Mexicans in Sweet Valley? Si!
Last fall I posted the link to an interview with YA author Malin Alegria in which her new teen series Border Town was mentioned. Having grown up reading teen romance series from Sweet Valley High to...
View ArticleCrossing the Line (Border Town Series)
In an interview with NPR, Malin Alegria described her new teen series, Border Town, as being like Sweet Valley High, "but with brown kids." Depending on your view of Sweet Valley High and other books...
View ArticleBorder Town Giveaway!
Post a comment here or on the review of Malin Alegria's Crossing the Line for a chance to win a copy of the book! Deadline to post is Sunday, June 3!
View ArticleChavela and the Magic Bubble
Chavela and the Magic Bubble. Written by Monica Brown; Illustrated by Magaly Morales. New York: Clarion Books, 2010. Who, as a child, did not at some point dream of blowing a bubble so large it...
View ArticleGot Libros?
La Casa Azul, a bookstore selling books by and about Latinos recently opened in East Harlem! This is so very exciting. The New York Times featured the store in a recent article.
View ArticlePura Belpré Awards 2012
If you're already considering your must-do for next year's ALA conference, the Belpré Award ceremony is definitely something not to be missed. The Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel was a place...
View ArticlePura Belpré Winners at ALA
Yes, all of these images warrant an exclamation mark after their captions! Xavier Garza, who won a Pura Belpré Honor for his book Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel patiently signs the...
View ArticleSpeaking of Awards, or Christmas in July
Over the past two years, I have been working toward a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) at the University of Illinois' Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS). As my time in the...
View ArticleBless Me, Ultima
I had so much to write about Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima. Really! Just take a look at my copy that is not only long overdue (eep!) but is covered in those little sticky tabs and dog-eared where I...
View ArticleValuing Reading
In 1986, Walter Dean Myers wrote a piece for The New York Times titled "I Actually Thought We Would Revolutionize the Industry." In the article, Myers wrote about his experiences as a child reader...
View Article"Why are they always white children?"
Many of you will recognize the title as the question asked by a five-year-old Black child at the beginning of Nancy Larrick's 1965 article, “The All-White World of Children’s Books.” While Larrick...
View ArticlePura Belpré Award Winners!
The announcements we've all been waiting for! 'Bout to fall out of my chair with excitement! Niño! Niño! Niño! Angela Dominguez's honor winning book Maria Had A Little Llama! 2014 Pura Belpré...
View ArticleYou Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train
I don't know if that's the best title for this entry, but I like it. Howard Zinn said you can't be neutral on a moving train. I'm thinking about neutrality and award committees. I'll take credit for...
View ArticlePost script to yesterday's entry
Roger Sutton pointed out that several African-American men have won Caldecott honors. I unintentionally neglected to include these in my round-up of non-white authors and illustrators who have been...
View Article#WeNeedDiverseBooks
Did you hear about the #WeNeedDiverseBooks compaign happening through Saturday? Check it out over on Facebook! Why do you think we need more diverse books? #WeNeedDiverseBooks because no one should be...
View ArticleSave The Date!
This! We hope to see a big turn out to celebrate and support this years Pura Belpré winning authors and illustrators. It's going to be a lot of fun!
View ArticleOne Book, One Barrio!
La Casa Azul Bookstore in NYC is hosting the first ever One Book, One Barrio reading campaign! The 2013 Pura Belpré Award honor book The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano has been selected...
View ArticleSelected Resources for Latino Children's and YA Books
I compiled the information below for a guest lecture I'm doing in a YA literature and resources class. This is obviously not an all-inclusive list of resources. I listed some of the articles / news...
View Article2014 Pura Belpré Award Celebración
Dang, blogging is hard work, people! I'm so embarrassed. Posting about an event a month later is a total social media faux pas, I'm sure. By now the ALA Annual Conference and the 2014 Pura Belpré...
View ArticleFwap! Pura Belpré Poster Giveaway!
Oh lookee! There's the front of the program I neglected to post an image of last time around. Isn't that a beautiful portrait of la Señora Belpré created by Yuyi Morales? This would look amazing in...
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