During Pride Month, we're highlighting the stories of individuals who have often been left out of traditional historical records, like Edie Windsor, a computer programmer and pioneering LGBTQ+ activist best known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court case, United States v. Windsor, which helped lead towards the eventual legalization of gay marriage in the United States.
To celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month, we're highlighting a story from our Hidden Voices series about Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, a doctor and activist of Puerto Rican descent who played a pivotal role in the women’s health movement by advocating for the rights of members of marginalized communities throughout her career.
June is Caribbean American Heritage Month! Celebrate with some of our favorite books that feature characters of Caribbean descent for students of all ages to enjoy this month and all year long!
Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)
- Across the Bay, by Carlos Apontes
- Alicia Alonso Dances On, by Rose Viña; illustrated by Gloria Felix
- Haiti A to Z, by M.J. Fievre; illustrated by Anastasia Khmelevska
- If Dominican Were a Color, by Sili Recio; illustrated by Brianna McCarthy
- A Story About Afiya, by James Berry; illustrated by Anna Cunha
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Coming Up Cuban, by Sonia Manzano
- Each Tiny Spark, by Pablo Cartaya
- If You Read This, by Kereen Getten
- Nightmare Island, by Shakirah Bourne
- Patchwork Prince, by Baptiste Paul
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- 90 Miles to Havana, by Enrique Flores-Galbis
- Aniana del Mar Jumps In, by Jasminne Mendez
- Hurricane Child, by Kacen Callender
- Josephine Against the Sea, by Shakirah Bourne
- When Life Gives You Mangos, by Kereen Getten
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- American Street, by Ibi Zoboi
- Analee, in Real Life, by Janelle Milanes
- How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, by Julia Alvarez
- Learning to Breathe, by Janice Lynn Mather
- Where the Rhythm Takes You, by Sarah Dass
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more recommendations in the Caribbean American Heritage Month Collection on Sora!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
Over the past month, we've seen some incredible examples of teamwork from our students!
On Earth Day, Chancellor Samuels stopped by PS 14 in Queens, where students and teachers worked together with NYC Parks staff members to plant six new trees! It was great seeing everyone work together to help beautify the PS 14 campus—thank you, NYC Parks, for partnering with us to make this year's Earth Day a memorable one for PS 14!
And in early May, PS 111 in the Bronx hosted District 11's Fifth Annual Soap Box Derby, where groups of students from schools across the Bronx built soap box cars for bragging rights and a shot at racing glory! At every participating school, students worked together in teams to research and build their soap box cars—what we saw at this year's Derby was the result of hundreds of hours of dedicated engineering work by our students and staff members. It was great fun seeing students' competitive spirits on full display, and we thank everyone who made this year's Soap Box Derby possible!
