Palacios

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: L
Spanish Guided Reading: L
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K - 3

AR Level: 0.5 - 2.8
Lexile Level: AD580L
SRC: 2.3
DRA: 24

HC: $19.95
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Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes / Los perros mágicos de los volcanes

By Argueta

Illustrated by Simmons

Guided Reading: Q
Spanish Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.3
Lexile Level: AD630L
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
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Quinito's Neighborhood / El Vecindario de Quinito

By Cumpiano

Illustrated by Ramírez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: L
Spanish Guided Reading: K
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K - 2

AR Level: 0.5 - 1.5
Lexile Level: 500L
SRC: 2.5
DRA: 20

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Xochitl and the Flowers/ Xóchitl, la Niña de las Flores

By Argueta

Illustrated by Angel

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: O
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 1 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.0
Lexile Level: N/A
DRA: 34

PB: $11.95
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¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado /Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest

By Delacre

Illustrated by Delacre

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: O
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.0
Lexile Level: AD730L
DRA: 34

HC: $20.95
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Calling the Doves / El canto de las palomas

By Herrera

Illustrated by Simmons

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: R
Spanish Guided Reading: R
Grade Level: 4
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.5
Lexile Level: AD910L
SRC: 4.1
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

First Day in Grapes

By Perez

Illustrated by Casilla

Teacher's Guide | Interviews

Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.2
Lexile Level: AD570L
SRC: 2.9
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

First Day of School

By Taylor

Illustrated by Artigas

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: A
Grade Level: PreK
Interest Level: PreK - K
Intervention: 3

Lexile Level: BR70L
DRA: 1

PB: $7.50
Medium_confetti0

Confetti

By Mora

Illustrated by Sanchez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: N
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 4

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.7
Lexile Level: NP
SRC: 2.9
DRA: 30

PB: $11.95
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Friends from the Other Side / Amigos del otro lado

By Anzaldúa

Illustrated by Méndez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: K - 2

AR Level: 0.5 - 2.3
Lexile Level: 640L
SRC: 3.6
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Family Pictures / Cuadros de familia

By Garza

Illustrated by Garza

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: Q
Spanish Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 4
Interest Level: 2 - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.3
Lexile Level: AD660L
SRC: 4.1
DRA: 40

Medium_large

It Doesn't Have To Be This Way / No tiene que ser así

By Rodríguez

Illustrated by Galvez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: W
Spanish Guided Reading: V
Grade Level: 4
Interest Level: 2 - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.6
Lexile Level: 640L
DRA: 60

PB: $11.95
Medium_martis_song_for_freedom_cover

Martí's Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad

By Otheguy

Illustrated by Vidal

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: W
Spanish Guided Reading: V
Grade Level: 5
Interest Level: 2 - 8

AR Level: 0.5 - 5.3
Lexile Level: 1000L
DRA: 60

HC: $19.95
Medium_large

My Diary from Here to There / Mi diario de aqui hasta allá

By Pérez

Illustrated by Gonzalez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: R
Spanish Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.0
Lexile Level: 780L
SRC: 3.4
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

My Very Own Room / Mi propio cuartito

By Pérez

Illustrated by Gonzalez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: L
Spanish Guided Reading: M
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 2 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.9
Lexile Level: 700L
DRA: 24

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

My Papa Diego and Me / Mi papá Diego y yo

By Marín

Illustrated by Rivera

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: O
Grade Level: 4
Interest Level: 1 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.5
Lexile Level: AD900L
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para soñar juntos

By Alarcón

Illustrated by Barragán

Teacher's Guide | Interviews

Guided Reading: M
Spanish Guided Reading: M
Grade Level: 2
Interest Level: 2 - 7

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.6
Lexile Level: NP
DRA: 28

PB: $11.95
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Prietita and the Ghost Woman / Prietita y la llorona

By Anzaldúa

Illustrated by Gonzalez

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 3 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.1
Lexile Level: AD600L
SRC: 4.5
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos

By González

Illustrated by Delacre

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 1 - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.9
Lexile Level: 730L
SRC: 4.5
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_upside_down_boy_01

The Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza

By Herrera

Illustrated by Gómez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: Q
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: 1 - 5

AR Level: 0.5 - 3.1
Lexile Level: AD560L
SRC: 2.9
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas' Sproutings

By Mora

Illustrated by Lopez

Teacher's Guide | Interviews

Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 5.3
Lexile Level: AD970L
SRC: 6.6
DRA: 38

PB: $11.95
Medium_large

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! Brotes de las Américas

By Mora

Illustrated by Lopez

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: Q
Spanish Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 5.1
Lexile Level: AD970L
DRA: 40

Medium_mama_and_papa_fc_cover

Mama and Papa Have a Store

By Carling

Illustrated by Carling

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: Q
Grade Level: 3
Interest Level: K - 6

AR Level: 0.5 - 4.1
Lexile Level: 810L
DRA: 40

PB: $11.95
Medium_9781620143247_la_tienda_de_mama_y_papa_fc

La tienda de mamá y papá

By Carling

Illustrated by Carling

Teacher's Guide

Guided Reading: P
Spanish Guided Reading: P
Grade Level: 1
Interest Level: K - 6

Lexile Level: N/A
DRA: 38