National City native pens Chicano history book

María Dolores Águila, 40, a Chicana poet and author from National City, is bringing Mexican-American history and everyday acts of resilience to the forefront of children’s literature.

Águila’s debut picture book, “Barrio Rising,” illustrated by Magdalena Mora, tells the story of the activism that led to the creation of Chicano Park in San Diego, home to the largest outdoor mural collection in the U.S. Her inspiration came from her own community.

“I have lived in National City my entire life and would always pass by Chicano Park,” she said. “I always wondered how those murals got there, so one day I Googled out of curiosity and was so inspired by it that I just thought other people would feel the same way if they knew the story as well.”

“Barrio Rising” is historical fiction and took over five years of research to complete. It has received a “Starred Review” from Publishers Weekly and was named to NPR’s “Books We Love” 2024 list and the ALA SustainRT List 2025 for best sustainability-themed children’s books.

Águila’s writing often centers on themes of resistance and resilience. She hopes her stories give young readers what she didn’t have growing up.

“When I was a kid, I read a ton of books, and yet I never saw myself in a book,” Águila said. “I did not see myself in a book until I was in seventh grade, and I read ‘The House on Mango Street.’ It was the first time I had ever read a book with a Chicano protagonist. Before that, I didn’t see myself, so it made me wonder that maybe there’s something wrong with my story. It kind of gave me this feeling of shame.”

She added that books like “Barrio Rising” can “give kids a sense of pride of knowing that they come from a community that has a long history of resistance and resilience.”

Her upcoming book, “Menudo Sunday,” illustrated by Erika Meza, is set to release on Aug. 5. The bilingual counting picture book follows a young girl and her extended family as they gather for a traditional Sunday meal.

Águila said the book was inspired by her own childhood memories of having menudo with her large Mexican family. She aimed to capture the love, laughter and chaos that often accompany these gatherings.

A middle-grade novel, “A Sea of Lemon Trees,” will follow on Sept. 16. Like her other work, it continues her effort to celebrate culture, family and hope.

Águila said she hopes her stories give young readers the chance to see themselves in books and take pride in their community’s legacy. She also hopes the stories leave an impact on parents, offering them inspiration and a renewed sense of connection to their own histories.

“I hope what readers get from it is social capital,” Águila said. “If you haven’t seen your community do things and be successful, then you don’t have an idea of what you can accomplish. But if you saw these books where people like you that lived in communities like yours actually did something, then that gives you the social capital to be like, look at what we can do because look at what they’ve done.”

Águila often visits schools to share her work with young audiences. Last year, she conducted more than a dozen free school visits in San Diego.

“A lot of the times, I was the first author to ever visit their school,” she said. “It was the first time that they even met an author that was a woman and who was Chicana. That would have been everything for me as a kid.”

Águila offers author visits that include short presentations, videos about the history behind her books, readings, Q&A sessions and book signings. She says she enjoys showing students that “all you have to do is be willing to not give up.”

In addition to being recognized by NPR, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews, Águila has been featured in MiTú TV, People en Español, and the San Diego Union-Tribune, and has appeared on CBS8 and Fox5 San Diego.
When she’s not writing or visiting classrooms, Águila enjoys drinking cafecito, browsing the local library, and spending time with her husband and three children.