Here are 100 books that Dreams of Green fans have personally recommended if you like Dreams of Green. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Miguel Must Fight!

Gabriella Aldeman Author Of Squawk of Spanish

From my list on celebrate being Latine in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Panamanian American author and mother of two bilingual and bicultural children. I live a life between two beautiful languages and cultures, but that intersection is not always easy. In Squawk of Spanish, I explore the issue some children face when they don’t feel comfortable speaking the language of their grandparents. On this list, I’ve included a sample of books that celebrate some of the day-to-day joys and challenges of growing up Latine in the US. I hope you enjoy it!

Gabriella's book list on celebrate being Latine in the US

Gabriella Aldeman Why Gabriella loves this book

For lovers of dragons and action-packed adventures, this book is a great starting point for discussing machismo culture and family expectations.

I love that Miguel is an artist who fights for his family by forging his own path and resisting the legacy of the sword by using his mighty imagination. Sprinkled with Spanish and chock-full of cultural details, I found this book to be a celebration of boyhood and creativity—and so fun to read aloud!

By Jamie Ofelia , Sara Palacios (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Miguel Must Fight! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A charming Spanish language story about a young artist in a family of sword fighters, whose passions are put to the test when a dragon attacks his village.

Miguel was like a paintbrush in a family of steely swords ...

All his life, Miguel's familia told him he must fight! But his family's art of sword fighting never captivated him as much as the sway of his colored pencils did.

When his village is threatened by El Dragon, Miguel must make a choice: will he stand with his familia and fight, or can he prove that the pencil is mightier…


If you love Dreams of Green...

Book cover of The Real Boys of the Civil War

The Real Boys of the Civil War by J. Arthur Moore,

The Real Boys of the Civil War is a research about the real boys who served during the war, opening with a historiography research paper about their history along with its 7-page source document. It then evolves into a series of collections of their stories by topic, concluding with a…

Book cover of Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park

Gabriella Aldeman Author Of Squawk of Spanish

From my list on celebrate being Latine in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Panamanian American author and mother of two bilingual and bicultural children. I live a life between two beautiful languages and cultures, but that intersection is not always easy. In Squawk of Spanish, I explore the issue some children face when they don’t feel comfortable speaking the language of their grandparents. On this list, I’ve included a sample of books that celebrate some of the day-to-day joys and challenges of growing up Latine in the US. I hope you enjoy it!

Gabriella's book list on celebrate being Latine in the US

Gabriella Aldeman Why Gabriella loves this book

A vivid account of community activism. I learned so much from this book, which is based on the real history of Chicano Park. The story is told from a child’s point of view and celebrates community engagement and the collective strength of Chicanos in the face of neglect and environmental racism. A book that stayed with me way past the last page.

By Maria Dolores Aguila , Magdalena Mora (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Barrio Rising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

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.

Barrio Logan, one of San Diego's oldest Chicane neighborhoods, once brimmed with families and stretched all the way to the glorious San Diego Bay. But in the decades after WWII, the community lost their beach and bayfront to factories, junkyards, and an interstate that divided the neighborhood and forced around 5,000 people out of their homes. Then on April 22, 1970, residents discovered…


Book cover of Mariana and Her Familia

Gabriella Aldeman Author Of Squawk of Spanish

From my list on celebrate being Latine in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Panamanian American author and mother of two bilingual and bicultural children. I live a life between two beautiful languages and cultures, but that intersection is not always easy. In Squawk of Spanish, I explore the issue some children face when they don’t feel comfortable speaking the language of their grandparents. On this list, I’ve included a sample of books that celebrate some of the day-to-day joys and challenges of growing up Latine in the US. I hope you enjoy it!

Gabriella's book list on celebrate being Latine in the US

Gabriella Aldeman Why Gabriella loves this book

Mariana visits her extended family in Mexico for the first time and feels overwhelmed with new sounds, faces, smells, and words that are supposed to mean family.

I think this book depicts the experience of second and third generation kids perfectly, especially as they visit their parents’ childhood home. I love the message it sends that family and love transcends language and cultural divide.

By Monica Mancillas , Erika Meza (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mariana and Her Familia as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A heartwarming picture book about a young girl on her first trip to visit family in Mexico, who learns there is no language barrier when it comes to love-from debut author Monica Mancillas and rising star illustrator Erika Meza. Perfect for fans of Where Are You From? and Mango, Abuela, and Me.

Mariana is visiting her abuelita and extended family in Mexico for the first time. Her tummy does a flip as she and Mami cross the frontera.

There are all new sights, smells, and sounds. And at Abuelita's house, Mariana is overwhelmed by new faces and Spanish phrases she…


If you love Mariel Jungkunz...

Book cover of The Yesterday Dress

The Yesterday Dress by Teena Raffa-Mulligan,

Everyone in Angelina's big family has a story to tell.

The Yesterday Dress is a story for seven to nine-year olds about family connections and how learning about the past gives us a stronger sense of where we come from, who we are and how we fit into our world.…

Book cover of Abuelo, the Sea, and Me

Gabriella Aldeman Author Of Squawk of Spanish

From my list on celebrate being Latine in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Panamanian American author and mother of two bilingual and bicultural children. I live a life between two beautiful languages and cultures, but that intersection is not always easy. In Squawk of Spanish, I explore the issue some children face when they don’t feel comfortable speaking the language of their grandparents. On this list, I’ve included a sample of books that celebrate some of the day-to-day joys and challenges of growing up Latine in the US. I hope you enjoy it!

Gabriella's book list on celebrate being Latine in the US

Gabriella Aldeman Why Gabriella loves this book

Stories from our grandparents tie us to our roots if we are lucky enough to listen. This is a heartwarming book about a grandfather and his granddaughter sharing stories that drift out, all the way to Abuelo’s past in his island home, and come back to the present beach day, like the coming and going of the waves and the seasons.

The sensory details in the writing instantly transported me to the sand and salty air of the Caribbean. By the end of this book, my heart was aglow with nostalgia. 

By Ismee Williams , Tatiana Gardel (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Abuelo, the Sea, and Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

When this grandchild visits her abuelo, he takes her to the ocean. In the summer, they kick off their shoes and let the cool waves tickle their toes. In the winter, they stand on the cliff and let the spray of the sea prick their nose and cheeks. No matter the season, hot or cold, their favorite place to spend time together is the beach.

It's here that Abuelo is able to open up about his youth in Havana, Cuba. As they walk along the sand, he recalls the tastes, sounds, and smells of his childhood. And with his words,…


Book cover of The Chaos of Longing

Kamp Woods Author Of Dismantled Damsel

From my list on helping you rebuild yourself from the inside out.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve had a passion for poetry since my early childhood, when I fondly remember listening to my elders recite—specifically, my teachers reading rhymes by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. As I grew into my adolescence and adulthood, my interest in literature only amplified with my introduction to works by Maya Angelou, R.H. Sin, and Rupi Kaur. Now, as a self-published poet and self-proclaimed enthusiast of the genre, I continue to spend my time browsing shelves, attending readings, and supporting writers/artists debuting work into the world. I hope you enjoy the books on my list.

Kamp's book list on helping you rebuild yourself from the inside out

Kamp Woods Why Kamp loves this book

I loved this book by K.Y Robinson because the short collection possessed power on every page, and K.Y’s exploration of vulnerability, navigating emotions, and expressing sexuality helped me understand myself in a way that I didn’t before being introduced to her work.

The Chaos of Longing provided company during a time when I believed I was alone in this world and grew into a lifelong poetic companion as I continue to grow into myself. 

By K. Y. Robinson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Chaos of Longing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Chaos of Longing is a brutally honest exploration of desire-physical, emotional, and spiritual. This revised and expanded edition contains over 50 pages of all-new material.

Organized in four sections - Inception, Longing, Chaos, and Epiphany - K.Y. Robinson's debut poetry collection explores what it is to want in spite of trauma, shame, injustice, and mental illness. It is one survivor's powerful testimony, and a love letter "to those who lie awake burning."


Book cover of The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products That Win

Kartik Hosanagar Author Of A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence: How Algorithms Are Shaping Our Lives and How We Can Stay in Control

From my list on managing technological innovation for mere mortals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I build and use emerging technological innovations in business, and I also teach others how they might too! I’m a serial entrepreneur and a Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. As an entrepreneur, I co-founded and developed the core IP for Yodle Inc, a venture-backed firm that was acquired by Web.com. I’m now the founder of Jumpcut Media – a startup using data and Web3 technologies to democratize opportunities in Film and TV. In all this work, I'm often trying to assess how emerging technologies may affect business and society in the long run and how I can apply them to create new products and services.

Kartik's book list on managing technological innovation for mere mortals

Kartik Hosanagar Why Kartik loves this book

This book by Steven Blank is a bible for anyone trying to understand how to build lean startups. The classic mistake that most entrepreneurs make is to go build a product soon after they develop a hypothesis about what customers want. By building products before customer discovery (i.e. verify customer needs and a scalable sales model), many products miss the mark and fail. The book explains how a lean start-up can figure out what customers want before proceeding to build products. This emphasis on a customer-centered approach rather than a product-centered approach can be the difference when it comes to finding product-market fit. A must-read for any founder!

By Steve Blank ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Four Steps to the Epiphany as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bestselling classic that launched 10,000 startups and new corporate ventures - The Four Steps to the Epiphany is one of the most influential and practical business books of all time.
The Four Steps to the Epiphany launched the Lean Startup approach to new ventures. It was the first book to offer that startups are not smaller versions of large companies and that new ventures are different than existing ones. Startups search for business models while existing companies execute them.

The book offers the practical and proven four-step Customer Development process for search and offers insight into what makes some…


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Book cover of The Stormy Night

The Stormy Night by MJ Howson,

The Stormy Night is the first in a series of nine children's books for ages 8-12. The stories follow two dogs–a senior, disabled dog and a newly adopted puppy–as they learn to become friends and family.

The Adventures of Lucky and Mr. Pickle series are chapter books, not picture books.…

Book cover of Fat Angie

Susan Coryell Author Of Eaglebait: Can a smart kid survive school bullies?

From my list on characters who find self-identity and self-esteem.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for the theme of building self-esteem and finding self-identity at middle and high school age because I taught secondary English for 30 years. So many of my students struggled with this issue; reading novels about kids with similar situations offers a way for readers to help themselves work out their own problems. I deliberately chose both recent and classic novels with a wide variety of protagonists, settings and plots, each with a unique author voice to show how universal the need to build self-esteem can be. My own novel, Eaglebait, is another strong novel with a similar theme.

Susan's book list on characters who find self-identity and self-esteem

Susan Coryell Why Susan loves this book

Angie’s life is a mess. Her mother constantly taunts her as “Fat Angie.” High school classmates torment her as a “crazy, mad cow,” when she tries to slit her wrists in a high school assembly. Her heroic sister goes MIA during the Iraq War; her older brother treats her badly. Angie just wants to make it through each day until a beautiful new student arrives and befriends her, seeing the hidden beauty in Angie. I was revolted by Angie’s abusive family life and angry at the peer bullying. Where were school authorities? I was relieved when a warm friendship allowed Angie to become happy on her own. Though it seems extreme, I’ve occasionally observed similar situations among my students; the novel is horrifyingly realistic, but it moves in a positive fashion to its end.

By E.E. Charlton-Trujillo ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fat Angie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Winner of a 2014 Stonewall Book Award

Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?

Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of “crazy mad cow!”) away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids —…


Book cover of The Ohio Frontier, Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830

Lori Benton Author Of Many Sparrows

From my list on Dunmore’s War (1774 Ohio frontier).

Why am I passionate about this?

Lori Benton is an award-winning, multi-published author of historical novels set during the 18th century North America. Her literary passion is bringing little known historical events to life through the eyes of those who lived it, particularly those set along the Appalachian frontier, where European and Native American cultural and world views collided. Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore’s campaign against the Shawnee nation on the eve of the Revolutionary war, culminating in the Battle of Point Pleasant, is a fascinating, complex, and poignant example of the armies and individuals that planned, fought, and resisted the campaign.

Lori's book list on Dunmore’s War (1774 Ohio frontier)

Lori Benton Why Lori loves this book

Part of the “History of the Trans-Appalachian Frontier” series, this book presents readers with many entertaining and informative accounts of Ohio life throughout the frontier era. The period covered in this book is just over 100 years, so Dunmore’s War, while given attention, is not explored in detail. Still, I found this book a valued and comprehensive survey that helped me to understand the political and cultural factors that led to the conflict in 1774, as well as what followed after.

By R. Douglas Hurt ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ohio Frontier, Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Ohio Frontier
Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830

R. Douglas Hurt

"This exhaustively researched and well-written book provides a comprehensive history of Ohio from 1720 to 1830."
-Journal of the Early Republic

Nowhere on the American frontier was the clash of cultures more violent than in the Ohio country. There, Shawnees, Wyandots, Delawares, and other native peoples fought to preserve their land claims against an army that was incompetent at the beginning but highly trained and disciplined in the end.

Sales territory is worldwide
A History of the Trans-Appalachian Frontier
1996; 440 pages, 23 b&w photos, 7 maps, bibl.…


Book cover of Frontier Indiana

William Heath Author Of William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest

From my list on the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley Frontier.

Why am I passionate about this?

William Heath has a Ph.D. in American Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He has taught American history and literature as well as creative writing at Kenyon, Transylvania, Vassar, the University of Seville, and Mount Saint Mary’s University, retiring as a professor emeritus. He has published two poetry books, The Walking Man and Steel Valley Elegy; two chapbooks, Night Moves in Ohio and Leaving Seville; three novels: The Children Bob Moses Led (winner of the Hackney Award), Devil Dancer, and Blacksnake’s Path; a work of history, William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest (winner of two Spur Awards); and a collection of interviews, Conversations with Robert Stone

William's book list on the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley Frontier

William Heath Why William loves this book

Historians of the Midwest were deprived of one of their finest by the early death of Andrew Cayton. Frontier Indiana is the best of a series of books published by Ohio State University Press on the states of the Old Northwest. Combining chapters on various men and women, Little Turtle’s Miami resistance, and William Henry Harrison’s land-hungry settlers, Cayton’s impressive research and thoughtful writing go a long way toward illuminating the frontier of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  

By Reverend Andrew R. L. Cayton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Frontier Indiana as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Frontier Indiana

Andrew R. L. Cayton

"The research and scholarship that went into the work are excellent; so good, in fact, that the book should be on the required text list for all Transappalachian frontier courses." -History

Cayton's lively new history of the frontier period in Indiana puts the focus on people, on how they lived, how they viewed their world, and what motivated them. Here are the stories of Sieur de Vincennes, John Francis Hamtramck, Little Turtle, Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison, Tenskwatawa, Calvin Fletcher-along with many more familiar (and not so familiar) early Hoosiers.

Sales territory is worldwide
A…


If you love Mariel Jungkunz...

Book cover of Floretta

Floretta by Joan Budilovsky,

Floretta- the story of an old woman who discovers life beautifully anew thru the helping hands of a child. The chakra colors of dawn and twilight are woven through the pages as the cycle of life is magically composed. The subject of “heaven,” has the potential to open discussions with…

Book cover of Finding Fish: A Memoir

Jonathan T. Jefferson Author Of Mugamore: Succeeding without Labels - Lessons for Educators

From my list on Black-ish American memoirs and autobiographies.

Why am I passionate about this?

The first twenty-five years of my life appeared to be atypical for an inner-city African American boy from a large family. Only a small number of children were bused to more “academically advanced” schools. I earned that honor by frequently running away from the local school. Overcoming the challenges of being a minority in a demanding, predominantly Jewish, school district eventually benefited me greatly. In the early 1970s, my parents did something unprecedented for a working-class African American family from Queens: They bought an old, dilapidated farmhouse in Upstate New York's dairy country as a summer home. What other unusual life experiences that impact people of color have taken place on the American tapestry? 

Jonathan's book list on Black-ish American memoirs and autobiographies

Jonathan T. Jefferson Why Jonathan loves this book

Without deliberately seeking to preach or teach, this book educates its readers about the depths of the struggles faced by children raised in the absence of loving adults. Coping mechanisms and resilience led Antwone Fisher to acquire his dreams. Unfortunately, many who have been in a foster care system never find themselves.  

By Antwone Q. Fisher , Mim E. Rivas ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Finding Fish as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Baby Boy Fisher was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. He ultimately came to live with a foster family, where he endured near-constant verbal and physical abuse. In his mid-teens he escaped and enlisted in the navy, where he became a man of the world, raised by the family he created for himself.

Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born -- first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who…


Book cover of Miguel Must Fight!
Book cover of Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park
Book cover of Mariana and Her Familia

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Interested in Ohio, Puerto Ricans, and presidential biography?

Ohio 81 books
Puerto Ricans 12 books