Our Favorite Books: Mexico

In the early 1980’s, Graham Mackintosh, a self-professed “non-adventurer,” walked 3000 miles around the circumference of the Baja peninsula over a two-year period in the early 1980’s. In this entertaining book, he writes of the harsh desert terrain, his ongoing efforts to carry/find/create drinkable water, the kindness of strangers, the incredible beauty around him, and the joy that he finds in his solitude quest. Written in a honest, self-deprecating manner, the book allows us to see Baja with fresh eyes.

Traveling through Mexico, the author digs beneath the surface of places to reveal aspects not usually visible, or even sought, by other tourists. In a fresh voice, Isabelle Tree weaves her own experiences with an in-depth historical analysis of six diverse areas of the country—Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Juchitán, Chiapas, Lake Pátzcuaro, and Huichol Country.

Tony Cohan is an American transplant in Mexico, and his genuine love for the culture is reflected in his writing. Whether he is wandering through the colorful markets of Oaxaca, hiking through the rainy jungle near Xilitla, or experiencing an awkward personal moment, his writing is clear and honest.

Mexico City has a population of about 20 million people, including author David Lida who moved there from New York in 1990. In this book, he shares his perceptions of this great city—the many contradictions, the wide gulf between “haves” and “have nots”, the fascinating social dynamics, neighborhood personalities, political hurdles, the overt machismo, the diverse and colorful culture, problems faced by the younger generation, and the city’s ability to reinvent itself in an ever-changing world.

In this travelogue, the author conveys her passion for the long, skinny peninsula known as the Baja California. During a 5-year period, she travels from the tourist mecca of Los Cabos to the gritty streets of Tijuana, combining bits and pieces of personal stories, history, and observations, to create a fascinating mosaic of this land.

This book was invaluable for planning our 10-day journey through the state of Oaxaca. It has detailed maps and information about many of the small towns and sites around the city, as well as along the coastal area.

This guidebook provides photographs, maps and a brief overview of many places within Mexico. While we would have liked a lot more substantive details, we appreciated all of the diagrams for historical sites (such as Teotihuacán near Mexico City, and Monte Albán near Oaxaca), as well as the stunning color photographs that helped us to select which places we wanted to visit.

While GPS units are great, we always carry a “paper” map back-up for those seemingly inevitable malfunctions. This bound atlas is from the most reputable map publisher in Mexico. We relied upon it when navigating through the states of Oaxaca and Michoacán, as well as around Mexico City.

The life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was a difficult one, and her story is beautifully told here. The magical illustrations by Ana Juan are simply amazing, captivating us with their creativity and beauty, and elevating this book to one of our all-time favorite children’s books.

This innovative book not only provides kids with fascinating information about the Mexican culture, but it offers them fun projects to complete. Open the pages, and follow professional soccer player Ethan Zohn to places such as Mexico City, a butterfly migration sanctuary, ancient pyramids, and a wrestling arena. Along the way, he challenges kids to learn Spanish words, complete math puzzles and science experiments, write creative stories, and make art.

This children’s book presents a wonderful introduction to the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Easy to read text is accompanied by many of Diego’s famous paintings, along with the author’s cartoon illustrations.

Fourteen-year-old Clara is feeling like she doesn’t quite belong in her Maryland suburban community. Then she receives an invitation to spend the summer with grandparents she has never met—her father’s parents who he has not seen since entering the U.S. illegally years ago. Clara embarks on a voyage of personal discovery as she travels to her grandparents’ rustic home in the mountains of Oaxaca. The author beautifully alternates Clara’s present experience with her grandmother’s story from the past. Although the book is intended for older children, the beautiful writing and ageless story of self-discovery will appeal to adults as well.

With simple text and lots of colorful photographs, this book presents “A” to “Z” information about Mexico—animals, buildings, cities, dress, food, government, history, important people, jobs, keepsakes, land, map, nation, only in Mexico, people, question, religion, school and sports, transportation, unusual places, visiting the country, window to the past, x-tra special things, yearly festivals, and zapatos.

Tino the Turtle continues his world adventures by traveling to Mexico City, where he learns about Mexican culture by dancing to a mariachi band, taking a whack at a piñata, digging for treasure, and more. The book also teaches a handful of Spanish words and includes a map showing Tino’s route through the city. An audio CD is also provided.

This dual English/Spanish book takes us to a Mexican village where we learn how one of the village men makes exquisite piñatas. Watch as the piñata maker buys the materials, crafts a piñata, sells the finished product, and then witnesses children cracking open a piñata at a party. The text is accompanied by color photographs that really bring the piñata-making experience to life.

In a Tijuana neighborhood next to the dump, a boy named Armando lives in a small shack. Everyday he helps his father look for anything of value in the trash, but he dreams of going to school—a open-air classroom on a blue tarp spread out against the ground. Armando’s parents eventually realize that an education may offer their son opportunities other than being a trash picker in the future. This book is based on the true story of David Lynch, a teacher who began working with the children living in the Tijuana city dump in 1980. Although the story covers the heavy topics of poverty and inequality, it is told in a simple and direct manner.