2019 Author Award Winner
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Publisher Recommended Age: 13+
Publisher: HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN-13: 978-1405291460
“THE POET X” is about Xiomara, an “unhide-able” Dominican who “…was a little too much body for such a young girl,” according to Mami. As she deals with her extremely religious mother and other challenges, Xiomara writes poetry, which becomes “the most freeing experience of [her] life.” “Acevedo’s strong character and her captivating story, told through intense and lyrical verses, champion poetry as a way to understand the world and one’s self,” said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Dr. Ramona Caponegro.
2019 Illustrator Award Winner
written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Amazon Recommended Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Publisher: Neal Porter Books, Holiday House Publishing, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-0823440559
“DREAMERS” is a tale about an immigrant mother and her son who were “[u]nable to understand and afraid to speak…” until they found the library. The books in the library taught them many things and gave them the confidence they needed to succeed and dream in their new country. “Morales’ stunning mixed media illustrations celebrate the power of children’s books and libraries and the ability of immigrants to create new lives and stories,” said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Dr. Ramona Caponegro.
2019 Author Honor Book
by David Bowles
Amazon Recommended Grade Level: 6 – 8
Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press
ISBN-13: 978-1947627079
THEY CALL ME GÜERO: A BORDER KID’S POEMS” is a tale about a 12-year-old, red-headed, freckled Mexican-American boy’s daily adventures. Through poetry, Bowles chronicles Güero’s middle school journey as he deals with bullies, discovers girls (Joanna’s tough as nails) and runs with a squad of misfits like him, Los Bobbys. Life can be tough for a pale-skinned border kid, but Güero learns to cope by embracing rich family traditions and faces seventh grade with book smarts and a big heart.
2019 Illustrator Honor Books
by Junot Díaz
illustrated by Leo Espinosa
Amazon Recommended Grade Level: Kindergarten – 3
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
ISBN-13: 978-0735229860
“ISLANDBORN” is a tale about Lola, a young immigrant Afro-Latina girl who has to draw a picture of her birth country for school. The only problem is Lola left the place where she was originally from when she was a baby, and so she doesn’t remember that place. Fortunately, Lola’s teacher, Ms. Obi, knows just what to do. Espinosa takes the reader on a vibrant, colorful journey as Lola discovers the island through the memories of her family and friends.
by Michael Mahin
illustrated by Jose Ramirez
Amazon Recommended Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
ISBN-13: 978-1534404137
“When you were born, your tía abuela called you el cristalino, the crystal one. She thought the light of angels shined through you. Your father wanted to name you Germonino…But your mother, as always, had the final word. ‘Carlos’” “WHEN ANGELS SING: THE STORY OF ROCK LEGEND CARLOS SANTANA” is a tale about the famous musician’s quest to discover his unique musical sound. Santana’s exploration is beautifully depicted with bold colors and Ramirez’s striking illustrations that reflect Santana’s Latinx roots.
Information and book covers courtesy of http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal and the books’ publishers.
by Gerardo M. González
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0253037008
In February 1962, three years into Fidel Castro’s rule of their Cuban homeland, the González family landed in Miami with a few personal possessions and two bottles of Cuban rum. As his parents struggled to find work, 11-year-old Gerardo struggled to fit in at school where a teacher intimidated him, and school authorities placed him on a vocational track. Inspired by a friend, Gerardo decided to go to college and not only graduated, but with hard work and determination placed himself on a path through higher education that brought him to a deanship at the Indiana University School of Education.
edited by Héctor E. Rivera-Sylva, Kenneth Carpenter and Eberhard Frey
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0253011831
This overview of dinosaur discoveries in Mexico synthesizes current information about the geography and environment of the region during the Mesozoic when it was the western margin of Pangea. It summarizes research on various groups, including lepidosauromorphs, crocodyliforms, pterosaurs and dinosaurs. Chapters focus on trackways and other trace fossils and on K/P boundary (the Chicxulub crater, beneath the Gulf of Mexico, has been hypothesized as the site of the boloid impact that killed off the dinosaurs). “DINOSAURS AND OTHER REPTILES FROM THE MESOZOIC OF MEXICO” is an informative volume on an area that has not been comprehensively described until now.
by Barak Kalir
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0253355072
In the 1990s, thousands of non-Jewish Latinos arrived in Israel as undocumented immigrants. Based on his fieldwork, Barak Kalir follows these workers from their decision to migrate to their experiences finding work, establishing social clubs and evangelical Christian churches, and putting down roots in Israeli society. While the State of Israel rejected the presence of non-Jewish migrants, many citizens accepted them. In 2005, after a large-scale deportation campaign that drew criticism from many quarters, Israel made the historic decision to legalize the status of some undocumented migrant families on the basis of their cultural assimilation and identification with the State.
by Jo Baim
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0253348852
In “TANGO: CREATION OF A CULTURAL ICON” Jo Baim dispels stereotypes of the tango and tells the real story behind this rich and complex dance. Despite its exoticism, the tango of this time period is a very accessible dance, especially as European and North American dancers adapted it. Cities banned it. Army officers were threatened with demotion if caught dancing it. Clergy and politicians wrote diatribes against it. Newspaper headlines warned that people died from dancing the tango and that it would be the downfall of civilization. This vehemence confirms the tango was a cultural force to be reckoned with!
Place your job ad in our classified page on the HO print & digital Edition
