If you’ve had a chance to savor Yum! Mmm! Que Rico! America’s Sproutings, or any of the books in this year’s Américas Award list of winners, honor books and commended titles, you will understand how spot-on this award’s committee is in recognizing and honoring accurate portrayals of our Americas’ rich cultural heritage.

As this year’s winners, Pat Mora and Rafael Lopez’s Yum! Mmm! Que Rico! and Laura Resau’s Red Glass will be honored tomorrow (Oct 4), at a ceremony at the Library of Congress, in Washington D.C. Hosted by the Library of Congress’s Hispanic Division and the Center for the Book, the event is free and open to the public, so don’t miss it if you are in the area!

Yuyi Morales’ Little Night, Jorge Argueta’s Alfredito Flies Home and Carmen T. Bernier’s Frida: Viva la Vida! are among the honored and commended titles selected by the award’s 2008 committee.

What better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than by giving these books the recognition and readership they deserve?

Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit organization founded in 1997 by Los Angeles actor and activist Edward James Olmos, has announced the 2008 winners of the Latino Book Awards. English, Spanish, and bilingual books are considered separately.

Hello Night, Hola Noche by Amy Costales (Luna Rising, publisher) was named the best bilingual children’s picture book. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy (Peachtree) got the award for best children’s picture book in English. Martina was also named a Pura Belpre Medal honor book this year. Click here to see other Latino Book Award winners in the children and young adult categories.

Latino Literacy Now also sponsors the Latino Book and Family Festival, annual weekend events to promote literacy, culture and education and to celebrate the diversity of multicultural communities in the United States. This year the festival will be held in Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

(Click on event name for more information)

Asian Heritage Month~ Canada and USA

Get Caught Reading Month~ USA

National Share a Story Month~ United Kingdom

Carter G. Woodson Book Award Winners Announced~ USA

Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books~ ongoing until June 15, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

34th Buenos Aires International Book Fair~ ongoing until May 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina

4th Nami Island International Book Festival~ May 1 - June 30, Korea

9th Children’s Book Council of Australia National Conference and Expo~ May 2 - 4, Melbourne, Australia

53rd International Reading Association Annual Convention~ May 4 - 8, Atlanta, GA, USA

Children’s Book Week~ May 12 - 18, USA

Seoul International Book Fair~ May 14 - 18, Seoul, Korea

Library and Information Week~ May 19 - 25, Australia

Sydney Writers’ Festival~ May 19 - 25, Sydney, Australia

New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - Award Ceremony~ May 21, Wellington, New Zealand

National Simultaneous Storytime~ May 21, Australia

63rd Canadian Library Association Annual Conference and Trade Show~ May 21 - 24, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Canadian Library Association Book Awards Ceremony~ May 22, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Book Expo America~ May 26 - June 1, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Ceremony~ May 28, Stockholm, Sweden

10th Annual International Latino Book Awards Ceremony~ May 29, Los Angeles, CA, USA

23rd World Book Fair 2008~ May 30 - June 8, Singapore