LITERANISTA Dialogue on Multicultural Books, Tech & Life

Literanista September 14, 2006

Juan Felipe Herrera To Receive Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature on Sept. 16

I love when stuff like this happens, Mr. Herrera’s son wrote to me to let me know that he thought my blog was appreciated, he shared his with me (check out: The Unapologetic Mexican) and best of all let me know about this award his dad is receiving. It’s a small world after all, huh?

He is receiving this award for his book “Cinnamon Girl.”
(Cinnamon girl)

Juan Felipe Herrera will receive the 2005 Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature at the 13th annual award presentation hosted by the Library of Congress from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The award is sponsored by the Consortium of the Latin American Studies Program (CLASP) at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. The Library’s Hispanic Division and Center for the Book will host the event, which is free and open to the public. A continental breakfast will be served at 9:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made through the Hispanic Division at (202) 707-2013.

Herrera will be honored for his book “Cinnamon Girl: Letters Found Inside a Cereal Box” (HarperCollins, Joanne Cotler Books, 2005). At the event, Herrera will discuss his book and sign copies.

Herrera is professor and holder of the Tomas Rivera Endowed Chair in the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. He is the author of “Love After the Riots” and several collections of poetry, including “Akrilica” and “Night Train to Tuxtla.”

The Americas Award recognizes outstanding U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore or selected nonfiction published in the previous year “that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean or Latinos in the United States.”

Juan Felipe has also has written many other books, and received awards for others, such as the “1997 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, a School Library Journal ‘Best Books of 1995,’ a 1996 Hungry Mind Review Children’s Book Award, a 1995 Américas Award commended title (from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs), an IRA Teachers’ Choice for 1996, a Coooperative Children’s Book Center Choice, and a 1995 Smithsonian Notable Book” for his book, Calling the Doves.

http://www.childrensbookpress.org/ob/doves.html

You can find more of his work here: Amazon.com