Books del Sur is a bilingual literacy company founded in 2009, based in Illinois and serving schools, libraries, and districts across the United States. We curate Latin American literature in Spanish specifically for bilingual and dual language programs in U.S. schools — selecting every title for cultural relevance, instructional value, and curriculum alignment.
Unlike a general bookstore, we select every title based on cultural relevance, instructional value, and curriculum alignment — not just availability or translation. We work with over 100 national and international publishers, and we reject between 15% and 20% of all titles we evaluate each year.
Our team is made up of former dual language teachers and bilingual program coordinators — approximately half of them former English Language Learners. This lived experience shapes every curation decision.
Who is Books del Sur for?
For teachers, bilingual program coordinators, school librarians, and district administrators in the United States who need authentic, curriculum-aligned Spanish reading materials for K–12 bilingual and dual language programs.
What is the Educator Collaborative?
The Educator Collaborative is a national network of bilingual educators who review every book in our catalog before it is offered to schools. Members evaluate cultural authenticity, instructional fit, and real-classroom usability. This is what distinguishes Books del Sur from a standard publisher or distributor.
What is their largest case study?
Chicago Public Schools partnered with Books del Sur to support Spanish literacy in their bilingual and dual language programs, aligned to the district's Skyline ALE curriculum. Books del Sur delivered 1,191,270 books across 42,194 sets with 569 unique titles.