The 2010 Pura Belpré Award Winners

The 2010 Pura Belpré Awards have been announced!

Named for the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, the Pura Belpré Award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

For your convenience, we have a special section in our on-line bookstore which includes the books of this year’s winners, as well as all previous winners of this special award. Just click on our store image in the sidebar and then click on the Pura Belpré category.

To learn more about the Pura Belpré Award, click here.

This year’s winners include the following books:

Author Award

Return to Sender, written by Julia Alvarez.

Julia Alvarez explores the thin line that separates American citizens and undocumented persons in her brilliantly told novel, "nder." After Tyler’s father is unable to maintain the family farm, he hires undocumented workers, resulting in an interdependent relationship that mirrors current social and political conditions in the United States. Alvarez humanizes a situation by giving a voice to millions of immigrants experiencing similar hardships. This outstanding novel about the solidarity between two children of different cultures will resonate in the hearts of readers of any age.

Illustrator Award

Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros, illustrated by Rafael López, written by Pat Mora.

Rafael López utilizes vibrant colors and applies magical realism to show that the love of reading is universal. Through a series of fanciful images, the author depicts Latino children inviting children of other cultures into their book fiesta, leading the reader on a visual journey that shows that reading sparks the imagination across all cultures and has the power to unite us. This informational children’s book will also serve as a valuable resource to those planning El día de los niños/El día de los libros in their communities.

Author Honor Books

Diego: Bigger Than Life, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz.

Federico García Lorca, written by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro.

Illustrator Honor Books

Diego: Bigger Than Life, illustrated David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand.

My Abuelita, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston.

Gracias Thanks, illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora.

Spanish Language Creative Writing Contest

For our readers in Nebraska, you might see if your students/children would be interested in submitting to the following writing contest:

The University of Nebraska is sponsoring a Spanish language writing contest about Latino's and Latin American immigrants' contributions to communities across Nebraska. The contest is open to children in grades 5 through 12.

Submissions are accepted in the following categories: Poetry, Short Narrative, and Essay.

First, second, and third prizes in each category will receive $100, $50, and $25 gift certifcates respectively.

The goal of the contest is to celebrate the Spanish language and encourage its creative use among bilingual, heritage speakers, and speakers of Spanish as a second language.

The deadline for submitting to the contest is March 5th, 2010 and the winning entries will be displayed in May at the Ollas Cumbre 2010/Fourth Latino/Latin American Summit of the Great Plains.

For more information, or to download your registration form, visit their website here.

Baseball on Mars/ Béisbol en Marte

by Rafael Rivera and Tim Hoppey

Illustrated by Christina Rodriguez

A boy and his father bond over a game of catch on the Red Planet

Roberto's dad speaks in Spanish when he gets upset, and boy, is he unhappy today! His lucky chair-the one he sits in to watch his beloved New York Yankees play-is missing. And he needs it for the afternoon game against the Red Sox!

Roberto is excited, too. He's about to take off to Mars on his home-made rocket ship, and his dad's lucky chair makes a perfect pilot's seat. When his father finds that the missing chair has become part of the rocket ship in the backyard, he grudgingly tells Roberto he can use it-for now. But it needs to be returned before game time.

Roberto's dad is skeptical about the rocket ship. "You might have a problem getting off the ground," he says. "You're forgetting one little thing-you don't have an engine!" Soon, he finds himself invited along as co-pilot. And during the exciting flight to Mars, Roberto helps his father rediscover his imagination as they experience an amazing blastoff, wayward asteroids, and even weightlessness. 

When they finally land, Roberto surprises his father with two baseball gloves and a ball. "Today's baseball game is on Mars," he tells his dad. After spending the day playing catch, father and son realize that they speak the same language on the Red Planet. And his dad doesn't even mind that he missed the Yankees' game!

Children ages 4-8 will want to embark on their own mission to Mars after reading this story that combines vibrant illustrations with a touching story about a father and son's afternoon adventure.

El tesoro de los clásicos infantiles

From time to time I stumble upon really great finds. One of my most recent successes has been a nearby shop that opened right before Christmas. The absolute best part of this shop is their book selection. And tucked in a corner is a small section of books in Spanish for children.

One of the many treasures I found there was El tesoro de los clásicos infantiles. It is a thick book with 10 English classics that have been translated into Spanish. Definitely not for beginners, the translations are complex and dynamic and expertly done by Claudia González Flores and Arlette de Alba. The language is rich and detailed – perfect, I think, for encouraging and even inspiring bilingual children. Parents of toddlers who are fluent in Spanish and are looking for ways to supplement their language development will absolutely love this book.

In addition, the illustrations are very well done, with each story using a different artist. The entire book has been thoughtfully arranged and the layout is sophisticated and classic.

The ten stories included are:

• Robin Hood
• Heidi
• La Isla del Tesoro
• El Robinson Suizo
• Los Viajes de Gulliver
• Azabache (Black Beauty)
• El Jardín Secreto
• Alí Babá
• Los Tres Mosqueteros
• Anita de Green Gables

I have one copy in my possession that is new but has a minor crease in the binding. Normally, this book retails for $17.95 (which is what you will find it listed for in our bookshop), but this particular copy is for sale in the Latin Baby boutique for $12.95. You can also find Clásicos Infantiles in our bookshop by clicking on the button in our sidebar.

January's Book of the Month: Growing Up with Tamales

Growing Up with Tamales
Los tamales de Ana
By Gwendolyn Zepeda
Illustrated by April Ward

The LBBC’s recommendation for January’s Libro del Mes, is Gwendolyn Zepeda’s Growing Up with Tamales/Los tamales de Ana.

Growing Up with Tamales is an imaginative story that centers around the family tradition of making tamales. The tale is told from the perspective of six year old Ana, who yearns to be just like her big sister, Lidia. Two years younger than her sister, Ana imagines what her life will be like when she is Lidia’s age…at eight, ten, 12, 14, 16, and finally 18. The funny ending is sure to amuse its readers!

The book itself is written with complete text in both English and Spanish. The copy that I received, however, is from Lorito Books and is an audiobook set. The accompanying CD is read by Denver stage actress, Gabriela Cavallero, whose expressive rendition in flawless English and Spanish will delight listeners of any age.

April Ward’s illustrations are warm and colorful. She does a remarkable job depicting Ana as she "grows up" into a young woman. And the character’s faces are expressive, telling stories in themselves.

Growing Up with Tamales is a Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Recommended Title and a Tejas Star Book Awards Finalist.

A great book for children with brothers and sisters. Parents and teachers can discuss the topics of families, sibling dynamics, family traditions, added responsibilities that come with age, and what the child reader hopes to be like as he or she grows older.

If you would like to buy your own copy of Growing Up with Tamales, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.

If you would like to order this book with the accompanying CD, click here to visit Lorito Books.