Américas Award facts for kids

The Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature is a special literary award given out every year. It celebrates great books for kids and teens that tell stories about Latin America, the Caribbean, or people of Latino heritage in the United States. The award also helps teachers find good books for their classrooms. The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) started this award in 1993. Each year, the award ceremony happens at the Library of Congress during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a time to celebrate Latino cultures.

History of the Award

The idea for the Américas Award began in 1992. It was suggested by a group called the Teaching and Outreach Committee, which is part of the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP). Julie Kline from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee was in charge of the committee for the first three years. She then became the award coordinator for a long time. Later, the award's coordination moved to Latin American Studies centers at Tulane and Vanderbilt Universities. All the books that have won, received honors, or been recognized by the award are kept at the Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

How Books Are Chosen

Judges look at several things when deciding which books will win the Américas Award. They want books that are not only well-written but also teach readers about different cultures.

What Judges Look For

• Great writing: The book must be really well-written and special.
• Cultural connection: It needs to show Latin American, Caribbean, or U.S. Latino cultures in a meaningful way.
• Amazing art and design: The words, pictures, and overall look of the book should work together perfectly.
• Good for classrooms: The book should be useful for teachers to use in their lessons.

Who Can Enter

To be considered for the award, a book must meet these rules:

• It must have been published in the year right before the award.
• The book can be for younger kids (primary) or older kids and teens (secondary).
• It can be written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or any language from the Americas.
• The book must be published in the United States, or by a publisher with offices there.
• Books can be fiction, poetry, folklore, or certain types of non-fiction.
• A book can only be entered the first year it is published in the U.S. If a book is translated later, it's only eligible when the first English version comes out.

Award Winners and Honorees

Authors and Illustrators with Multiple Awards

Some authors and illustrators have been recognized many times by the Américas Award. This shows how much their work means to readers and educators!

Winning Multiple Américas Awards

• One person has won the Américas Award four times:
  • Margarita Engle, as an author in 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015.

• One person has won the Américas Award three times:
  • Duncan Tonatiuh, as both author and illustrator in 2015, 2018, and 2019.

• Several people have won the Américas Award twice:
  • As author and illustrator: Yuyi Morales.
  • As author: Julia Alvarez, Monica Brown, Juan Felipe Herrera, Francisco Jiménez, Lynn Joseph, and Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Earning Multiple Américas Honors

Many talented people have received the "Honor" recognition more than once:

• As author and illustrator: Maya Christina González, Yuyi Morales, and Duncan Tonatiuh (twice each).
• As illustrator: David Díaz (twice).
• As author: Margarita Engle, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Laura Resau (twice each).

Receiving Multiple Américas Commendations

Some authors and illustrators have had many of their books recognized with a "Commended" mention. This means their work is highly praised!

• Two people have received commendations nine times:
  • George Ancona (as both author and illustrator) in 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007–2008, and 2011.
  • Maya Christina González (as illustrator) twice in 1997, and once in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007–2008, and 2009; and (as author and illustrator) in 2007–2008.

• Three people have received commendations eight times:
  • Jorge Argueta (as author) in 2003, twice in 2006, 2007–2008, 2010, 2011, 2016, and 2017.
  • Margarita Engle (as author) in 2010, 2014, twice in 2016, 2017, twice in 2018, and 2019.
  • Gary Soto (as author) in 1995, twice in 1997, twice in 1998, 2003, 2006, and 2009.

• Two people have received commendations seven times:
  • Alma Flor Ada (as author) in 1995, twice in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2016.
  • Pat Mora (as author) in 1996, 1997, 2002, twice in 2010, and 2011.

• Two people have received commendations six times:
  • David Díaz (as illustrator) in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2010, 2011, and 2016.
  • Enrique O. Sánchez (as illustrator) in 1993, 1994, twice in 1996, 1997, and 1999.

• Four people have received commendations five times:
  • Francisco X. Alarcón (as author) in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2009.
  • Monica Brown (as author) in 2007–2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
  • Raúl Colón (as illustrator) in 1997, 2005, 2007–2008, and twice in 2015.
  • Francisco X. Stork (as author) in 2006, 2010, 2011, 2017, and 2018.

• Twenty people have received commendations three times:
  • Rudolfo Anaya (as author) in 1995, 2000, and 2004.
  • Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (as author) in 1994, 2007–2008, and 2010.
  • Robert Casilla (as illustrator) in 1993, 1996, and 2004.
  • Joe Cepeda (as illustrator) in 1998, 2007–2008, and 2011.
  • René Colato Laínez (as author) in 2010, 2011, and 2017.
  • Amy Córdova (as illustrator) in 2004, 2009, and 2011.
  • Tomie dePaola (as author and illustrator) in 1994, and (as illustrator) in 1994 and 1999.
  • Luis Garay (as illustrator) in 1996 and 2007–2008, and (as author and illustrator) in 1997.
  • Phillis Gershator (as author) twice in 1994 and once in 1998.
  • Juan Felipe Herrera (as author) in 1995, 2002, and 2015.
  • Francisco Jiménez (as author) in 1998, 2000, and 2009.
  • Elisa Kleven (as illustrator) in 1994 and 1997, and (author and illustrator) in 1996.
  • Georgina Lázaro (as author) in 2009, 2010, and 2018.
  • Frané Lessac (as author and illustrator) in 1994, and (as illustrator) in 1994 and 2013.
  • Meg Medina (as author) in 2014, 2017, and 2019.
  • Roseanne Greenfield Thong (as author) in 2014 and twice in 2015.
  • Duncan Tonatiuh (as author and illustrator) in 2011 and 2017, and (as illustrator) in 2016.
  • Beatriz Vidal (as illustrator) in 1998, 2002, and 2018.
  • Jeanette Winter (as illustrator) in 1997, and (as author and illustrator) in 2007-2008 and 2011.
  • Rafael Yockteng (as illustrator) in 2002, 2010, and 2016.

• Many people have received commendations twice:
  • As author and illustrator: Angela Dominguez, Laura Lacámara, Yuyi Morales, and Leyla Torres.
  • As illustrator: Jamel Akib, Renato Alarcão, Andrea Arroyo, Martha Avilés, Claire B. Cotts, Felipe Dávalos, Carla Golembe, Ann Grifalconi, Holly Meade, John Parra, Raúl the Third, Alfonso Ruano, Synthia Saint James, Elivia Savadier, Simón Silva.
  • As author: Eve Bunting, Cathy Camper, Teresa Cárdenas, Pablo Cartaya, Omar S. Castañeda, Matt de la Peña, Campbell Geeslin, Mary-Joan Gerson, Lucía M. González, Rigoberta Menchú, Jose-Luis Orozco, Amada Irma Pérez, Isabel Quintero, Vashanti Rahaman, Antonio Ramírez, Laura Resau, Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, Carmen Tafolla, Erika Tamar, Nancy Van Laan, and Jonah Winter.