Central America
Bibliography of Children's Books

Central America includes the countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Visit your school or public library. You'll find publishers home pages at Publisher's Directory. Titles may be obtained through your local bookstore or Amazon Book Company or Baker & Taylor.

[WWW Links] [Folktales] [Biography] [General Nonfiction] [Picture Books] [Fiction]

WWW Links

Central America Environment and Travel Bibliography Travel, guide books, field guides, environment & culture. Adult titles.

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Folk Tales

* Baden, Robert. And Sunday Makes Seven, Niles, IL: A Whitman, 1990. (ages 5-8) 36p. Reviewed SLJ
Twelve witches reward Carlos for adding to their song about the days of the week but his greedy cousin Ricardo gets an unpleasant surprise. Counting & days of week in Spanish. Costa Rican.

*Baden, Robert. Y Domingo, Siete Niles, IL: A. Whitman, 1990. 40p.

Spanish language version of And Sunday Makes Seven

*Bierhorst, John. The Mythology of Mexico and Central America New York: Morrow, 1990. 239p.

Teacher reference. Adult title. Origins and comparions of the mythologies of the peoples in Central America and Mexico.

*Rohmer, Harriet. Mother Scorpion Country; A Legend from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua = La Tierra de la Madre Escorpibon; Una Leyenda de los Indios Miskitos de Nicaragua San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1987. 32p.

Bilingual materials. A brave young Miskito Indian follows his wife to the spirit world.

*Rohmer, Harriet, Octavia Chow and Morris Vidaure. The Invisible Hunters; A Legend of the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua = Los Cazadores Invisibles; Una Legenda de los Indio Miskitos de Nicaragua Ill. by Joe Sam. Spanish language version by Rosalma Zubizarreta & Alma Flor Ada. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1987. 32p.

Legend set in the seventeenth-century which illustrates the impact of the first Europeans on traditional life.

*Volkmer, Jane. Song of the Chirimia Carolrhoda, 1990, 40p. Reviewed SLJ

Guatemala. Mayan legend for K-3, older ESL students. A young man tries to win the hand of a Mayan princess by making his song as sweet as a bird's.

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Biography

*Note: President Oscar Arias Sanchez of Costa Rica won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Arias Peace Initiative for Nicaragua. See encyclopedias for biographical info. Also adult books such as Irwin Abrams' The Nobel Peace Prize and the Laureates; an Illustrated Biographical History, 1901-1987 from G. K. Hall Co. [Boston], 1988.

*Brill, Marlene Targ. Journey for Peace; The Story of Rigoberta Menchu Illus. by Ruben de Anda. New York: Dutton, 1996. 56p.

Biography of Menchu, a Quiche woman [Mayan] and human rights worker. Guatemala.

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General Nonfiction

*Ashabranner, Kent. Children of the Maya; A Guatemalan Indian Odyssey Dodd, Mead 1986. Reviewed SLJ
Recounts the persecution and genocide of the Mayan Indians in Guatemala by the Guatemalan government. Not for all children.

*Bachelis, Faren Maree. The Central Americans New York: Chelsea House, c1990.

History, culture and religion and factors which have encouraged emigration, particularly to North America.

*Bachelis, Faren. El Salvador Children's Press, 1990. 127p.

Geography, history & people.

*Foley, Erin. Costa Rica New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1997.

Cultures of the World Series. Geography, history and government.

*Foley, Erin. El Salvador Reference ed. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1995. 128p. Cultures of the World Series.

*Forsyth, Adrian. Journey through a Tropical Rain Forest Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1989. Reviewed SLJ

Photo exploration of the Central American jungle. Plants, animals and people who live in the tropical rain forest of Costa Rica.

*Hassig, Susan M. Panama New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1996. 128p. Cultures of the World Series

*Kott, Jennifer. Nicaragua Reference ed. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1995. 128p. Cultures of the World

*Mallory, Kenneth. Water Hole; Life in a Rescued Rain Forest Watts, 1992. 57p. Reviewed SLJ

Examines world of a tropical dry forest in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica.

*Maynard, Caitlin et al. Rain Forests and Reefs; A Kid's-eye View of the Tropics New York: Franklin Watts, 1996.

Includes the rain forest and coral reef ecologies of Belize.

*Morrison, Marion. Belize Children's Press, 1996. 128p.

History, geography, economics and lives of the people in the country of Belize [formerly known as British Honduras]

*Morrison, Marion. Central America Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, 1992. 96p.

History, geography, culture, economy and daily life of the peoples of Central America.

*Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Children Save the Rain Forest Photos by Dan L. Perlman. Cobblehill Books, 1996. Reviewed SLJ

Grades 4-6. Explores the International Children's Rain Forest. What it is. Plants, animals and people. Costa Rica.

*Targ, Harry R. & Marlene Targ Brill. Honduras Chicago: Childrens Press, 1995. 126p. Enchantment of the World Series.

Geography, history and culture.

*Vazquez, Ana Maria. B. (Ana Maria Brull). Panama Chicago: Childrens Press, 1992.

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Picture Books

*Franklin, Kristine. Iguana Beach Illus. by Lori Lohstoeter. New York: Crown, 1996
Little Reina promised not to swim in the waves but her cousins are frolicing in the water. She finds a solution to her problem. [Guatemala].

*Franklin, Kristine. When the Monkeys Came Back New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1994.

Marta plants trees in hopes the monkeys will return. She remembers how all the monkeys in her Costa Rican valley disappeared when all the trees were cut down. [From Library of Congress] In English & Spanish: El Aullido de los Monos.

*Keister, Douglas. Fernando's Gift 1st ed. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children, 1995.

One day young Fernando, who lives in the rain forest of Costa Rica with his family, goes with his friend Carmina to look for her favorite climbing tree only to find it cut down. [From L.C.] In English & Spanish: El Regalo de Fernanco.

*Markun, Patricia. The Little Painter of Sabana Grande 1st American ed. New York: Bradbury, 1993.[Panama]

*Palacios, Argentia. Christmas Surprise for Chabelita Mahwah, NJ: BridgeWater Books, 1994.

While living with her grandparents while her mother works, a young Panamanian girl memorizes her mother's favorite poem. [From L. C.] English & Spanish: Sorpresa de Navidad Para Chabelita.

Sisnett, Ana. Grannie Jus' Come!. Pictures by Karen Lusebrink. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press, 1997.

Using Caribbean English a young girl lovingly describes a visit from her grandmother who arrives by bus and looks great in her new shoes and colorful clothes.

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Juvenile Fiction

*Ada, Alma Flor. The Gold Coin 1st Aladdin ed. New York: Aladdin, 1994. Easy Reader. unp.

Determined to steal an old woman's gold coin, a young thief follows her all around the countryside and finds himself involved in a series of unexpected events.

*Alexander, Lloyd. The El Dorado Adventure New York: E. P. Dutton, 1987. 164p.

Traveling to Central America to inspect her land, seventeen-year-old Vesper tries to stop the building of a canal which would destroy an Indian tribe's homeland.

*Moeri, Louise. The Forty-third War Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

Twelve-year-old Uno is conscripted into the army of a revolutionary force in a Central American Country that is fighting for its freedom.

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Reviews: SLJ = School Library Journal.

Bibliography prepared by Wendy Lanehart & Inez Ramsey. LSEM 511. Resources for Children. James Madison University.

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