Book Resources | Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies

The Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

Americas Award Curriculum. Americas Award winning titles are judged based upon four criteria, the last of which is their potential for classroom use. To strengthen teachers' and librarians' abilities to use these books in the classroom, CLASP has produced and compiled the following curricular resources.

Americas Award Teaching Resources

2019 – Annotated List of 2019 Titles
Award Winners

Islandborn by Junot Díaz and illustrated by Leo Espinosa (Dial Books, 2018)
Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books, 2018)

Honorable Mentions

Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour and illustrated by Ken Daley (Groundwood Books, 2018)
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperCollins, 2018)

2018 Annotated List of 2018 Titles
Award Winners

American Street by Ibi Zoboi (HarperCollins Publishers, 2017)
Danza!: Amalia HernÃ¡ndez and el Ballet Folklorico de Mexico by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books, 2017)
Honorable Mentions
All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Mike Curato (Godwin Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2017)
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar (Penguin Random House, 2017)

2017 Annotated List of 2017 Titles
Award Winners

The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz (Simon & Schuster, 2016)
Ada s Violin by Susan Hood and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Simon & Schuster, 2016)
Honorable Mentions
Malaika s Costume by Nadia L. Hohn and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher (Groundwood Books, 2016)
The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande (Simon and Schuster, 2016)

2016 Annotated List of 2016 Titles
Award Winners

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan (Scholastic Press, 2015)
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope-PÃ©rez (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015)

Honorable Mentions

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh (Harry N. Abrams, 2015)
Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made it from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues written and illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press, 2015)

2015 Américas Award Winners

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Familyâ€™s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh. (Abrams Books, 2014)
Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal by Margarita Engle. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014)

2015 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Migrant by Jose Manuel Mateo and illustrated by Javier MartÃnez Pedro (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014
Strike! The Farm Workers Fight for their Rights by Larry Dane Brimner (Calkins Creek, 2014)

2015 COMMENDED TITLES

A de Activista by Martha GonzÃ¡lez and illustrated by Innosanto Nagara (Triangle Square)
Abuelo by Arthur Dorros and illustrated by RaÃºl ColÃ³n (HarperCollins Publishers)
Caminar by Skila Brown (Candlewick Press)
Daliaâ€™s Wondrous Hair/El Cabello Maravilloso de Dalia by Laura LacÃ¡mara (PiÃ±ata Books)
Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life by Catherine Reef (Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt)
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero (Cinco Puntos Press)
Green is a Chile Pepper: a Book of Colors by Roseannae Greenfield Thong and illustrated by John Parra (Chronicle Books)
Letters from Heaven by Lydia Gil (PiÃ±ata Books)
Low Riders in Space by Cathy Camper and illustrated by RaÃºl the Third (Chronicle Books)
Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by RaÃºl ColÃ³n (Penguin Group)
The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu (Running Press)
Twas Nochebuena by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by Sara Palacios (Penguin Group)

2014 Américas Award Winners

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Cindy Trumbore and illustrated by Susan Roth. (Lee & Low Books, 2013)

2014 Honor Books

Diego Rivera: An Artist for the People by Susan Goldman Rubin
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote by Duncan Tonatiuh
Curriculum Unit

Commended Titles

2013 Américas Award Winners

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano. Scholastic Press.

2013 Honorable Mention

Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz. Clarion Books.

2013 Commended Titles

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SaÃ©nz. Simon & Schuster.
Drummer Boy of John John by Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frané Lessac. Lee & Low Books, Inc.
In Darkness by Nick Lake. Bloomsbury.

2012 Américas 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 Title

Sylva and Aki by Winifred Conkling. Tricycle Press.

2011 Américas Award Winners

Clemente! by Willie Perdomo. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Holt, 2010 32 pgs. ISBN 978-8050-8224-1.
The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Illustrated by Peter Sis. Scholastic, 2010. 372 pgs. 978-0439-26970-4.

2011 Honorable Mention

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle. Holt, 2010. 151 pgs. ISBN 978-0-8050-9082-6.

2011 Commended Titles

Arroz con Leche / Rice Pudding: Un poema para cocinar / A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta. Illustrated by Fernando Vilela.
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter.
César Chávez: A Photographic Essay by Ilan Stavans.
Dear Primo by Duncan Tonatiuh.
Dizzy in your Eyes: Poems about Love by Pat Mora.
Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat. Illustrated by Alix Delinois.
Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla. Illustrated by Amy Córdova.
From North to South / Del norte al Sur by René Colato Laínez. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda.
Grandma's Gift by Eric Velasquez.
How Tia Lola Learned to Teach by Julia Alvarez.
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork.
Me, Frida by Amy Novesky. Illustrated by David Diaz.
Napi funda un pueblo / Napi Makes a Village by Antonio Ramirez. Illustrated by Domi.
Ole! Flamenco by George Ancona.
Star in the Forest by Laura Resau.

2010 Américas Award Winners:

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez. Knopf, 2009.
What Can You Do with a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? by Carmen Tafolla, Illustrated by Magaly Morales. Tricycle Press, 2009.

2010 Honorable Mentions:

Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Curbstone, 2009.(Grades 9-12)
I Know the River Loves Me / Yo sé que el río me ama by Maya Christina González. Children's Book Press, 2009. (Grades K-3)
My Papa Diego and Me: Memories of My Father and His Art / Mi papa Diego y yo: Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte by Guadalupe Rivera MarÃn and Diego Rivera. Children's Book Press, 2009.(Grades 4-7)

2009 Américas Award Winners:

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales. Roaring Brook Press (A Neal Porter Book), 2008. (gr K-4)
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle. Holt, 2008. (gr 8-10)

2009 Honorable Mentions:

The Best Gift of All: The Legend of La Vieja Belén / El Mejor Regalo del Mundo: La Leyenda de la Vieja Belén by Julia Alvarez. Illustrated by Ruddy Nuñez. Alfaguara/Santillana, 2008. (gr 3-6)
Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos.Atheneum, 2008. (gr 8-12)
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos by Lucía González. Illustrated by Lulu Delacre. Children's Book Press, 2008. (gr 3-6)

2008 Américas Award Winners:

Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings by Pat Mora and Rafael Lopez (Lee & Low, 2007).
Red Glass by Laura Resau (Delacorte, 2007).

2008 Honorable Mentions:

Nochecita by Yuyi Morales (Roering Brook Presss & Neal Porter, 2007)
Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis (Roering Brook Presss, 2007)

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Scholastic Teachers Book Resources: Latin America

Scholastic web page provides resources for teachers, parents, children, librarian and school administrators. The resources include teaching resources, student activities, books and authors. Scholastic web pages with different resources to teach different Latin America subjects