Barcelona, Spain—May 25, 2018—American Street written by Ibi Zoboi and DANZA!: Amalia HernaÌndez and el Ballet FolkloÌrico de MeÌxico written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh win the 2018 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. The award links the Americas by reaching beyond geographic borders and multicultural-international boundaries, focusing upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere.
Up to two annual book awards are given in recognition of U.S. published works that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. An additional two titles may be recognized as Honorable Mentions, along with a list of Commended Titles. Books are considered for their distinctive literary quality, cultural contextualization, integration of text and illustration, and potential for classroom use.
The announcement was made today by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) during the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) meeting held May 23-26, 2018, in Barcelona, Spain. The award-winning authors will be recognized at a ceremony held September 28, 2018, during Hispanic Heritage Month at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Members of the 2018 Américas Award Selection Committee include David Campos of San Antonio, TX; Emily Chávez of Durham, NC; Paula Mason of Waukesha, WI (chairperson); Mariana Ricklefs of Dunlap, Illinois; and Connie Sharp of Nashville, TN.
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 Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American Studies. Generous support is also provided by Florida International University, Stanford University, University of Florida, University of New Mexico, University of Utah, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
CLASP’s mission is to promote all facets of Latin American Studies throughout the world. Its broad range of activities include the encouragement of research activities, funding for professional workshops, advancement of citizen outreach activities, and development of teaching aids for the classroom. For complete annotations of all titles recognized by the Américas Award, as well as curricular resources for previous winning titles, visit www.claspprograms.org/americasaward. Follow the Américas Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americasaward for current news and author highlights, and join the conversation using #AmericasAward18.
