Américas Award 2010

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

The Américas Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. The award, which is sponsored by the U.S. Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), reaches beyond national borders to focus on the the diversity of cultural heritage throughout the continents of North and South America.

The award winners and commended titles are selected for their:

paw_sm_MC distinctive literary quality;

paw_sm_MCcultural contextualization;

paw_sm_MCexceptional integration of text, illustration and design;

paw_sm_MCpotential for classroom use.

2010 Américas Award Winners

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (Knopf, 20090.

What Can You Do with a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? by Carmen Tafolla,  illustrated by Magaly Morales (Tricycle Press, 2009).

Américas Award Honorable Mentions

Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Curbstone, 2009).

I Know the River Loves Me / Yo sé que el río me ama by Maya Christina González (Children’s Book Press, 2009).

My Papa Diego and Me: Memories of My Father and His Art / Mi papa Diego y yo: Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte by Guadalupe Rivera Marín and Diego Rivera (Children’s Book Press, 2009).

The full commended list can be found here. The winning books will be honored at a ceremony during Hispanic Heritage Month (15 September – 15 October 2010) at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

As a way to kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month, I would like to suggest the young adult book The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans, by Carmen Tafolla (reviewed by Marjorie and also mentioned in her answers to Stacy’s questions for today’s BBAW’s Blogger Interview Swap). The winner of the 2009 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award (tied for the honor with Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s YA novel, He Forgot to Say Goodbye), the book offers a collection of 16 short stories that explore the human spirit inherent in the bilingual, bicultural world of the Texas-Mexico border.

We hope this and the many other books we have highlighted on the PaperTigers website and blog through the years can help children and young adults understand more about the rich and important tapestry we call Hispanic America.