About the Award

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 Latinx cultures 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. View guidelines for award

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

Award Ceremony
Each year CLASP celebrates winning titles by holding an award ceremony at the Library of Congress during Hispanic Heritage Month. All are welcome to attend the ceremony. A workshop for K-12 educators takes place in conjunction with the award ceremony, often featuring presentations by the award-winning authors and illustrators. The workshop is open to any educator or librarian. Webcasts, photos, and press releases from past events can be viewed from our Award Ceremony page.

Explore Past Winners
View the annotated lists of recognized titles.

Review Committee
See current members of the Américas Award committee.

Américas Award Sponsors
The awards are administered by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) and coordinated by both Tulane University’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies and University of Arizona’s Center for Latin American Studies Generous support is also provided by Florida International University, Stanford University, The Ohio State University, UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of Florida, University of New Mexico, University of Texas at Austin, University of Utah, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Américas Award Coordinators
Katrina Dillon, University of Arizona
Cynthia Garza, Tulane University

View the 2024 Call for Submissions