Award Winning Children’s Books for Latinos and Latinas

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom

By Margarita Engle

Engle’s hauntingly beautiful free verse prose breathes life into this finely crafted story that illuminates Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain in the 1800’s. Told from the perspective of four distinct voices, Engle intricately weaves a harrowing, heart-wrenching story of enslavement, survival, determination and heroism. The book was a 2009 Author Award Winner of the Pura Belpré Award. Established in 1996, the award is presented to Latino or Latina writer and illustrator for works that 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, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

Also of Interest

Just In Case

Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Reaching Out

By Francisco Jiménez

The Storyteller’s Candle / La Velita de los Cuentos

Written by Lucía González. Illustrated by Lulu Delacre.