Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings (Lee and Low, 2007) by Pat Mora, illustrated by Rafael López, and Red Glass (Delacorte, 2007) by Laura Resau, were the winners of the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP). An additional twenty-two titles were recognized as honor or commended titles.

The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere.

The award winners and commended titles are selected for their 1) distinctive literary quality; 2) cultural contextualization; 3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and 4) potential for classroom use. The winning books will be honored at a ceremony (October 4, 2008) at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public.

Américas Award Winners

RED GLASS by Laura Resau. New York: Delacorte, 2007. 275 pgs. ISBN 978-0-385-90464-3

The author of What the Moon Saw (2006), Resau works her magic again in this compelling first-person narrative. When Sophie’s mother and stepfather assume the role of foster parents to Pablo, an orphan from Mexico, Sophie’s life takes a fresh turn. After Pablo opens up and tells them about his village, Sophie’s Aunt Dika and her friend, Mr. Lorenzo, offer to take Pablo back to his grandmother in Mexico. Soon, the unlikely group—Sophie, Pablo, Dika, Mr. Lorenzo, and his son, Angel—are off on a one-of-a-kind road trip. But after Mr. Lorenzo and Angel make a side trip to Guatemala and don’t return as planned, Sophie sets out on her own to retrieve them. Along the way she finds her inherent strength, casting her old fears by the wayside. The vivid characters, the fine imagery, and the satisfying plot make this a rewarding novel of hope and self discovery. (gr 8-12)

YUM! ¡MMMM! ¡QUE RICO!: AMERICA’S SPROUTINGS by Pat Mora. Pictures by Rafael López. New York: Lee & Low, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-1-58430-271-1

“Dad bites green mouth-fire/ laughs when tears fill his eyes, sighs/ ‘¡Mmmm! This heat tastes good.’” A combination of energetic haiku and informational text, this vibrant collection highlights fourteen foods native to countries throughout the Americas. The pairing of dual texts introduces background information about various food origins while providing readers with an opportunity to play with lyrical food descriptions. Blazing images suffused with magical realism create a sensory celebración that encourages readers to taste the foods, feel the heat of the sun, and listen to the popping cranberries. Children of all ages will leave this visual and lyrical feast begging for second helpings. (gr 1-6)

The members of the Review Committee for the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature were:

Charline J. Barnes (West Virginia University)

Kristel Foster (Sunnyside Unified School District, Tucson)

Jamie Campbell Naidoo (University of South Carolina)

M. Rosalind Santavicca (University of Pittsburgh)

Patricia Velasco (Columbia Teachers College)

Julie Kline is the Américas Award Coordinator for the CLASP Committee on Teaching and Outreach:

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
(414) 229-5986 phone
(414) 229-2879 fax

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