Pura Belpré Award

About the Pura Belpré Award
The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA), an ALA affiliate.

The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Puerto Rican children in the U.S.A. through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.

It is now an annual award.  It was a biennial award from its inaugural year in 1996 through 2008. 

Administered by:

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) logo

Children's Author

2023 Winner(s)

Frizzy

Written by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra. Published by First Second, a division of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

“Frizzy” is the story of a young Dominican girl whose greatest enemy is the hair salon and her mother’s pressure to have “presentable” or “good” hair. Marlene doesn’t understand why her curls are not considered acceptable, but with the help from Tia Ruby, Marlene learns to appreciate, care, and proudly wear her beautiful curly hair.


2023 Honor(s)

The Coquíes Still Sing
Written by Karina Nicole González, illustrated by Krystal Quiles. Published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Descriptive language and different lengths of sentences, presents readers an empowering story of communities in Puerto Rico impacted by Hurricane María. By centering the experiences of different types of families and voices, González provides a call to action for youth and their role in organizing and resisting natural and human disasters.


The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border
Written by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora. Published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House

Noemi and her mother are denied entry into the U.S. from Mexico and must find the refugee in charge of the notebook, an unofficial ledger of those waiting to cross into the United States.


Youth Illustrator

2023 Winner(s)

Where Wonder Grows

Illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, written by Xelena González. Published by Cinco Puntos Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc.

“Where Wonder Grows” is a story about Indigenous knowledge of the natural world. A grandmother helps her granddaughters discover and appreciate the natural elements of mother earth, and the healing and strength found in intergenerational communities and families. 


2023 Honor(s)

The Coquíes Still Sing
Illustrated by Krystal Quiles, written by Karina Nicole González. Published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

As a family prepares for an upcoming hurricane, the story weaves the power of community and resistance of people in Puerto Rico impacted by Hurricane María. Through expressive paint strokes, layouts and a variety of colors, Quiles’s illustration sets the tone and captures the experiences and strength of children and adults and their respective roles in community rebuilding.


A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters
Illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

This lyrical title provides the historical preservation of Mesoamerican storytelling. Through pre-Columbian-inspired illustrations, Amoxtin, books that gather Mexihcah knowledge, culture and history, transcend the pages along with the process of how this ancient civilization passed them down to their future generations.


Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land
Illustrated and written by Mirelle Ortega. Published by Cameron Kids, an imprint of Cameron + Company, a division of ABRAMS

From her family’s pineapple farm in Mexico, a young girl discovers the true meaning of magic. Through life’s highs and lows, the young narrator weaves her story with words of life’s transformations and changes that make life’s journey magical.


Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Illustrated by Loris Lora, written by Anika Aldamuy Denise. Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

This inspiring biography on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the youngest congresswoman in America, highlights her life’s upbringing and determination. From her childhood in the Bronx to her journey to the Capitol Building, this title reminds readers of their capability of making a difference.


Srta. Quinces
Illustrated and written by Kat Fajardo, translated by Scholastic Inc. Published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Suyapa / Sue only wants to spend her summer with friends, but her family has other plans. They set off to visit their relatives in a rural town in Honduras with no reception or internet! There, Sue’s mother decides to throw her a surprise quinceañera -- the last thing Sue wanted.


Still Dreaming / Seguimos soñando
Illustrated by Magdalena Mora, written by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez, translated by Luis Humberto Crosthwaite. Published by Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc.

A family is forced to flee their home in the United States or risk being separated. Along the way, they meet others with a similar story - working class families forced to leave their dreams. Through captured emotions and beautiful scenery, this story depicts the Mexican Repatriation of the 1930’s through the eyes of a child.


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