2020 Américas Book Award Winners

The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The award is sponsored by the national Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP).

Award Winners

Beast Rider by Tony Johnston and Maria Elena Fontanot De Rhoads (Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, 2019)

Between Us and Abuela by Mitali Perkins and illustrated by Sara Palacios (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019)

Honorable Mentions

My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and illustrated by Zeke Peña, Kokila (Penguin Young Readers Group, 2019)

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2019)

The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel (Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2019)

2020 Américas Award Commended Titles

Along the Tapajós written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela and translated by Daniel Hahn. Amazon Crossing Kids, New York, 2019.

A New Home written and illustrated by Tania de Regil. Candlewick Press, 2019.

Caravan to the North written by Jorge Argueta. Groundwood Books, 2019.

Freedom Soup written by Tami Charles and illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. Candlewick Press, 2019.

Fuego Fuegito/ Fire, Little Fire/ Tit, Titchin written by Jorge Tetl Argueta and illustrated by Felipe Ugalde Alcántara. Piñata Books, 2019.

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré written by Anika Aldamuy Denise and illustrated by Paola Escobar Harper. HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.

Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019.

The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border written by Juan Pablo Villalobos. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019.

Titanosaur written by Dr. José Luis Carballido and Dr. Diego Pol and illustrated by Florencia Gigena. Orchard Books, New York, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc. 2019.