Sobre Nosotros

¡Viva! Los Libros is a Latina-led, Chicago-based literary arts company focused on Latine literature. Guided by a “bilingual-by-design” philosophy, we center Latine authors and illustrators so bilingual children can see their lives reflected on the page from the very first word. We operate a bookstore with a catalog of roughly 1,200 titles, a bilingual and Spanish-language book fair program, and a bookmobile. We also host literary events and family literacy programming for schools and communities both in Chicago and nationwide. Our mission is to build the bilingual children’s canon through original stories created simultaneously in English and Spanish. ¡Viva! Los Libros was originally founded in 2020 as 51st Ward Books, making it Chicago’s first bilingual and social justice children's bookstore.

Our books are highly vetted and curated. We prioritize books that:

Align with standards

of anti-racist, anti-bias and culturally-relevant education for children and young people.

Feature people, not animals.

In 2020, over 70% of children’s books featured White or animal characters. Only 37% featured characters who were Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian/Asian American, or Pacific Islander. Chicago is a BIPOC city with a multicultural future. Our books must reflect our reality.

Are written and/or illustrated by individuals who are members of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities.

We believe people should tell their own stories and that there is no substitute for one’s lived experiences.

Provide access to bilingual (English/Spanish) and Spanish language text

We believe that access to languages other than English is an equity issue. We work to source the highest quality Spanish and bilingual books. Whether sourced from Latin American publishers or are books in translation they are effective in facilitating language learning.