América's Book Award Selected Set
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Selected recent winners, honorable mentions commended titles of the Américas Award:
Child of the Flower-Song People written by Gloria Amescua and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh (Winner) Language: English
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles and illustrated by Erika Meza. (Winner) Language: English with some Spanish
ABC El Salvador written by Holly Ayala and illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez.(Commended) Language: Bilingual English - Español
Isabel and Her Colores Go to School written by Alexandra Alessandri and illustrated by Courtney Dawson.
(Commended) Language: English sprinkled with Spanish
La selva de Zonia por Juana Martinez-Neal.
(Commended) Language: Edición Español
Nuncaseolivida written by Alejandra Algorta and illustrated by Iván Rickenmann. (Commended) Language: Español
The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction works that engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean or the Latinx community in the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The award is sponsored by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP), and coordinated by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University and the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University.
The Américas Award winners, honorable mention titles, and commended titles are selected for their:
1) Distinctive literary quality
2) Cultural contextualization
3) Exceptional integration of text, illustration and design
4) Potential for classroom use
Titles may be replaced with additional formats or past winners if unavailable due to publisher sales channels.
My Two Border Towns by David Bowles and illustrated by Erika Meza. (Winner) Language: English with some Spanish
In this enchanting picture book, published in both English and Spanish, David Bowles brings readers along as a father and his young son cross the U.S.-México border for their biweekly trip. The two cross over to get groceries, pick up medicine, and visit with family. On the way home, they meet up with the son’s friend, Élder, an immigrant who has been waiting at the border for 6 months to be granted entry to the U.S. Bowles’s prose, punctuated by Erika Meza’s poignant and touching artwork, invites readers to humanize the border and seek understanding and empathy for immigrant communities
Nuncaseolivida written by Alejandra Algorta and illustrated by Iván Rickenmann. Language: Spanish
In this debut novel, Alejandra Algorta tells the story of a boy, his bicycle, and his town of Bogota. The boy, Fabio learns to ride an old bike and soon becomes inseparable from it, gliding through town and appearing as if he was flying. He even becomes a leader to his friends, who would trail behind him through Bogota’s streets. One fateful day, he forgets how to ride his bike. He tries and tries but keeps falling almost as if his body refuses to comply with muscle memory.
La selva de Zonia por Juana Martinez-Neal.
El hogar de Zonia es la selva de la Amazonía, que está siempre verde y llena de vida. Cada mañana, la selva llama a Zonia, y cada mañana ella responde. Ella visita a una familia de perezosos, saluda al oso hormiguero y da una carrera con el veloz jaguar. Pero una mañana, la selva la llama con una voz preocupada. ¿Cómo responderá Zonia?
Isabel and Her Colores Go to School written by Alexandra Alessandri and illustrated by Courtney Dawson.
This heartwarming children’s book features a little girl who must face the fear of her first day of school and a new language. Everything seems scary and confusing until she discovers there are more ways to communicate than just through words. Helped by the language of colors she finds a way to speak through her art.
ABC El Salvador written by Holly Ayala and illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez.
ABC El Salvador is a delightful bilingual children’s book that introduces the ABCs through a brother and sister duo: Xiomara and Kevin -- whose names are also featured as part of the alphabet in this beautifully illustrated book. ABC El Salvador is rich in cultural content and joyously celebrates traditions unique to the region. The illustrations come alive with brilliant, saturated tropical
colors. Xiomara and Kevin share their favorite foods, family, and places in El Salvador.
Child of the Flower-Song People written by Gloria Amescua and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, twist yarn with her toes, and weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her indigenous community’s joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart. But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life.
