Pura Belpre

The Pura Belpre award is named after Pura Belpre, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. "The award was established in 1996 and is presented to a Latino/Latina (people whose heritage eminates from any of the Spanish speaking cultures of the Western Hemisphere) writer and illlustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth" (American Library Association). The award is given out bi-annully and is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The books considered for this award must be published in either the U.S. or Puerto Rico and must be either/or both English and Spanish. The committee to select these books must be members of the ALA and are preferablly Spanish speakers.

Some 2006 Pura Belpre Award Winners:For Narrative:"The Tequila Worm" by Viola CanalesFor Illustration"Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart" by Raul Colon

One of our class books, "Becoming Naomi Leon" by Pam Munoz Ryan, is a Pura Belpre Honor book for it's narrative.To research this award more go to:http://www.ala.org/