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 awesome books for kids and teens that tell stories about Latin America, the Caribbean, or people of Latino heritage in the United States. This award also helps teachers find great books to use in their classrooms. The award was first given in 1993 by a group called the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP). Each year, a ceremony is held at the Library of Congress during Hispanic Heritage Month, which also includes helpful workshops for teachers.

How Did the Américas Award Start?

The idea for the Américas Award came up in 1992. It was suggested by a committee within the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs. Julie Kline, from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, led this committee for the first three years. She then became the award coordinator for many years. 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 commended by the award are kept at the Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

What Makes a Book Eligible?

To be considered for the Américas Award, books must meet certain requirements:

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

How Are Books Judged?

Judges look at books based on these important points:

• Great writing: Is the story well-written and special?
• Cultural connection: Does it truly show the culture of Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the U.S.?
• Amazing design: Do the words, pictures, and overall look of the book work together perfectly?
• Classroom potential: Can teachers easily use this book to teach students?

Award-Winning Books

The Américas Award recognizes books in three ways: "Winner," "Honor," and "Commended."

• Winner: These are the top books chosen for the award.
• Honor: These books are also excellent and highly recommended.
• Commended: These books are recognized for their quality and connection to the award's goals.

Here are some of the books that have received the Américas Award, along with some Honor and Commended books from different years:

Authors and Illustrators Who Won Multiple Awards

Some authors and illustrators have been recognized many times by the Américas Award.

Multiple Américas Award Winners

• Margarita Engle has won the Américas Award four times as an author.
• Duncan Tonatiuh has won three times as both an author and illustrator.
• Several other talented people have won the Américas Award twice, including Yuyi Morales (as author and illustrator), and authors like Julia Alvarez, Monica Brown, Juan Felipe Herrera, Francisco Jiménez, Lynn Joseph, and Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Multiple Américas Honors

Many authors and illustrators have received Américas Honors more than once.

• Maya Christina González, Yuyi Morales, and Duncan Tonatiuh have each received two honors for their work as both author and illustrator.
• David Díaz has been honored twice as an illustrator.
• Authors like Margarita Engle, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Laura Resau have also received two honors.