Américas Award facts for kids

The Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature is a special prize given out each year to fantastic books for kids and teens. The award celebrates stories that show the lives and cultures of people in Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos living in the United States.

The goal is to honor great authors and illustrators and to help teachers find amazing books to share in their classrooms. The award was first given in 1993. Each year, the winners are announced at a special event at the Library of Congress.

How the Award Began

The idea for the Américas Award started in 1992. A group called the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) wanted to highlight authentic and high-quality books about the Americas. Julie Kline, from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, was a key leader in getting the award started.

Today, the award is managed by the Latin American studies centers at Tulane University and Vanderbilt University. If you want to see all the books that have ever won or been honored, you can find a complete collection at the Golda Meir Library in Wisconsin.

How Books Are Chosen

A team of judges reads many books to choose the winners. They look for four main things:

• Great Storytelling: The book must be well-written and tell a powerful story.
• Cultural Connection: The story should accurately and respectfully show the culture of Latin America, the Caribbean, or U.S. Latinos.
• Amazing Artwork: The illustrations and design of the book should be beautiful and work well with the text.
• Useful for School: The book should be a good tool for learning in the classroom.

To be considered for the award, a book must have been published in the U.S. in the previous year. It can be written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or any native language of the Americas.

Award Winners

Each year, books are chosen as "Winners," "Honors," or "Commended" titles. Winners are the top prize, Honors are runners-up, and Commended books are also highly recommended.

Here are a few examples of books that have won the Américas Award over the years:

• 1993 Winner: Vejigante Masquerader by Lulu Delacre. This book explores a fun festival tradition in Puerto Rico.
• 1995 Winner: Tonight, by Sea by Frances Temple. A story about a young girl's journey from Haiti.
• 2000 Winner: The Composition by Antonio Skármeta. This book tells the story of a boy living under a dictatorship in Latin America.
• 2002 Winner: Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez. A novel about a girl's life in the Dominican Republic during a time of political change.
• 2009 Winner: The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle. A historical novel in verse about a Cuban nurse.
• 2014 Winner: Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Cindy Trumbore and Susan L. Roth. A non-fiction book about the effort to save the Puerto Rican parrot.
• 2015 Winner: Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh. This book tells the true story of Sylvia Mendez, who helped end school segregation in California.
• 2019 Winner: Islandborn by Junot Díaz. A picture book about a girl who learns about the island where she was born from her family and friends.
• 2021 Winner: Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar. A powerful story in verse about a family separated at the U.S. border.
• 2023 Winner: Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos. A wordless graphic novel about a girl who moves from Cuba to the United States.

Frequent Winners

Some authors and illustrators have been recognized by the Américas Award many times for their amazing work.

Top Award Winners

• Margarita Engle has won the top Américas Award four times as an author (2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015).
• Duncan Tonatiuh has won three times as both an author and illustrator (2015, 2018, and 2019).
• Authors like Julia Alvarez, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Pam Muñoz Ryan have each won the main award twice.

Multiple Honors and Commendations

Many creators have also received multiple "Honor" or "Commended" titles. For example, author and illustrator George Ancona has had his work commended nine times! Authors Jorge Argueta, Margarita Engle, and Gary Soto have each been commended eight times for their different books. This shows how they have consistently created wonderful books that celebrate Latino culture.