Pura Belpré Award

The Pura Belpré Award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. It has been given every other year since 1996. Beginning with the 2009 award, it has be given annually.

A complete list of winning and honor books may be found by clicking here.
(http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/belprepast/index.cfm)

AWARD YEAR		AUTHOR	ILLUSTRATOR	TITLE	CALL #
2012	Author Winner	Garcia McCall, Guadalupe		Under the Mesquite Throughout her high school years, as her mother battles cancer, Lupita takes on more responsibility for her house and seven younger siblings, while finding refuge in acting and writing poetry.	YA FICTION MCCAL
2012	Illustrator Winner	Tonatiuh, Duncan	Tonatiuh, Duncan	Diego Rivera: His World and Ours Highlights the accomplishments of Mexican painter, activist, and muralist Diego Rivera.	JB R52TO
2011	Author Winner	Ryan, Pam Muñoz	Sís, Peter	The Dreamer A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world.	J RYAN
2011	Illustrator Winner	Velasquez, Eric	Velasquez, Eric	Grandma's Gift The author describes Christmas at his grandmother's apartment in Spanish Harlem the year she introduced him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Diego Velazquez's portrait of Juan de Pareja, which has had a profound and lasting effect on him.	JE VELAS (Holiday Collection)
2010	Author Winner	Alvarez, Julia		Return to Sender After his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure, eleven-year-old Tyler befriends the oldest daughter, but when he discovers they may not be in the country legally, he realizes that real friendship knows no borders.	J ALVAR
2010	Illustrator Winner	Mora, Pat	López, Rafael	Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros Children read aloud in various settings to celebrate of El Día de los niños, or Children's Day, in this bilingual story. Includes facts about Mexico's annual celebration of children (April 30) and the book fiestas that are often included.	JE MORAL
2009	Author Winner	Engle, Margarita		The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not free. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her.	811.54 EN3S
2009	Illustrator Winner	Morales, Yuyi	Morales, Yuyi	Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book As Señor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents, but with the help of Zelmiro the Ghost, he finds the best gift of all.	JE MORAL
2008	Author Winner	Engle, Margarita		The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano Juan Francisco Manzano was born in 1797 into the household of wealthy slaveowners in Cuba. He spent his early years at the side of his owner's wife, entertaining her friends. His poetry was his outlet, reflecting the beauty and cruelty of his world. Written in verse.	J 811.54 ENGLE
2008	Illustrator Winner	Montes, Marisa	Morales, Yuyi	Los Gatos Black on Halloween Easy to read, rhyming text about Halloween night incorporates Spanish words, from las brujas riding their broomsticks to los monstruos whose monstrous ball is interrupted by a true horror.	JE MONTE
2006	Author Winner	Canales, Viola		The Tequila Worm Sofia grows up in the close-knit community of the barrio in McAllen, Texas, then finds that her experiences as a scholarship student at an Episcopal boarding school in Austin only strengthen her ties to family and her "comadres."	J CANAL
2006	Illustrator Winner	Mora, Pat	Colon, Raul	Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About A Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart Doña Flor, a giant lady with a big heart, sets off to protect her neighbors from what they think is a dangerous animal, but soon discovers the tiny secret behind the huge noise.	JE MORA
2004	Author Winner	Alvarez, Julia		Before We Were Free In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.	YA FICTION ALVAREZ
2004	Illustrator Winner	Morales, Yuyi	Morales, Yuyi	Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book In this version of a traditional tale, Senor Calavera arrives at Grandma Beetle's door, ready to take her to the next life, but after helping her count, in English and Spanish, as she makes her birthday preparations, he changes his mind.	J398.20972 MORAL
2002	Author Winner	Ryan, Pam Munoz		Esperanza Rising Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.	J RYAN
2002	Illustrator Winner	Soto, Gary	Guevara, Susan	Chato and the Party Animals Chato decides to throw a "pachanga" for his friend Novio Boy, who has never had a birthday party.	JE SOTO
2000	Author Winner	Ada, Alma Flor		Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba The author recalls her life and impressions growing up in Cuba.	J ADA
2000	Illustrator Winner	Garza, Carmen Lomas	Garza, Carmen Lomas	Magic Windows In Spanish and English, Carmen Lomas Garza portrays her family's Mexican customs through cut-paper work.	S J306.85
1998	Author Winner	Martinez, Victor		Parrot in the Oven: mi vida Manny relates his coming of age experiences as a member of a poor Mexican American family in which the alcoholic father only adds to everyone's struggle.	FICTION YA
1998	Illustrator Winner	Soto, Gary	Garcia, Stephanie	Snapshots from the Wedding Maya, the flower girl, describes a Mexican-American wedding through snapshots of the day's events, beginning with the procession to the altar and ending with her sleeping after the dance.	JE SOTO
1996	Author Winner	Cofer, Judith Ortiz		An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio Twelve stories about young people caught between their Puerto Rican heritage and their American surroundings.	FICTION ORITZ
1996	Illustrator Winner	Soto, Gary	Guevara, Susan	Chato's Kitchen To get the "ratoncitos," little mice, who have moved into the barrio to come to his house, Chato the cat prepares all kinds of good food: fajitas, frijoles, salsa, enchiladas, and more.	JE SOTO

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