Pura Belpre Award Discussion

In our research, we found out many interesting topics surrounding the Pura Belpre Award. To begin with, it is a recent award as it was established in 1996. This award gives credit to the Latino/a author or illustrator whose work best represents the latino cultural experience with high literary quality for children. This award is particularly interesting because it can be given to the author of the book or the illustrator.

Belpre was the first Latino librarian at the New York Public Library. While she was born in Puerto Rico (where she attended formal schooling) she spent most of her life in New York. While she was under the title of New York Public librarian Belpre achieved many successes as a result of sharing Puerto Rican folklore with New York children. Belpre was particularly important in preserving this type of literature that might otherwise be lost.

The Pura Belpre Award 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, an ALA Affiliate. Some of the books that have recieved this award are Chato and the Party Animals by Gary Soto and illustrated by Susan Guevara, Cesar by Carmen Bernier-Grand and illustrated by David Diaz, as well as Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan