Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Center for the Book Planning Team have selected Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín for young audiences and Bindle Punk Bruja: A Novel by Desideria Mesa for adult readers to represent Missouri at the 2024 National Book Festival.
This year’s Missouri Center for the Book selections highlight books written by Kansas City-based authors who have weaved their Mexican roots and heritage into their stories. These titles are added to an annual “Great Reads from Great Places” list of books representing the literary heritage of all 50 states and U.S. territories. The lists are available online and each affiliate will showcase their chosen books during the Library of Congress’s National Book Festival’s “Roadmap to Reading” activity.
Every year since 2002, thousands of families and individuals visit affiliate booths to collect stamps to fill their “Roadmap to Reading” passport maps while learning about books from all over the country. The 2024 National Book Festival is on Saturday, August 24, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Missouri Humanities looks forward to showcasing Missouri’s Mexikid and Bindle Punk Bruja and their respective authors to a national audience at the Book Festival. It will also provide a unique opportunity to showcase Kansas City’s growing Latino population while providing perspectives that celebrate the history, stories, and cultural contributions of the region.
For Young Readers: Mexikid: A Graphic Novel by Pedro Martín
Pedro Martín is an author and illustrator living in Kansas City, Missouri. As a Mexican American, he grew up hearing stories about his abuelito — his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! His poignant and hilarious, graphic memoir recounts his family’s adventure-filled road trip to Mexico to bring their grandfather back to the US with them. Mexikid is a Newberry Honor Award Winner and winner of the Pura Belpre Author and Illustrator Award. This memoir was crafted from childhood stories he collected for years on note cards that he stored in a Batman lunchbox for safekeeping.
Pedro Martín is the son of an immigrant sharecropper and spent his childhood in the strawberry fields of the Monterey Bay Area, California. He grew up with a talent for art and music, leading him to earn a degree in graphic design at San Jose State University. He moved to Kansas City after being recruited by Hallmark Greetings, where he worked to become a Master Artist. He helped pioneer the animation and properties department by developing animated shorts and full-on animated specials for CBS and The Hallmark Channel. He was nominated twice for the Annie Awards for production design. He eventually retired from Hallmark and pursued his dream of writing a graphic memoir to honor his hilarious and generous family and all they struggled to achieve.
For Adult Readers: Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa
Desideria Mesa was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and her debut novel is an action-packed historical fantasy set in the luminous Roaring Twenties that plunges deep into the underbelly of Prohibition-era Kansas City. Her book, Bindle Punk Bruja, was noted among the best fall releases in 2022 by several publications, including The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Tor Books, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, Audible, and Publisher’s Weekly.
Sticking to her roots, Mesa’s novel incorporates Latinx culture and magic. The story follows Luna Alvarado, a white-passing daughter of a Mexican mother and white father, who adopts the identity “Rose Lane” to fit into society as a bootlegger. Considering Kansas City’s thriving bootlegging scene under the leadership of crooked city councilmen, Tom Pendergast, Bindle Punk Bruja takes place in the perfect setting to showcase a bustling jazz scene along with real historical accounts, such as Kansas City’s Mexican Boxcar Community, newly adopted redlining practices, the rise of women’s rights, and the struggle of diverse communities.
Bindle Punk Bruja incorporates Mesa’s family’s Latinx culture and experience into the story. While researching her family lore, she discovered the existence of Kansas City’s Mexican Boxcar Community and her family’s connection to it, along with Rose/Luna’s heritage as the descendant of a long line of witches called “brujas” — inspired by an ancient Mexican folktale.
