HOUSTON, TX June 2018—José B. González’ moving collection of narrative poems, When Love Was Reels, was named a finalist in Best Poetry Book category of the 20th annual International Latino Book Awards sponsored by Latino Literacy Now, a non-profitorganization that supports and promotes literacy and literary excellence within the Latino community. LLN created the International Latino Book Awards in 1999 to recognize the many positive contributions being made to Latino literature by publishers and writers worldwide. The awards, which honor literary excellence in a variety of categories, will be given on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Using iconic Latin American and Latino films as a guiding motif, these poems hauntingly illuminate Salvadoran immigration to the United States. González writes about a young boy’s experiences—first in El Salvador under the care of his grandmother and later living with his uncle in New York City. In each poem, famous movie and TV scenes …

Houston, TX— Generations of Hispanic children in US schools had to do without books reflecting their culture and heritage. In 2019, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only 225 of the 4,029 children’s books published were written by Latinos; only 235 were about Latinos. In an effort to fill that gap, Arte Público Press is accepting children’s book manuscripts to be considered for the Salinas de Alba Award for Latino Children’s Literature.  The award seeks to address the need for more culturally relevant, bilingual reading materials for Hispanic children by encouraging more authors to create for this growing audience.  The award will be given annually to one manuscript for a children’s picture book. Manuscripts can be submitted all year long.  Winners will receive a cash award of $5,000 and publication of their book. Each year’s winner will be announced shortly before the publication of the book. Children’s book entries …

HOUSTON, TX May 2018—Diana J. Noble’s historical novel for teens, Evangelina Takes Flight, was selected for inclusion in the Texas Library Association’s 2018-2019 Spirit of Texas Reading List. The Spirit of Texas Reading Program-Middle School is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the TLA’s Young Adult Round Table (YART). The purpose of the list is to encourage kids in grades 6-8 to explore a variety of current, quality books from Texas authors and illustrators, develop critical reading skills and to encourage greater interaction between Texas authors and illustrators, Texas librarians and Texas youth. Named a Junior Library Guild Selection, Diana J. Noble’s moving young adult debut introduces teens to the tumultuous times of the Mexican Revolution and the experiences of immigrants, especially Mexican Americans, as they adjust to a new way of life. In the summer of 1911, thirteen-year-old Evangelina and her family are forced to …

HOUSTON, TX May 2018—Alidis Vicente’s bilingual “flip” book for intermediate readers, The Case of the Three Kings / El caso de los Reyes Magos, was selected for inclusion in the 2018-2019 Tejas Star Reading List. The Tejas Star Reading List (TSRL) is developed to encourage children ages 5-12 to explore multicultural books and to discover the cognitive and economic benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism. Sponsored by the Texas Library Association, the TSRL is intended for recreational reading and not to support a specific curriculum. In the second installment of Alidis Vicente’s bilingual series, The Flaca Files / Los expedientes de Flaca, a spunky young Latina investigates the suspicious logistics of Three Kings Day while on vacation with her family. Flaca, or Detective Flaca as she prefers to be called, is not at all pleased with the airline tickets to Puerto Rico she and her sister are given for Christmas. She …

HOUSTON, TX March, 2018—Author Jorge Argueta has been named the recipient of the 2018 Courage to Act Board Award given by the California Association for Bilingual Education. The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote biliteracy, educational equity and 21st-century success for students with diverse cultural, racial and linguistic backgrounds. Its Board of Directors made the unanimous decision to recognize Jorge Argueta for his passionate poetry and writings for bilingual children’s books, his ongoing readings, teachings and storytellings and his effort to ensure that books are made available to children who may not otherwise have access to them through his Library of Dreams / La Biblioteca de los Sueños in El Salvador. The award will be presented at the Seal of Excellence Banquet in Sacramento, California on Friday, March 30, 2018, as part of the annual CABE Conference. His new trilingual picture book, …