Children’s books stuck to the Disney movie and humming along to its Lin Manuel-Miranda soundtrack.
Encanto. PG. Disney+. Out now.
When a Colombian girl named Maribel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) discovers that her family’s magic is beginning to fail, she must find a way to save the Madrigal family and bring the magic back to their casa. Released on Disney+ in December, this animated film is viewed repeatedly in many homes, with the soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda top of the charts.
Read-like:
Love the Magic of Sugar: A Touch of Trouble by Anna Mariano. Walden. 2018.
3rd year–6—After Mexican-American Leonora finds out that she comes from a bruja family, she picks up a book of magic and begins experimenting, leading to many mishaps. Readers drawn to whimsical stories about Latinx magical families will enjoy this warm read.
night lights by Lorena Alvarez. Nobrown Press. 2017.
3rd year–6—Young Colombian artist Sandy, the protagonist of this whimsical and slightly spooky graphic novel, loves drawing inspiration from the colorful world of her imagination. Then, a pale-skinned girl named Morphie shows up and begins to infiltrate his fantasy world. Readers delighted by EncantoBright and lush visuals will enjoy this graphic novel.
Clever by Ingrid Law. Dial. 2008.
4th year–seven—In this quirky fantasy novel, 13-year-old white Mibs Beaumont waits to discover her meaning, a magical power granted to all members of her family, as she worries about her injured father. Readers enchanted by all the members of Family Madrigal, while encouraging Maribel to discover her power, will enjoy reading about the Beaumonts.
The Wizard Boy by Molly Ostertag. School. 2017.
4th year–seven—Aster, 13, a white boy, is more interested in spells, reserved for girls, than shapeshifting, which is the territory of the boys in his family. When tragedy strikes, however, thwarting tradition might just save the day. Although this moving graphic novel explores gender roles more than the film, magic-loving readers who identify with the pressure of meeting family expectations should give this fantasy a try.
