For Immediate Release

August 30, 2005

Contact: Kathryn Blough
Ph: 212-255-0200 x263

Publishers Group Recommends Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

To help mark the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 until October 15, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) has released a list of recommended books that can be used by teachers, librarians, booksellers and others to celebrate Hispanic culture.  Compiled by AAP's Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force, the list features a wide variety of titles in both English and Spanish.

The Recommended Reading List, with books for adults and for children, features titles by Latino authors and those that address issues of Latino identity and culture.  It can be viewed online at http://www.getcaughtreading.org/pressreleases/ajaleyendo.htm.

"As avid readers and book lovers, we can think of no better way to mark the observance of Hispanic Heritage Month than by reading a wonderful book on the topic," said AAP President & CEO Pat Schroeder.  "The list will help community leaders and educators identify books of excellence that are of special interest at this time of year."

The Publishing Latino Voices for America Task Force was created in 2002 to help promote the rich variety of titles written by Latinos or built around Latino themes.  The Task Force has declared May Latino Books Month, and has created resource kits for teachers, librarians and others who wish to encourage reading among Latinos in their communities.

AAP is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP's approximately 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies. The AAP Publishing Latino Voices for America Task force was formed in 2002 in recognition of the growing Latino community in the United States and the phenomenal growth of the Latino book market.

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