Alma Flor Ada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alma Flor Ada
Born	Alma Flor Ada Lafuente 3 January 1938 Camagüey, Cuba
Occupation	Writer, Educator, University Professor
Nationality	Cuban-American
Genre	poetry, children's literature, adult novels, memoirs, pedagogy, educational materials
Subject	literature, language, education
Literary movement	critical pedagogy, transformative education
Notable works	My Name is María Isabel, Gathering the Sun, Yes! We are Latinos, A Magical Encounter, Authors in the Classroom

Alma Flor Ada (born January 3, 1938) is a Cuban-American writer. She is famous for her children's books, poems, and novels. She used to be a professor at the University of San Francisco. Alma Flor Ada is known for helping to promote education that includes two languages (bilingual) and many cultures (multicultural) in the United States.

About Alma Flor Ada

Alma Flor Ada was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on January 3, 1938. Her parents were Modesto Ada Rey and Alma Lafuente. She grew up in a house called La Quinta Simoni. This house belonged to the family of a Cuban hero named Ignacio Agramonte.

Alma Flor Ada came from a family of storytellers, poets, and teachers. She grew up listening to old tales told by her grandmother, father, and uncle. When she was 15, she chose to go to summer school in the United States instead of having a big birthday party. This is how she started her life as a person who could speak two languages.

After finishing high school in Cuba, she won a scholarship. She went to Loretto Heights College in the United States. There, she first saw how some people were treated unfairly because of their background. This experience inspired her to work for diversity. She later earned her Ph.D. from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. She also studied at Harvard University.

In 1970, Alma Flor Ada and her four children moved to the United States for good. Today, she lives in California. She has nine grandchildren.

Her Work as an Educator

Dr. Ada started her teaching career in Lima, Peru. She taught at bilingual and trilingual schools there. In the United States, she became a professor at several universities. These included Emory University and the University of San Francisco. She retired from the University of San Francisco as a Professor Emerita.

At the University of San Francisco, she guided many students. They were studying International Multicultural Education. She also taught as a visiting professor at other universities. She is a well-known speaker at events around the world. She shares her ideas about education.

Alma Flor Ada has greatly helped to advance "critical pedagogy." This is a way of teaching that focuses on students' personal growth and fairness for everyone. It means bringing the experiences and knowledge of parents and students into the classroom. She has published many educational materials. These include Authors in the Classroom and A Magical Encounter.

She has also written reading programs for many publishers. Dr. Ada has served on important advisory boards. These include boards for Sesame Street in Spanish and The National Association for Bilingual Education Journal, which she started. In 2014, she received the Ohtli award from the Mexican Government. This award recognized her lifelong work to help Mexican communities abroad. In 2008, an award for teachers was named in her honor. It is called "The Alma Flor Ada Teachership Award."

Her Books

Alma Flor Ada has written many books. She writes for both children and adults. Her books are in both Spanish and English.

For adults, she has written two novels. She also wrote her memoirs, Vivir en dos idiomas.

Her children's books come in many different styles. Here are some examples:

• Books about her life: These are based on her childhood memories. They feature characters from her family. Examples include Where the Flame Trees Bloom and Under the Royal Palms. The latter won the Pura Belpré Award in 2000.
• Traditional Folktales: These are old stories she retells. Some titles are Tales Our Abuelitas Told and The Lizard and the Sun.
• Original Folktale Picture Books: These are new stories that feel like old folktales. The Gold Coin won the Christopher Award in 1991. Other examples are The Malachite Palace and Jordi's Star.
• Fractured-Fairytale Picture Books: These are classic fairy tales told in a new, fun way. Examples include Dear Peter Rabbit and Yours Truly Goldilocks.
• Other Picture Books: These include books like Friend Frog and Let Me Help.

The lives of Latino children in the United States have inspired much of her work. Gathering the Sun is a poetry ABC book. It celebrates farm workers. The picture book I Love Saturdays, y dominos is another example. The chapter book My Name is María Isabel is also very popular. She also wrote two novels for middle schoolers with her son, Gabriel Zubizarreta. These are Dancing Home and Love, Amalia. All these books focus on celebrating heritage while living as a Latino in the United States. Yes! We are Latinos combines poetry and facts. It shows the rich Latino heritage.

Two books in the series The Author in You are about Alma Flor Ada. They are called Alma Flor Ada and You. In these books, the authors explain what inspired her books.

Alma Flor Ada has also translated many books from English into Spanish. She has translated works by authors like Judy Blume and Jane Yolen.

Awards and Honors

Academic Awards

• Fulbright Scholar, 1965–1967
• Radcliffe Institute Scholar, 1965–1967
• Distinguished Research Award, University of San Francisco, 1984
• University of San Francisco Outstanding Teaching Award, 1985
• California PTA Association Award, 1990
• California Association for Bilingual Education Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010

Literary Awards

• Marta Salotti Gold Medal (Argentina) 1989 – Encaje de piedra
• Christopher Award 1992 – The Gold Coin
• Parent's Choice Honor 1995 – Dear Peter Rabbit
• Aesop Accolade, American Folklore Association 1995 – Medio Pollito/Half Chicken
• Once Upon the World Award, Museum of Tolerance 1998 – Gathering the Sun
• Gold Medal, Parenting Magazine 1998 – The Lizard and the Sun
• Pura Belpre, American Library Association 2000 – Under the Royal Palms
• Best Ten Books for Babies, Center for Early Literacy 2004 – ¡Pío Peep!
• Best Book Selection, American Library Association 2006 – Tales Our Abuelitas Told

She has also received awards for her entire writing career:

• Reading the World Award 2005 (University of San Francisco)
• Virginia Hamilton Award 2012
• Ohtli Award 2014

See also

In Spanish: Alma Flor Ada para niños