Secrets and mysteries abound in the work of three Latinx authors who will talk about their new books for young adults. Ranging from contemporary Houston to 1970s-era South Texas and New York during the disco-dance craze, the teen protagonists in these novels struggle with dreams and aspirations, identity and self-esteem, bullying and conflict.

This event is presented in partnership with Arte Publico Press.

ANNA GARCIA SCHAPER teaches at McDaniel College in Westminster and a middle school in Walkersville, Maryland. Wishbone (Piñata Books, 2020) is her first published novel. Horn Book called it a “story of culture, love, and feminism … a compelling tale, with an ultimately empowering and satisfying conclusion.”

RICHIE NARVAEZ is the author of Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco (Piñata Books, 2020). Booklist said the novel is “a fun, historical murder case that takes a fresh approach to teenage angst, anxiety, and the need to belong.” He teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

ALEX TEMBLADOR’s debut novel, Secrets of the Casa Rosada (Piñata Books, 2018), was included in the 2020 Tayshas Reading List and Kirkus’ Best Books of 2018. It won the 2018 Writers’ League of Texas Middle Grade / Young Adult Discovery Prize and the 2019 Tejas Foco Young Adult Fiction Award.