65 Best Mexican Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story: A Father's Guided Journal To Share His Life & His Love

Jeffrey Mason

5.0

Show You Father How Much You Love and Appreciate Him by Giving Him the Gift of Memories and Legacy

Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story is the place for fathers to tell their tales and create a cherished legacy.

Imagine reading this rich record of your father's journey. Imagine sitting with your children and sharing with them your dad's story and one day them sharing it with their kids.

Dad, I Want to H

2

Always Running

Luis J. Rodriguez

4.9

The award-winning and bestselling classic memoir about a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles, now featuring a new introduction by the author.

Winner of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, hailed as a New York Times notable book, and read by hundreds of thousands, Always Running is the searing true story of one man’s life in a Chicano gang—and his heroic strug

3

Abuela

Arthur Dorros

4.9

While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.

4

Unbroken

Bill k. Underwood

4.9

Horses, sailing ships, Mayans, pyramids and conquistadors... Unbroken is being hailed as “a great read for all ages!”

Felipe Ferrer's young life is turned upside down when Hernan Cortes rides into the Ferrer stable yard. Cortes, planning to lead his conquistadors to Mexico, is in desperate need of horses. When Felipe’s father refuses to sell his prize stallion, Majesty, Cortes cheats him out of the

5

Chicano! the History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

F. Arturo Rosales and Francisco A. Rosales

4.9

This is the companion volume to the critically acclaimed, four-part documentary series of the same title, which is now available on video following its national airing on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Aimed at a broad general audience as well as college and high school students, this milestone volume offers a rich, readable text and unique historical photographs to highlight individuals

6

Biblioteca Basica De Historia: America Latina: Epoca Colonial

Gonzalo Zaragoza

4.9

7

An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya

Mary Ellen Miller

4.9

The myths and beliefs of the great Precolumbian civilizations of Mesoamerica have baffled and fascinated outsiders ever since the Spanish Conquest. Yet, until now, no single-volume introduction has existed to act as a guide to this labyrinthine symbolic world. In The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya nearly 300 entries, from accession to yoke, describe the main gods and symbols of th

8

Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors

Roseanne Greenfield Thong and John Parra

4.9

Children discover a world of colors all around them. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, but all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the colors found in every childs day!

9

Chicano Jr's Mexican Adventure

Raúl Jiménez and Felipe Vasconcelos

4.8

10

Frida: ¡Viva La Vida! Long Live Life!

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

4.8

"Wearing the white huipil with the lavender tassel,
hiding my amputated leg in red-leather boots,
I wheel the wheelchair to the Blue House studio
that Diego so lovingly built for me.

I dip the brush in blood-red paint
and, embracing life with all its light,
I print on a watermelon cut open—like I am—
¡Viva la vida!—
a hymn to nature and life."

Frida Kahlo, a native of Mexico, is described here in biographi

11

El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency

Ioan Grillo

4.8

The world has watched stunned at the bloodshed in Mexico. Thirty thousand murdered since 2006; police chiefs shot within hours of taking office; mass graves comparable to those of civil wars; car bombs shattering storefronts; headless corpses heaped in town squares. And it is all because a few Americans are getting high. Or is it? The United States throws Black Hawk helicopters and drug agents at

12

Lessons on Expulsion

Erika L. Sánchez

4.8

An award-winning and hard-hitting new voice in contemporary American poetry

The first time I ever came the light was weak and carnivorous.

I covered my eyes and the night cleared its dumb throat.

I heard my mother wringing her hands the next morning.

Of course I put my underwear on backwards, of course the elastic didn't work.

What I wanted most at that moment was a sandwich.

But I just nursed on this l

Cover unavailable

13

The Underdogs

Mariano Azuela, Sergio Waisman, Carlos Fuentes

4.8

The greatest novel of the Mexican Revolution, in a brilliant new translation by an award-winning translator

The Underdogs is the first great novel about the first great revolution of the twentieth century. Demetrio Macias, a poor, illiterate Indian, must join the rebels to save his family. Courageous and charismatic, he earns a generalship in Pancho Villa's army, only to become discouraged with the

Recommended by Hugh Thomson.

Hugh Thomson

I first read this when I was 16 or 17 and it made a strong impression on me. It’s a tough, picaresque novel of the Mexican revolution and of what it was like for the soldiers in the north. It’s a good account of how anarchic that revolution must have been and it still has a lot of verve and power, with images of troops spilling out of the trains, the Dorados, the ‘golden ones’, Pancho Villa’s cavalry. Pancho Villa 1878-1923 was the colourful bandit-hero of the Mexican revolution. [source]

14

La creación del mundo según el Códice Vindobonensis

Manuel A. Hermann Lejarazu

4.8

Hay pocos libros en el mundo semejantes al Códice Vindobonensis, pues en un solo volumen narra la creación del mundo y registra todos los rituales necesarios para que el universo perdure armoniosamente. Aquí invitamos al lector no sólo a recorrer las insólitas láminas del códice, sino también a intentar leer y descifrar los signos en los cuales los antiguos mexicanos plasmaron sus sistema de creen

15

Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary

Lonely Planet, Cecilia Carmona, et al.

4.8

Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary is your passport to the most relevant Mexican Spanish phrases and vocabulary for all your travel needs. Order Mexican delicacies at restaurants, bargain for the best price at markets, and discuss Mayan history with the locals -all with your trusted travel companion. With language tools in your back pocket, you can truly get to the heart o

16

Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo: Limpias Espirituales of Ancient Mesoamerican Shamans

Erika Buenaflor M.A.J.D.

4.8

A tutorial on the ancient practice of limpias to heal the mind, body, and soul

• Offers step-by-step instructions for the practice of limpias, shamanic cleansing rituals to heal, purify, and revitalize people as well as physical spaces

• Examines different types of limpia ceremonies, such as fire rites for transformation, water rites for cleansing and influencing, and sweeping rites for divination

17

Easy Mexican Food Favorites: A Mexican Cookbook for Taqueria-Style Home Cooking

Jennifer Olvera

4.8

Just like great Mexican food, this Mexican cookbook begins at the source: classic recipes, bold flavors, and fresh ingredients.

Unless you live in a city known for its Mexican food, finding good Mexican cuisine can be challenging--and finding the right Mexican cookbook might be even more difficult.

For food writer and cookbook author Jennifer Olvera, cooking traditional Mexican meals began as a lab

Cover unavailable

18

Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

Roseanne Thong and John Parra

4.8

In this lively picture book, children discover shapes all around them: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, while triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes fou

19

Medicina Prehispanica De Mexico/Prehispanic Medicine of Mexico

Viesca Trevino

4.8

20

Way People Live: Life Among the Aztecs

Rachael Ramey

4.8

Although much is known about the ways in which people of high social status lived in ancient Aztec society, archaeologists today are focusing on the lesser-known lives of the common people on whom the empire depended.

21

El Sicario: The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin

Molly Molloy and Charles Bowden

4.8

In this unprecedented and chilling monologue, a repentant Mexican hitman tells the unvarnished truth about the war on drugs on the American. El Sicario is the hidden face of America's war on drugs. He is a contract killer who functioned as a commandante in the Chihuahuan State police, who was trained in the US by the FBI, and who for twenty years kidnapped, tortured and murdered people for the dru

22

Drug Lord: The Life and Death of a Mexican Kingpin - A True Story

Terrence E. Poppa and Charles Bowden

4.8

""Drug Lord" is the real thing. Raw, immediate, indispensable."--Don Winslow, author of "The Power of Dog" and "California Fire and Life"

"The drug smuggling] business goes on, the slaughtered dead pile up, the US agencies continue to ratchet up their budgets, the prisons grow larger and all the real rules of the game are in this book, some kind of masterpiece."--Charles Bowden, from the introducti

23

The Toltec Secret: Dreaming Practices of the Ancient Mexicans

Sergio Magana

4.8

When the phase of the Sixth Sun began, it was time for the ancient teachings of Mexico to be shared with the world. Sergio Magaña’s dreaming teacher predicted that, after the eclipse on July 11, 2010, Sergio would be one of the spokespeople to carry the teachings of this rich spiritual tradition, which has been closed to outsiders until now. The original holders of this secret knowledge, the Chich

Cover unavailable

24

The Great Book of Mexico: Interesting Stories, Mexican History & Random Facts About Mexico (History & Fun Facts)

Bill O'Neill

4.8

25

Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution

Frank McLynn

4.8

The Mexican Revolution (1910-19) was the first social upheaval of the 20th century, surpassed only in historical importance by the Russian and Chinese revolutions. Tierra y libertad (Land and Liberty) was the watchword of the revolutionaries who fought a succession of autocrats in Mexico City. The two greatest rebel leaders were Francisco (Pancho) Villa and Emiliano Zapata, who, like Nelson and We

Cover unavailable

26

Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico

T. R. Fehrenbach

4.8

"Mexico's history is a mixture of conquest and plunder, violence and brutality, fabulous civilizations, and spectacular cultural achievements. A fascinating story."--Christian Science Monitor

There have been many Mexicos: the country of varied terrain, of Amerindian heritage, of the Spanish Conquest, of the Revolution, and of the modern era of elections and the rule of bankers. Mexico was forged in

27

Wolf Boys: Two American Teenagers and Mexico's Most Dangerous Drug Cartel

Dan Slater

4.8

The tale of two American teenagers recruited as killers for a Mexican cartel, and the Mexican-American detective who realizes the War on Drugs is unstoppable. “A hell of a story…undeniably gripping.” (The New York Times)

In this astonishing story, journalist Dan Slater recounts the unforgettable odyssey of Gabriel Cardona. At first glance, Gabriel is the poster-boy American teenager: athletic, brig

28

The Mexican-American War (Living Through. . .)

John DiConsiglio

4.8

Why was the Mexican American War so important in the formation of the modern United States? Could Texas have survived as an independent nation or part of Mexico? This book seeks to relate the overall events and chronology of the war and shows its impact on everyday lives.

29

Leyendas prehispanicas Mexicanas/ Prehispanic Mexican Legends

Otilia Meza

4.8

30

Leyendas Mexicanas de Antes y Despues de la Conquista = Mexican Legends from Before and After the Conquest

Carlos Franco Sodja

4.8

31

Santa Muerte: The History, Rituals, and Magic of Our Lady of the Holy Death

Tracey Rollin

4.8

Death welcomes everyone. This is the foundation for the veneration of Santa Muerte, or "Holy Death." Considered to be the female personification of death, she is associated with protection and safe passage to the afterlife. She is also the patron saint of people who live on the fringes of society and often face violence and death. In recent years her constituency has expanded to include the LGBT c

32

The Mexican Mafia

Tony Rafael

4.8

It has been called the most dangerous gang in American history. In Los Angeles alone it is responsible for over 100 homicides per year. Although it has fewer than 300 members, it controls a 40,000-strong street army that is eager to advance its agenda. It waves the flag of the Black Hand and its business is murder. Although known on the streets for over fifty years, the Mexican Mafia has flown und

33

The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories

Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria

4.8

When Latin American writers burst onto the world literary scene in the now famous "Boom" of the sixties, it seemed as if an entire literature had invented itself over night out of thin air. Not only was the writing extraordinary but its sudden and spectacular appearance itself seemed magical. In fact, Latin American literature has a long and rich tradition that reaches back to the Colonial period

Cover unavailable

34

The Course of Mexican History

Susan M. Deeds, Michael C. Meyer, et al.

4.8

Mexico's political, social, and economic landscapes have shifted in very striking ways in recent years and the country now moves cautiously forward, in the twenty-first century. Revised to address these remarkable transformations, The Course of Mexican History, now in its eleventh edition, offers a completely up-to-date, lively, and engaging survey from the pre-Columbian times to the present.

35

The Legend of Lord Eight Deer: An Epic of Ancient Mexico

John M. D. Pohl

4.8

The Legend of Lord Eight Deer is a retelling of the great epic saga of the Mixtec people of Mexico recorded in pictographs painted on deer-hide codices more than 500 years ago. The legend begins with the mysterious murder of three princes and unfolds as Lord Eight Deer embarks on a quest to rule his kingdom that takes him to the gates of the Sun God himself. It is a story of breathtaking beauty-a

36

History of the Americas 1880-1981: Course Companion (Oxford IB Diploma Programme)

Alexis Mamaux

4.8

Drive critical, engaged, high level learning and skills. Developed with the IB, this Course Book equips learners to analyze and articulate complex historical concepts and contexts, strengthening performance and potential. Enabling advanced understanding, the student-centred approach actively builds, refines and perfects higher level skills.
- Cover the new syllabus in the right level of depth, wit

37

A Narco History: How the United States and Mexico Jointly Created the "Mexican Drug War"

Carmen Boullosa and Mike Wallace

4.8

The term “Mexican Drug War” misleads. It implies that the ongoing bloodbath, which has now killed well over 100,000 people, is an internal Mexican affair.

But this diverts attention from the U.S. role in creating and sustaining the carnage. It’s not just that Americans buy drugs from, and sell weapons to, Mexico’s murderous cartels. It’s that ever since the U.S. prohibited the use and sale of drugs

38

Mexican American Literature: A Portable Anthology

Dagoberto Gilb and Ricardo Angel Gilb

4.8

Mexican American Literature is a comprehensive anthology consisting of powerful selections from 50 Mexian American authors.

39

The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War

Peter Guardino

4.8

By focusing on the experiences of ordinary Mexicans and Americans, The Dead March offers a clearer historical picture than we have ever had of the brief, bloody war that redrew the map of North America.

Peter Guardino invites skepticism about the received view that the United States emerged victorious in the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) because its democratic system was more stable and its citi

40

From Indians to Chicanos: The Dynamics of Mexican-American Culture

James Diego Vigil

4.8

Considered a pioneering achievement when first published nearly two decades ago, From Indians to Chicanos--now in a completely revised second edition--continues to offer readers an informed and penetrating approach to the history of Chicano development. Anthropologist-historian Diego Vigil shows a perceptive and knowledgeable background in brief, clear outlines of each stage of Mexican-American hi

41

In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys

Russell Freedman

4.8

In this rousing account of the first true cowboys, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman brings to life the days when the vaqueros rounded up cattle, brought down steers, and tamed wild broncos. In the service of wealthy Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century, Mexican ranch hands began herd- ing cattle, often riding barefoot. They soon developed and perfected the skills for this dangerous work

42

Ancient Aztecs

Michael Burgan

4.8

In the early 16th century, in what is now central Mexico, the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan was home to more than 200,000 people. From the empires earliest roots to its eventual demise, this title details the incredible rise and fall of one of the greatest civilizations in history. It also examines ancient Aztec religious beliefs, scientific innovations, and daily life, as well as how the civ

43

Diego: Bigger Than Life

Carmen Bernier-Grand, David Diaz

4.8

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand's inspiring free verse and David Diaz's vivid paintings capture the defining moments and emotions of Diego Rivera's tumultuous life, including his stormy relationship with artist Frida Kahlo and his passion for his art. Rivera's energy, physique, love for women, and work were all "bigger than life." A biography, chronology, glossary, sources, notes, and famous quotations ar

44

The Mexican Mafia Encyclopedia

Rene Enriquez, Ramon Mendoza, et al.

4.8

45

Ask a Mexican

Gustavo Arellano

4.8

DEAR MEXICAN:

WHAT IS ¡ASK A MEXICAN! ?

Questions and answers about our spiciest Americans. I explore the clichés of lowriders, busboys, and housekeepers; drunks and scoundrels; heroes and celebrities; and most important, millions upon millions of law-abiding, patriotic American citizens and their illegal-immigrant cousins who represent some $600 billion in economic power.

WHY SHOULD I READ ¡ASK A

46

Down Garrapata Road

Anne Estevis

4.8

Down Garrapata Road is a collection of stories about four Mexican American families who endure poverty, WWII, and responsibilities that affect them all. But they deal with their struggles with the help of family and their community

47

The Mexican War, 1846-1848

K. Jack Bauer and Robert W. Johannsen

4.8

"Much has been written about the Mexican war, but this . . . is the best military history of that conflict. . . . Leading personalities, civilian and military, Mexican and American, are given incisive and fair evaluations. The coming of war is seen as unavoidable, given American expansion and Mexican resistance to loss of territory, compounded by the fact that neither side understood the other. Th

48

Creative Haven Mexican Folk Art Coloring Book

Marty Noble

4.8

Thirty-one striking adaptations of authentic native art depict, among other subjects, a Mixtec circular design from an incised gourd rattle, religious figures from a Metepec candlestick, and images of jaguars taken from a Guerrero lacquered chest. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Mexican Folk Art and other

49

La Conquista de Mexico = Conquest of Mexico

Fernando Orozco

4.7

50

La Malinche (Biografia para ninos)

Tere de las Casas

4.7

51

A Brief History of Mexico

Lynn V. Foster

4.7

From the rise of the first civilizations of North America to the intensely contested presidential election of 2006, Mexico has had a vibrant and dynamic history. This title discusses developments in Mexico, helping readers to understand the deeper significance of the events.

52

The Ancient Aztecs

Liz Sonneborn

4.7

Who were people of the ancient world? What was it like to be a farmer or a soldier or an artisan in ancient times? This series creates portraits of life in ancient civilizations through the inhabitants. Each chapter focuses on a different part of society, such as peasants, scholars/scribes, priests, soldiers, rulers, and more. Beginning in the late 1300s, the Aztecs were a group of American Indian

53

Mexico for Kids: People, Places and Cultures - Children Explore the World Books

Baby Professor

4.7

Welcome to Mexico! Are you ready to tour around the place and meet new people? Then go ahead and open this book! Here, you will get your first truly Mexican experience through pictures and texts. You will have an idea of what life is like in this part of the planet. You can use this book as an introduction prior to an actual visit. Grab a copy now!

54

Ancient Civilizations: A Captivating Guide to Mayan History, the Aztecs, and Inca Empire

Captivating History

4.7

55

Complete Book of Mexican Cooking

Elisabeth Ortiz

4.7

"Beginning with the Corn Kitchen, the author takes up tortillas and follows through to tacos, tostadas and fillings for quesadillas. There's Green Chicken with Almonds, Red Stew with Mountain Chiles...Plus all of the classic desserts from Bunuelos (fritters) to Flan (caramel pudding). One chapter is devoted to Bebidas (drinks) including the Mexican grasshopper, Margarita and naturally, chocolate."

56

The Guatemalan Genocide of the Maya People

John A. Torres

4.7

The Maya Empire became a thriving civilization between the third century and the seventh century CE, but by 900 CE war, drought, and disease wiped out most of its cities and the Mayan people were greatly reduced. Unfortunately, the greatest threat to their existence was yet to come, when the Guatemalan genocide would decimate those who remained in the 1970s and '80s. The facts of the Mayans' story

57

The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club

Alex Caine

4.7

From the #1 national bestselling author of Befriend and Betray, an intimate exposé of a criminal empire and the massacre that nearly started a global biker war.

Having once infiltrated the Bandidos for three years in a landmark police operation, Alex Caine is uniquely positioned to reveal the untold story of the Hells Angels’ fiercest rivals.

Grounded in the crucible of the little understood Shedden

58

The Mexican American Family Album

Dorothy Hoobler

4.7

Mexican Americans have a unique relationship with the United States. Because of the proximity of the neighboring countries, the old traditions of Mexico remain ever close to their hearts even as they embrace a new life in America. As a matter of fact, the first Mexican Americans did not leave their homeland by choice to come to the United States. Instead, the United States went to them. At the end

59

El Ocaso Del Imperio De Maximiliano Visto Por Un Diplomático Prusiano

Konrad Ratz

4.7

El presente libro, preparado por Konrad Ratz, nos permite examinar el segundo imperio mexicano a través de los informes políticos que un avezado y minucioso diplomático prusiano, como parte de su desempeño profesional en México, rindió a sus superiores en Berlín. Esta nueva publicación tiene grandes méritos, pues aporta el punto de vista de un privilegiado testigo presencial que no sólo observó y

60

The Spanish Conquistadors Conquer the Aztecs - History 4th Grade Children's History Books

Baby Professor

4.7

What happened when The Spanish Conquistadors Reach Aztec? Explore the world of historical facts and figures using informative edutaining books like this one. The means of explaining historical facts has to appeal to the target readers and that means using age-appropriate words and attention-grabbing images. So, what do you think of this history book?

61

The U.S.-Mexico Border The Treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Arbitrary Borders)

John Davenport

4.7

International in scope and analytical in approach, Arbitrary Borders: Political Boundaries in World History examines political demarcations that have occurred around the world. While borders may reflect and affirm the cultural, ethnic, or linguistic perimeters that define a people or a country, this series explores how the migration of goods, resources, and people works to undermine the separation

62

Hernán Cortés and La Malinche

John A. Torres

4.7

63

Quien Es Criminal? Un Recorrido Por El Delito, La Ley, La Justicia y El Castigo En Mexico: Desde El Virreinato Hasta El Siglo XX

Elisa Speckman

4.7

64

Grandes Personajes de Mexico

Fernando Orozco

4.7

65

Tradiciones Populares MexicanAS

Sonia Iglesias y Cabrera

4.7

Este libro se propone rescatar y difundir las tradiciones mexicanas, es la tarea que la autora de este libro se propone realizar desde una perspectiva antropológica e histórica. En el podemos conocer cuales fueron los primeros mercados que existieron en el México colonial, el origen del pan, la historia de los"judas"del Sábado de Gloria, la maravilla del telar de cintura, algunos juegos indígenas,