Long Beach Public Library

6th Annual Celebration of Vida Latina

We're excited to announce the 6th annual celebration of Vida Latina, which returns September 17 through October 12, 2024. Vida Latina honors Latin American heritage through a series of captivating events at all library locations, and showcases the diverse, vibrant culture of Latin American communities.

Building on the success of the past five years, this year's Vida Latina will present an exciting blend of activities for adults, teens, and kids, including beloved classics such as Lotería and Cuentos y Cantos Storytime, alongside innovative and empowering additions like the Studio at Billie Jean King Main Library’s Hilos de Sueños y Recuerdos: Sew It Goes, Financial Literacy with Corissa Hernandez, Power of Poetry with Aida Salazar, and our Vida Latina Celebration.

We're proud to present an array of special programs, curated book and film lists, and engaging activities that welcome library visitors to immerse themselves in the richness of Latin American culture. Be sure to check out our Reflections of Long Beach page, a dynamic digital space that offers a year-round opportunity to delve into the vibrant cultural history of Long Beach, all while fostering exploration, learning, and meaningful connections.

Featured Programs

View the Vida Latina calendar for the full schedule of events.

September 19

• Your Relationship with Money @ Michelle Obama Library

September 21

• Building Generational Wealth @ Burnett Library
• Hilos de Sueños y Recuerdos @ Harte Library

September 25

• Building Generational Wealth @ Mark Twain Library

September 28

• Hilos de Sueños y Recuerdos @ BJK Main Library

October 1

• Power of Poetry @ BJK Main Library

October 5

• Mujeres, Mocktails, & Money @ BJK Main Library

October 10

• Hilos de Sueños y Recuerdos @ BJK Main Library

October 12

• Hilos de Sueños y Recuerdos @ Michelle Obama Library
• Vida Latina Celebration @ Michelle Obama Library

Special Edition Bookmarks

When you attend any of our featured Vida Latina (VL) programs, each LBPL location will give away one of our VL bookmarks. Attend a program in each category to collect all bookmarks.

Arts & Culture	Author Talks	Financial Literacy		Storytimes

Book & Media Lists

Search "Vida Latina 2024" in the library catalog to see the full book and media list!

Children

Search VL2024Kids for the full list of books.

1. Sea of Constellations by Melissa Cristina Márquez
2. Una corona para Corina  by Laekan Zea Kemp
3. Al otro lado del río be Alda P. Dobbs
4. Océano de constelaciones by Melissa Cristina Márquez
5. My Dog Just Speaks Spanish by Andrea Cáceres
6. Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera

Teens

Search VL2024Teens for the full list of books.

1. Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
2. Viva Lola Espinoza! by Ella Cerón
3. Queerceañera by Alex Crespo
4. ¡Ay, Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs
5. Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu
6. The Making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila

Adults

Search VL2024Adults for the full list of books.

1. Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
2. The Faraway World by Patricia Engel
3. Violeta by Isabel Allende
4. Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women edited by Sandra Guzmán
5. Self-care for Latinas: 100+ Ways to Prioritize & Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, & Spirit by Raquel Reichard
6. La Fórmula "Despacito": Los hits de la música latina contados por sus artistas by Leila Cobo

Media

Search VL2024Media for the full list of media.

1. Gods of Mexico (2022)
2. Trenque Lauquen (2022)
3. The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future (2023)
4. El viaje (2024)
5. Vida Cotidiana (2023)
6. Aguilera (2022)

Cultural programming is made possible by the generous support of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation.