Now in its 19th year, the International Latino Book Awards celebrated more than 200 authors in early September at California State University, Dominguez Hills. The awards are the largest in the U.S. to honor works by Latino authors in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Established in 1997, the awards are produced by Latino Literacy Now, an organization which was founded by Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whistler. This year’s awards were presented in partnership with Las Comadres de las Americas, REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking), and Mi Libro Hispano, a Hispanic heritage literature organization.
For its first 15 years, the ceremony was held in conjunction with BookExpo America in May, and later with the American Library Association. This is the second year in a row that the awards took place in fall in Los Angeles, where, according to Whistler, it is easier to accommodate the growing number of attendees. Furthermore, Whistler says organizers are working toward making the annual award ceremony a televised special, noting that “Los Angeles is a great place for it.”
This year’s entries were judged by a group of nearly 200 industry leaders, and actor Rick Najera and author Katherine A. Díaz were this year’s emcees. Below are some of this year’s winners.
Fiction
Best novel, adventure or drama—English
The Invisible Guardian
Dolores Redondo, Atria
Best novel, adventure or drama—Spanish
Un espejo en la selva
Silverio Pérez, Planeta México.
Best historical fiction—English
What We Become
Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Atria
Best historical fiction—Spanish
Un espejo en la selva
Silverio Pérez, Planeta México
Nonfiction
Most inspirational nonfiction—English
The Journey Home
Jorge Posada, HarperCollins
Most inspirational nonfiction—Spanish
Cartas a Karina
Oscar López Rivera, Cartas a Karina Project
Best biography—Spanish
Querido Alberto
Eduardo Magallanes, Atria
Best history book
La vitrina rota o ¿qué carajo pasó aquí?
Silverio Perez, Callejón
Best political/current affairs book
The Book of Isaias
Daniel Connolly, St. Martin’s
Best business book
Chaos Monkeys
Antonio García Martínez, HarperCollins
Best arts book
Colibríes en Colombia
Murray Cooper, Villegas
Best Translations
Best children’s picture book translation—English to Spanish
La leyenda de Roberto Cofresí, Janet
Balletta, trans. by Ana Morris, WRB
Best chapter/young adult book translation—English to Spanish
Tesoros de mi isla
Alma Flor Ada, Santillana
Best fiction translation—English to Spanish
Dos santos
Fernando de Aragón, Lepican
Children’s/YA
Best Latino-focused children’s picture book
¡Todos a comer! A Mexican Alphabet Book María Alma González Pérez, Del Alma
Best children’s fiction picture book—bilingual
Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds
Jorge Argueta, illus. by Alfonso Ruano, Groundwood
Best children’s fiction picture book—English
The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet
Carmen Agra Deedy, Scholastic
Best children’s fiction picture book—Spanish
La siesta perfecta
Pato Mena, NubeOcho
Best children’s nonfiction picture book
Pablo Pineda
Alberto Bosch and María Sala, illus. by Silvia Álvarez, Cuento de Luz
Best educational children’s picture book
It Starts with a Raindrop/Comienza con una gota de lluvia
Michael Smith, East West Discovery
Most inspirational children’s picture book
I Matter/Yo importo
Georgette Baker, Cantemos
Best youth chapter fiction—English
Lion Island: Cuba’s Warrior of Words
Margarita Engle, Simon & Schuster
Best youth chapter fiction—Spanish
Juana & Lucas
Juana Medina, Candlewick
Best young adult fiction—Spanish
En el reino de la Garúa
Emilio del Carril, País Invisible
