Americas Book Award

Américas Award for Children’s & Young Adult Literature

2012 Award Winners
Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck by Margarita Engle. Henry Holt and Company.

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown; Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Henry Holt and Company.

2012 Honorable Mention

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. Lee and Low Books, Inc.

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and María Virginia Farinango. Delacorte Press.

2012 Commended Titles

Sylvia and Aki by Winifred Conkling. Tricycle Press.

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History of the Award
CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use. CLASP offers up to two annual book awards, together with a commended list of titles.

Criteria
Up to two awards (for primary and secondary reading levels) are given in recognition of U.S. published works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By linking the Americas, the intent is to reach beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere.

Books will be judged for: 1) distinctive literary quality; 2) cultural contextualization; 3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and 4) potential for classroom use.

Process
To nominate a 2012 copyright title, publishers are invited to submit review copies to the committee members by January 18, 2013. There is no entry fee. The award/commended list will be announced in the spring of 2013, recognizing works published in 2012; the formal award presentation will be held October 5 at 3:00 PM at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Download the Award Ceremony Invite

Publishers: Please send eight copies of the nominated book (one each) to Américas Review Committee Members (including the ex-officio member) and the Award Coordinators. You can find contact information for committee members and award coordinators in the
2013 Announcement

Award Guidelines

To view standards-based online curricula, using Américas Award titles, created by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, please visit the site.