UNA NUEVA CIUDAD, UN NUEVO HOGAR / A NEW CITY, A NEW HOME

By Elías David

Illustrations by Claudia Delgadillo

ISBN: 978-1-55885-999-9

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Imprint: Piñata Books

A boy’s loving parents help him deal with a big move in this sweet bilingual picture book.

One day, a young boy learns he and his parents are moving all the way from Mexico to Texas. His dad tells him there are lots of fun things to do in Houston, like visiting the Museum of Natural Science and the Space Center. But that night he has nightmares about dinosaurs trampling the city and extraterrestrials landing in backyards and schools. He doesn’t want to move away from his grandparents! The next morning, his father reassures him that they can keep in touch with family and friends via video calls. Moving away doesn’t mean they’ll never see each other again!

Soon the family has packed its belongings and starts the long drive. They make their way through the never-ending line of cars at the international bridge, sing songs while crossing the Texas countryside and finally arrive in Houston, where giant buildings light up the night sky. Outside on the balcony of his new home, the boy waves to passing neighbors and realizes: “This city looks like a great adventure that I can’t wait to start!”

This bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 reunites the author/illustrator team of Elías David and Claudia Delgadillo (Mis días con Papá / Spending Time with Dad) to spotlight loving parents who help their son cope with a scary change: leaving everything familiar behind and moving to a new home in a new city.

Review

“In David’s day-in-the-life debut, a bilingual picture book, a Latinx-cued child narrates a joy-filled day at home with Dad while Mom works at a shipping port. Matching the text’s steady tone, Delgadillo’s watercolors present cozy domestic scenes of the family smiling as they make their way through the day.”—Publishers Weekly

“Bilingual readers will appreciate the ease with which code switching occurs. The author provides a shift in traditional norms of what families can look like while still offering readers comfort in seeing a familiar structure in the day. The soft palette of the illustrations is perfect for the intended audience. VERDICT: This relatable story is a recommended purchase.”—School Library Journal

ELÍAS DAVID, a native of Reynosa, Mexico, is the author of a picture book, Mis días con Papá / Spending Time with Dad (Piñata Books, 2023), and two for adults, Instantes (Alja, 2017) and Una lucidez aturdida (UANL, 2022). He is the associate editor of Suburbano Ediciones (SED), a magazine on culture. He lives with his family in Houston, where he is pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing in Spanish at the University of Houston.

CLAUDIA DELGADILLO was born in Mexico City and graduated from UNAM with a degree in graphic communication. She is the illustrator of Mis días con Papá / Spending Time with Dad (Piñata Books, 2023) and she wrote and illustrated Biodiversidad (UNAM, 2011).

The Gluten-Free Chicano Bakes Apple Brown Betty

Apple Pie Analog: Gluten-free Apple Brown Betty

The Gluten-free Chicano, Michael Sedano 

It's apple-picking time in Southern California and maybe your neck of the woods. Plentiful manzanas means good eating. Growing up in Redlands, California a short drive from Oak Glen's apple harvest, I got to enjoy the seasonal bounty of fresh, just-picked  apples. It helped that I had familia working in the groves.

Empanadas, apple pie, baked apples, apple salad, fresh crunchy apples chomped out-of-hand, hasta apple butter, all these filled the apple niche of my youthful diet. The best of these, the crusty pasteles, remain impossibilities for gluten-adverse and celiac apple lovers. The gluten-free Chicano long ago abandoned his quest for suitable pie shells and empanada crusts They just don't work. 

Rather than attempt sure-to-disappoint fake crust, The Gluten-free Chicano goes for a crunchy amalgam of oats and raisins, sugar and butter.

Brown Betty--apple casserole--offers a gluten-free alternative to customary pastel. You have the baked sweetened apples swirling in their own juices. Topped with buttery avena flakes, it's not intended to be a pie. Brown Betty fills the need when you have fresh apples and are all antojado for apple pie. 

This recipe works in an unmechanized kitchen--no blender nor cuisineart, just some bowls and a mixing fork. Get the oven hot at 350º or 375º

In the bottom of my glass baking dish, wet with a teaspoon of water, I scatter 3/4 cup brown sugar, stir in raisins, dot with half a cube salted butter. Dust the sugar with cinnamon and vanilla, then douse lime juice across everything. Finish with a pinch of sea salt crystals, and set it aside. (You could add more water for a syrupy pie filling. Spray the glass with non-stick coating)

 

I peel then slice or chop or dice a variety of apples. Densely packed fruit yields that soft amalgam you expect in a quality apple dessert

I half-fill the baking dish with chopped and sliced apples. Dot the top with half a cube of butter, cinnamon, scant pinches of brown sugar, a few salt crystals, lime juice all over.

Now comes the heart-breaking part. You can't have good crust because satisfying crust analogs don't exist. 

 

The Gluten-free Chicano tops the chopped apples with a mixture of chopped raisins, rolled oats, butter, brown sugar. 

Microwave a cup or more of oats, half a cube butter, cinnamon, chopped raisins, scant pinch salt. Stir and get the mix spreadable. Toppings are a subject unto themselves and variations are worthwhile. There's no one right way to make Brown Betty.

A decorative touch offers baked apple rings on the packed layer of buttered oats. 

Put the dish on a cookie sheet, slide that into the oven at 350º for an hour, or 375º forty-five minutes. Baking extracts juices from the apples. Inspect the dish in progress, when you see the fruit boiling, keep it going for half an hour or longer.

Ready for the Oven

The Gluten-free Chicano grew up eating warm apple pie in Oak Glen pie shops, and Brown Betty at home. My Mom served ours wih a slice of cheddar cheese and vanilla ice cream. This is how we customarily did apple pie, equivalent to corn flakes and milk, pan dulce y chocolate. 

Recently, the Gluten-free Chicano was astonished to learn his customary cheese-and-ice cream presentation is foreign to some apple pie eaters. 

If you grew up in a dusty Texas town, or next door to us in Redlands, and you don't know about warm apple concoctions served with cheddar cheese and ice cream, plan to have some the next time you get your hands on hot baked apple goodies, wheat or gluten-free.

Provecho.

=======

Look for The Gluten-free Chicano's cold weather focus on caldos, restaurant and home made, in upcoming La Bloga-Tuesday columns.

Palabras en el Writers Place con Juanita, Juliana y Xánath por Xánath Caraza

Palabras en el Writers Place con Juanita, Juliana y Xánath

por Xánath Caraza

 

El pasado viernes, 1 de noviembre, una miríada de palabras abordó nuestras pantallas con la fluidez que crearon Juanita Salazar Lamb, Juliana Aragón Fatula y la que escribe.

Celebramos la palabra, su fuerza, una amena conversación con el público y Día de muertos 2024 en el Writers Place en Kansas City de manera virtual. Tuvimos casa llena y con el apoyo de Maryfrances Wagner, Steve Holland, y tantos más, la poesía, la ficción y una amena plática con el público no se hizo esperar.

Hoy, queridos lectores de la Bloga, comparto algunas gotas de luz, a través de imágenes, de esa velada literaria en el Writers Place para conmemorar Día de muertos.

 

Juanita Salazar Lamb

 

Juliana Aragon Fatula

 

Xanath Caraza

Maryfrances Wagner and Greg Field

Steve Holland

Altar y Ofrenda 2024 by Xanath Caraza

A Trio To Read

Here's another short list of soon to be published literature. Eagerly anticipated, these three offer a kaleidoscope of genres, subjects, and creativity.

_____________________________________

Clean: A Novel
Alia Trabucco Zerán, Translated by Sophie Hughes
Riverhead Books - October 15, 2024

[from the publisher]
A young girl has died and the family’s maid is being interrogated. She must tell the whole story before arriving at the girl’s death.

Estela came from the countryside, leaving her mother behind, to work for the señor and señora when their only child was born. They wanted a housemaid: “smart appearance, full time,” their ad said. She wanted to make enough money to support her mother and return home. For seven years, Estela cleaned their laundry, wiped their floors, made their meals, kept their secrets, witnessed their fights and frictions, raised their daughter. She heard the rats scrabbling in the ceiling, saw the looks the señor gave the señora; she knew about the poison in the cabinet, the gun, the daughter’s rebellion as she grew up, the mother’s coldness, the father’s distance. She saw it all.

After a series of shocking betrayals and revelations, Estela stops speaking, breaking her silence only now, to tell the story of how it all fell apart. Is this a story of revenge or a confession? Class warfare or a cautionary tale? Building tension with every page, Clean is a gripping, incisive exploration of power, domesticity, and betrayal from an international star at the height of her powers.

_____________________________

La Otra Julia
Mayra Santos-Febres
Vintage Espanol- November 5, 2024

[from the publisher]
The narrator of this novel, a writer, has published a biography about the emblematic and controversial Julia de Burgos. What begins as a simple commission will end up being a way to better understand the character and her work, but also a map to understand the lives of so many Latin American authors, including that of the author herself. With her book, she travels to different cities, attends presentations and gives lectures, while trying to keep her family afloat.

Linking her own life alongside that of the narrator and Julia Burgos, Mayra Santos-Febres constructs a gripping story about the difficult lives of Afro-Caribbean women writers who make their way into the elitist literary circles of their country. This is the story of two women who make literature a place of resistance and freedom.

__________________________

A Killer's Code
Isabella Maldonado
Thomas & Mercer - January 21, 2025

[from the author's web page]
During a recent undercover sting gone bad, hit man Gustavo Toro died in the arms of FBI Special Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega. But Toro had secrets he refused to take to the grave.

In the event of his death, Toro left behind a video that promises to expose a mysterious mastermind who has been operating with impunity for decades. But there’s a catch. Dani’s team must follow Toro’s cryptic clues on a cross-country hunt for justice, and piecing together his past is more twisted than Dani could have imagined.

But as Dani and her team race to gather the evidence, it’s clear this powerful adversary will stop at nothing to keep their secrets—including eliminating those who threaten to reveal them.

Later.

_________________________________


Manuel Ramos writes crime fiction.

Chicanonautica: Guerrilla Mural Certified Radical

by Ernest Hogan

My story collection Guerrilla Mural of a Siren’s Song: 15 Gonzo Science Fiction Stories has been out for almost a year and there have been no “real” reviews, and it’s been largely ignored except for here at the intersection of Latino Lit and Sci-Fi. I was leaning toward depression . . . then . . . a review on video declares the book “Certified Radical.”

The upstart responsible for this subversive act is Alli Dubin, who describes herself as "a student of latinx sci-fi as someone who walks through the world with white privilege, as someone who is interested in the perspectives of other people and spending time in other worldviews.”

Take that, those of you who assume that my work is only of interest to microminority intellectual vatos locos!

She also gets what I’m doing:

“. . . combines something called rasquache and science fiction together and the result is absolutely hilarious.”

Yes, she comprendes rasquache!

 Made good use of some of my artwork.

Here to emphasize quotes from her favorite story, “Flying Under the Radar with Paco and Los Freetails”:

Hope she knows about the other Paco Cohen stories . . .

As well as providing some great quotes that I will be exploiting soon:

“. . . pulls little bits and pieces from politics and pop culture and literature and music and he filters it all through his Chicano identity and the result is you get this hilarious form of empowerment and resistance.”

And:

“ . . . very enriching while at the same time just a ton of fun. ”

I love it when reviewers remind people that my work is fun, and funny. 

Also, being “Certified Radical by Alli from Radical Reads” makes me proud.

So, watch the review yourself:

Ernest Hogan is a living example that Chicano is a science fiction state of being, and is also the author of Smoking Mirror Blues, in which Tezcatlipoca manifests in Hollywood during a futuristic festival combining Halloween and the Days of the Dead. ¡Feliz Dead Daze!

International Latino Book Award Ganadores 2024

This is the list of children's, chapter and young adult book awards. To find more information about the other categories awards, visit https://www.latinobookawards.org

Felicidades a todos los ganadores. 

A- CHILDREN’S, CHAPTER, & YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARDS

The Alma Flor Ada Best Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book Award

GOLD MEDAL Spanish is the Language of My Family, Michael Genhart, illustrated by John Parra; Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: San Francisco, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is the one! Excellent story that acknowledge the shame and struggle of speaking Spanish at school.'

SILVER MEDAL Tata and the Mouse Famil / Tata y los ratoncitos, Jerry Tello, illustrated by Ramón Ramírez; Sueños Publications LLC ; Ancestry of the author(s): Usa, Mexico ; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'As a mom who knows the importance of next generation speaking Spanish I loved this book.'

BRONZE MEDAL Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in the Bottle, Lea Aschkenas; Star Bright Books; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: San Francisco; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful, endearing story. I love that it is a true story, and that real pictures were included.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Bilingual

GOLD MEDAL Abuela’s Wishing Tree: El árbol de los deseos de abuela, Mitzi Spitzer Fernandez; Con Todo Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Seattle, WA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'It had memorable stories! Illustrations and design were great!'

SILVER MEDAL How to Stuff a Piñata: Cómo rellenar una piñata, Naibe Reynoso; Con Todo Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Cute little book very engaging and organized. Well written in rhyme. '

BRONZE MEDAL Chita, the Famous Chicken from Toto/ Chita, La Famosa Gallina de Toto, Wayne J. Pitts, Illustrated by Maria Paiz; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Wimston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Loved how humor was embedded within the storyline. The illustrator did a fabulous job.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – English

GOLD MEDAL Pepita Meets Bebita, Ruth Behar and Gabriel Frye-Behar; Alfred A. Knopf; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba, USA; The author(s) lives in: Ann Arbor, MI & New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'What a fantastic book. Told from the point of view of the dog.'

SILVER MEDAL Empanadas for Everyone, Jackie Azua Kramer, Illustrated by Lenny Wen; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'It is a beautiful account of how a community can come together for a common purpose.'

BRONZE MEDAL Dad, Margarita del Mazo, Illustrated by Silvia Álvarez, Translated by Jon Brokenbow; Cuento de Luz; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Toledo; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'A touching account of a loving father and child. This was a beautiful book.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL La Pluma Del Condor, Nana Cóndor, Illustrated by Laura Muñoz; Paquicornio Libros; Ancestry of the author(s): Venezuela; The author(s) lives in: Cincinnati, OH; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful ancestral stories and teachings, so good to see that this medicine is being shared to children.'

SILVER MEDAL El ave rara, Elena Busse; Cuentos con Valores; Ancestry of the author(s): Letonia; The author(s) lives in: Cádiz, Spain; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The cover and illustrations were beautiful.'

BRONZE MEDAL La Gran Carrera del Cerdito Pinky, Carla Martilotti; José Luis Altet Editor y Escritor; Ancestry of the author(s): Uruguay, Spanish & Italian ; The author(s) lives in: Miami, FL.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Cute story with a great lesson to teach children.'

Best Children’s Nonfiction Picture Book

GOLD MEDAL Piece by Piece: Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt, Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Illustrated by Anna Lopez Real; Millbrook Press and imprint of Lerner; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Detailed Artwork. Great history information in the back of the book.'

SILVER MEDAL Fernando Llort: Pintando La Palma/ Painting La Palma, Kimberly Mathis Pitts, Illustrated by Maria José Llort; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Winston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Very colorful artwork. Wonderful that the illustrator is the daughter of Llort.'

SILVER MEDAL La expedición de la vacuna, F. Isabel Campoy; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Full of useful information.'

BRONZE MEDAL Martín Dihigo The Greatest Baseball Player You’ve Never Heard of, Darren López, Illustrated by Eric Kittelberger; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico and Colombia; The author(s) lives in: Washington DC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Great story. Easy to follow. Well told. Imagery is unique.'

Best Educational Children’s Picture Book

GOLD MEDAL Super Peanut and the Big Bully The Power of Kindness/Súper Cacahuate y EL Gran Bully El Poder de La Bondad, Bronx Baeza, Illustrated by Juan Calle; Cielito Lindo Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Sacramento, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'From life experiences I had with my eight year old I really appreciated this book.'

SILVER MEDAL El Chu Chu de Emociones: Un libro para entender y hablar de emociones, MJ Flockhart; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Colombia; The author(s) lives in: San Diego, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love this book. It explains all the emotions kids would feel...'

BRONZE MEDAL Brave Lolis’s Box Of Hope/ La Valiente Lolis y Su Caja De Esperanza, Armida Espinoza; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This a inspirational book for kids to be more kind and help others.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mi guardiana, Azahara Castillo, Illustrated by Maite García; Cuento de Luz; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love this book. Something I would read to my daughter every night.'

Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – Bilingual

GOLD MEDAL ¡Todos a Bailar! Let’s get up and dance!, Adriana Devers, Illustrated by Vanessa Balleza; Cuentos de Triadas INC.; Ancestry of the author(s): Dominican Republic; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I felt like I learned new things about dancing in this book. It is cute...'

SILVER MEDAL Escuela de Panteras, Américo Ramírez, illustrated by Alynor Díaz; Snow Fountain Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Venezuela.; The author(s) lives in: West Palm Beach. Fl; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book teaches kids about friendship. The book is cute.'

BRONZE MEDAL Antigua’s Amazing Sawdust Carpets, Kimberly Mathis Pitts; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Winston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beau%ful story and great content. Wonderful Guatemalan illustrator.'

BRONZE MEDAL Do I Belong Here? ¿Es este mi lugar?, René Colato Laínez, Ilustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck; Arte Publico Press-Piñata Books; Ancestry of the author(s): El Salvador; The author(s) lives in: Arleta, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Many children can relate to this story. Definitely enjoy the full circle ending.'

Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – English

GOLD MEDAL What the Bread Says, Vanessa García, Illustrations by Tim Palin; Cardinal Rule Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/ Cuban ancestry; The author(s) lives in: Miami; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The guided questions in the book help keep the conversation going between child and caregiver.'

SILVER MEDAL La Mariachi, Isabel Estrada; Sleeping Bear Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Kalamazoo, MI; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The story illustrates a challenging situation.'

BRONZE MEDAL I’ll Be The Moon: A Migrant Child’s Story, Phillip D. Cortez, illustrated by Mafs Rodriguez Alpide; The Collective Book Studio ; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: El Paso, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful book! Would highly recommend this book for a read-aloud.'

Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL Patricio el patito y su patita chueca, Camila Parada; Trayecto Editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I really enjoyed this book! I love that it highlighted helping a character with disabilities.'

SILVER MEDAL The Coquíes Still Sing/ Los coquies aún cantan, Karina Nicole Gonzalez; Roaring Brook Press- Macmillan; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The reader really feels the tone and the mood of this story.'

BRONZE MEDAL Durante La Tormenta, Maria Ignacia Henríquez; Trayecto Editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Well written and developed story appropriate for read aloud with young children, encouraging.'

BRONZE MEDAL Picnic de sorpresas, F. Isabel Campoy; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book was very cute. It had a theme going on what children usually experience in their home.'

Best Board Book

GOLD MEDAL The Life of/ La Vida de Llort, Cynthia Gonzalez; Lil’ Libros; Ancestry of the author(s): El Salvador; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is so educational for little kids.'

SILVER MEDAL Contando te quieros, Vanessa Pérez-Sauquillo, illustrated by Elisa Bernat; Editorial RUBIO; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Madrid; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is beautiful, I love how they teach little kids that they are loved, which is an important thing for a growing child.'

BRONZE MEDAL Celebrate the Day of the Dead!, Diane de Anda, Illustrated by Gloria Féliz; Crown Books for Young readers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is so colorful it will draw the attention of children.'

Best Latino Focused Chapter Book

GOLD MEDAL Warrior Girl, Carmen Tafolla; Nancy Paulsen Books (An Imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC); Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This a wonderful empowerment book for immigrant youth and really all girls.'

SILVER MEDAL Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, Anna Lapera; Levine Querido; Ancestry of the author(s): Guatemala, Filipina; The author(s) lives in: Washington, D.C.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Fabulous book. I feel in love with the character Mani. It was a great girl empowerment book.'

SILVER MEDAL Sincerely Sicily, Tamika Burgess; Harper Collins; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Panama; The author(s) lives in: San Diego, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I loved Sicily's story. Girls need to speak up.'

Best Chapter Fiction Book

GOLD MEDAL La tienda de salva, Almendra Vila; Babidi-Bú; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Tortosa; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I loved this book from beginning to end!!!'

SILVER MEDAL Something Like Home, Andrea Beatriz Arango; Random House Books for Young Readers; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Charlottesville, VA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Everyone in this country will relate to the main character, her aunt, and parents.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mariana, Alma Flor Ada & Gabriel Zubizarreta Ada; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba, USA; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, San Francisco; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love the story.'

Best Educational Chapter Book

GOLD MEDAL Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898, Adriana Erin Rivera, Illustrated by Eugenia Nobati; Capstone; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is a story that needs to be told and heard. Excellent! I loved the fact that it had questions for discussion at the end and other notes. '

SILVER MEDAL Mara Turing#1 (serie 4Kids): Hackers en Nueva York, Javier Padilla; Samarcanda (LANTIA); Ancestry of the author(s): España; The author(s) lives in: Madrid ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Kids will enjoy stories about technology! A mystery keeps the reader involved at all times. Great book! '

BRONZE MEDAL Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza, Kitty Felde, translator Jorge Flores González; Chesapeake Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The author did an excellent jov in introducing the reader to Washington DC in a fun way.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mammals Unlocked/ Mamiferos Descubiertos, Dia L. Michels; Science, Naturally!; Ancestry of the author(s): u.s.a; The author(s) lives in: Washington,DC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Wonderful creatvie book about mammals. Great idea to start with a question about each mammal described.'

Best Young Adult Latino Focused Book

GOLD MEDAL The Garden of Second Chances, Mona Alvarado Frazier; She Writes Press/ Spark Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Oxnard, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Good flow in the writing. Could not put book down.'

SILVER MEDAL Los Tejanos de Bexar, Irma Olivares; ; Ancestry of the author(s): US, Mexico, Spain, Native American; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Enjoyed reading it. The telling from the individual characters kept me hooked.'

Best Young Adult Fiction Book – English

GOLD MEDAL Wings in the Wild, Margarita Engle; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Fresno, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Incredible story of 2 totally different people coming together for love, for their convictions, their passions.'

SILVER MEDAL What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Bolivia, USA; The author(s) lives in: Asheville, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was a very exciting story that reminded me of 100 Years of Solitude. '

BRONZE MEDAL Ander & Santi Were Here, Jonny Garza Villa; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico,USA; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The story is excellent; beautiful, passionate, and heartbreaking. The characters are fully dimensional and empathetic.'

BRONZE MEDAL Borderless, Jennifer De Leon; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Guatemalan-American; The author(s) lives in: Boston, MA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Mey was a very relatable character! Her family and friends were likeable and realistic.'

BRONZE MEDAL Breathe and Count Back From Ten, Natalia Sylvester; HarperCollins Español; Ancestry of the author(s): Peruvian American; The author(s) lives in: Miami, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was my favorite of the books I was able to read. The cast of this book was wonderfully written.'

BRONZE MEDAL Broke Hearts, Matt Mendez; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Tucson, AZ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was one of the best books I have read this year. It made me openly cry in a coffee shop.'

BRONZE MEDAL Infested, Angel Luis Colon; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This would make for a great film. I thought this was fun.'

Best Young Adult Fiction Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL Confesiones Desde el Abismo, Jorge Ancizar Mejia; PanHouse- Casa editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Colombia; The author(s) lives in: Miami, Fl; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The plot captures your atenttion immediately.'

SILVER MEDAL Al encuentro del Fuego, Helena Sampedro; PLANETA ; Ancestry of the author(s): España/USA / Puerto Rico ; The author(s) lives in: San Juan, PR/Madrid-España; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The narrative captures the attention and imagination of the reader. It is hard to leave...'

Best Young Adult Nonfiction Book

GOLD MEDAL Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War, Talia Aikens-Nuñez; Lerner Publishing Group; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: New Haven, CT; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Interesting story! What valiant men whose story should be in our history books for high schools and colleges.'

SILVER MEDAL La inocencia en la mentira, Anita Corro; Ediciones Loaeza; Ancestry of the author(s): México; The author(s) lives in: Tustin, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Loved this journey of Ita’s and how she overcame obstacles and with hard work and determination.'

BRONZE MEDAL Our Voices: Little Stories Through A Latina Lens, Lizette Epps; Breadth of Hope, LLC; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Philadelphia; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Nice collection of stories across the USA. Glad you incorporated the photos of the authors of each piece.'

Best Young Adult Fantasy & Adventure

GOLD MEDAL Reclaim the Stars, Zoraida Córdova; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Ecuador, USA; The author(s) lives in: New York City, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Excellent! This one is going on my library shelf.'

SILVER MEDAL En la posada de Sofía, Cristina Molina; Áurea Ediciones; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Well written! It reminds me of Poe or The Canterbury Tales.'

BRONZE MEDAL Lucha of the Night Forest, Tehlor Kay Mejia; Make Me A World; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican, USA; The author(s) lives in: Portland, OR; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I liked the creation of a vibrant fantasy world rooted in Latin American culture...'

Best Young Adult Romance Book

GOLD MEDAL El secreto de tu magia, Cassandra Santiago; Portadas PR; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Comerío, PR; Insights from the ILBA judges, ' It was a beautiful story from the beginning. Very well written.'

SILVER MEDAL Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, Elle Gonzalez Rose; Joy Revolution; Ancestry of the author(s): U.S. Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Brooklyn, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I enjoyed this book very much! Well done! Made me LOL a number of times.'

Most Inspirational Young Adult Book

GOLD MEDAL Across So Many Seas, Ruth Behar; Alfred A. Knopf; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Ann Arbor, MI; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I hope to see this text in a movie one day. Her way of describing and even enlightening the audience with so many historical facts is riveting.'

SILVER MEDAL Al encuentro del Fuego, Helena Sampedro; PLANETA ; Ancestry of the author(s): España/USA / Puerto Rico ; The author(s) lives in: San Juan, PR/Madrid-España; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Helena Sampedro did a marvelous job bridging fiction with social justice and a cause that our society is not ready to face misogyny.'

SILVER MEDAL The Garden of Second Chances, Mona Alvarado Frazier; She Writes Press/ Spark Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Oxnard, CA.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book, even if it is fiction, could very well be the story of any young undocumented woman.'

BRONZE MEDAL Wings in the Wild, Margarita Engle; Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Fresno, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is the book I want to have on my night stand and read to come to a place of calmness and understanding.'

The Charlie Ericksen Best Book Written by a Youth

GOLD MEDAL Super Peanut and the Big Bully The Power of Kindness/Súper Cacahuate y EL Gran Bully El Poder de La Bondad, Bronx Baeza, Illustrated by Juan Calle; Cielito Lindo Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Sacramento, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The illustrations are superb! I can envision a tv show for children. GREAT BOOK!!!'

SILVER MEDAL Dr.Pren y el Guardián del Vórtice, Máximo César Castellanos; Editorial Ramy; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/México; The author(s) lives in: Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Fantastic cover. Make us care about the characters. Needs an editor.'

SILVER MEDAL Dried Lavender & Sage: Poems As I Grow, Julia Rae Rodriguez; Skillful and Soulful Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Thank you for sharing your raw thoughts and feelings. Great read.'

Peter J. Harris QEPD

Peter J. Harris leaves a resounding legacy in memories of astounding performances of the poet's work. Every performance offers a constant reminder that Harris is a consummate reader and interpreter of poetry, one of the language's two best male readers. 

Sharing fotos and accounts over the years of Peter J. Harris readings illustrate the poet's ability to make a difference in the lives of an audience, a readership, and fellow poets. In memoriam, I share a pair of columns, Harris' farewell performance as Co-Poet Laureate of Altadena, California, and a reading with Luis J. Rodriguez at a critical point in one listener's life.

La Bloga is privileged to have shared Peter J. Harris, the man and his work, witnessed at his September 2023 farewell reading, when Harris and his Altadena Co-Poet Laureate Carla R. Sameth, concluded their two-year service. The event also marked Harris' goodbye to his longtime Southern California home. (Click the link below to read the full account.) 

Hail and Farewell forms the heart of an evening's poetry reading with Altadena, California's co-Poets Laureate, Carla R. Sameth and Peter J. Harris (link to biographies). The audience quickly fills every seat and staff bring more chairs, and more people arrive. There's a buzz in the air, electric excitement you feel on rare occasions. Something Significant occurring here.

The news had reached many attendees: Peter Harris is really sick. Peter Harris is hospitalized. Peter Harris might not attend his own reading. Tonight, Peter J. Harris sits at the front of the room. He's using a 4-wheel walker and a cane, looks frail. The Poet takes the lectern. He shares his news: Peter Harris is moving to Florida.

Familia and friends have thronged to be with the poet this important, landmark evening. https://labloga.blogspot.com/2023/09/hail-laureates-atque-vale-peter-j-harris.html

Peter J. Harris, along with Luis J. Rodriguez, resuscitated my soul the evening I'd checked my wife, Barbara, into a memory care ward where I feared she would live her remaining years. (Click the link below to read the full account.)

The two poets reading in a local bookstore I'd never set foot in offered a powerful lure. Luis J. Rodríguez and Peter J. Harris need to be experienced in writing and in person and together, and they were reading in Pasadena at Battery Books at the city's least amenable to foot traffic address. Siri knew where it was but damned if I had confidence in where she was leading me. But I have an imperative tonight. It's the night of the day my wife went into Memory Care and just like that, I am living alone. 

Tonight, I test my sea legs as an independent entity. I'll deal with the guilt later, at having fun and being out among 'em without her. We hadn't done much going out the past few years as the Alzheimer's progression expressed itself by fatigue and agoraphobia. Gente came to Casa Sedano and that's how we got our poetry read aloud, the Living Room Floricanto.

These guys write kick-ass poetry. These guys write break-your-heart-for-all-sorts-of-reasons poetry. Poetry that breaks your heart for its stories and voices of tragedy, privation, desperation, love. Poetry that breaks your heart for being il miglior fabbro stuff. Rodríguez is the emeritus Poet Laureate of the City of LosAngeles, that kind of quality. I don't know why Harris hasn't been named to a Laureateship, that breaks your heart.

https://labloga.blogspot.com/2019/07/recharging-at-battery.html

Eulogies to il miglior fabbro

Luis J. Rodriguez

The extraordinary poet, activist, and wonderful human being, Peter J. Harris, has passed. I send my deepest condolences to his family and countless friends and admirers. He was also a dear friend. We met 44 years ago at the University of California, Berkeley where we were part of the 1980 Summer Program for Minority Journalists, an 11-week training program. He was my roommate in the university dorms. The program consisted of young writers of color from all over the United States. Peter and I also had two small children each. Mine were six and four when I entered this program. His were in Washington D.C. Mine in East Los Angeles. Twenty-six years old, I no longer had a wife or a family, although my children were constantly in my heart, and I had to forge a loving relationship with them despite a messy breakup and years of abandonment on my part. Peter and I talked about this: love, children, broken relationships, being imperfect in our responses, and then what we had to do to become the fathers they needed. Too many wrongs can make right, but it takes work, dedication, and love, love, love. I have had a hard time, but I'm now good with my oldest children (and two other sons, five grandkids, and seven great-grandkids). I know Peter has filled this gap as well. More importantly, while we struggled to be journalists of color at a time when we were less than three percent of U.S. newsrooms, we both also became renowned poets. While I lived in Chicago for fifteen years, when I returned to Los Angeles I was glad to know Peter was already here. We renewed our friendship, and took an active part in this city's expansive poetry scene. I was also honored to publish Peter's powerful poetry collection "Bless the Ashes" with Tia Chucha Press (link), my small press (now 35 years old), also part of a larger cultural space and bookstore known as Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore (link). Peter was not only a friend, but one of the most amazing poets. More importantly he was generous of heart, a sweet soul. He fought for happiness in a world that didn't seem to have much. He was about spreading joy; he was joy. I honor Peter J. Harris, griot for the ages.

Thelma T. Reyna

Our world was diminished with the passing of Peter J. Harris, a literary star whose brilliant, musical poetry and prose awakened our senses and broadened our understanding of humanity. He was a consummate Co-Poet Laureate in Altadena, CA, one of the finest Laureates any of us has known. He gave us his best work, his best thinking in each project he undertook: as journalist, editor, speaker, blogger, advocate, community leader, and founder of the Black Man of Happiness Project. He mentored, collaborated, and inspired, always kind, thoughtful, honest, and courageous. Those of us who knew him and worked with him will deeply miss him.

Peter was the brilliant Editor of my Golden Foothills Press' Altadena Poetry Review: Anthology 2024 (link). Battling a critical illness, he singlehandedly vetted over 350 poems submitted to us for the anthology from throughout the U.S. He culled these to 178 poems, and the anthology was born. In a conversation with me, Peter said he considered this book his "gift" to the poetry community. It was his labor of love and excellence. It was his last published book.

Link to the Press: http://www.goldenfoothillspress.com/

John Martinez

When a mountain disappears from the surface of earth, the people are left, shocked, with disbelief, unaccepting. Fact is, a mountain, a true mountain, never leaves. It gazes over, all that is terminal, the animals, the mumbling trees; it stands, above and is always, always present. This is what I feel about the passing of Peter J. Harris. We mourn, that we won’t see him again, those glasses, tipped on the rim of his nose, his straight shoulders, the time colored grey-his trimmed gotee the light bronze of his face. We won’t hear him, on stage, clutching his open book, slightly hunched into the mic, eyes wide open, drawing us all in, as he peers back at us, then back to his open book, then, back to the audience. But you see, he’s a mountain. He emerged from the earth, eons ago. And we could see him, from afar, his presence, in the blue, blue, between the green hang of tree branches. 

Once, I gave Peter J., a ride to his home, after a poetry reading in East Los Angeles. We were in my convertible BMW. The air was brisk, the sky, an emergence of firefly’s and stars. I was in my dark mode (as usual) existential angst, this uselessness I felt, about writing, about poetry, and the thought of death was so overwhelming. And he was patient as a seasoned doctor, always on call. I, then, reminded him, that all of this was in contrast to the sheer optimism in his writing, the love he had for his community, for all of us-his poetic and precise love for life itself. He responded with Patience. Patience for an old poet, 59, going on 15., “What is important here,” he said, as the night sky breeze chilled our faces, the wind ruffled through his sheep’s pelt hair…“It’s all about, happiness.” He said. And he looked over at me and grinned. It was that look that Vic (my brother) would give me when my observations were off put, that it might be time for me to shut up and listen.  Besides, it was foolish of me, to act out my fears, before legendary poet. A man, who had already risen from such nonsense. “Happiness.” This is the word. This is what makes the ink, worthy. And so, on the way, Pasadena is green. Greener than I have ever imagined. Even though, I passed through, many, many, times-this time, the hues were vamped, like someone sloshed on the landscape with a photoshop saturation brush. And the streets are shimmering, tar mirrors from a rain that was less than a mist. And when we stopped at the entrance to his home, he said to me; “Always write, and consider happiness,” as he gathered his books and a few tattered  notebooks, crunches them to his chest and opened the door. And in my trek to my own home, I took the 210 Freeway, East, and to my left, the soft outlining of foothills and behind them, the dark blue bold of snow peaked mountains, I felt the permanency of it all, how something’s in life, remain, always remain. 

RIP Peter J. Harris.