Secret of the Moon Conch

 By David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall 

 

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA (June 6, 2023)

Language: English

Hardcover: ‎464 pages

ISBN-10: ‎1547609893

ISBN-13‏: ‎978-1547609895

 

 

Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall join forces to craft a sweeping fantasy romance about falling in love despite all odds.

 

In modern-day Mexico, Sitlali is all alone after the death of her beloved abuela. Targeted by a dangerous gang member, she flees to the United States to find her father. The night before her journey, she finds an ancient conch shell on the beach and takes it with her as a memento of home.

 

In 1521, Calizto is trapped in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which is besieged by Spanish invaders. He has fought valiantly, but hope for his people is running out. Desperate to escape, he takes up his mother's sacred conch and sounds a plea to the gods.

 

The conch holds magic neither Sitlali nor Calizto understand, magic that allows them to communicate across centuries--and find comfort in each other as they fight to survive. With each conversation, they fall deeper in love, and as the moon waxes, they become more present to each other. But as danger threatens at every turn, will they ever find a way to truly be together?

 

 

“An excellent romantic fantasy woven with timeless themes. The authors juxtapose historical aspects of Aztec civilization with today's current events, calling attention to strains that migrants experience in modern-day detention centers. Young adults will thoroughly enjoy this riveting, long-distance love story.” ―Booklist, starred review

 

 

David Bowles is an award-winning Mexican American author and translator from Texas. His books include The Smoking Mirror, Feathered Serpent Dark Heart of Sky, and They Call Me Güero. He has been published in the New York Times, School Library Journal, Strange Horizons, English Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children's Literature. In 2017, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters, and in 2020, he co-founded #DignidadLiteraria, a social justice movement advocating for greater Latinx representation in publishing.  www.davidbowles.us

 

Guadalupe García McCall is the award-winning author of Under the Mesquite, Summer of the Mariposas, Shame the Stars, All the Stars Denied, and Echoes of Grace. She has received a Pura Belpré Author Award, a Westchester Young Adult Fiction Award, and the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children's Book Award, and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award and the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, among many other accolades. She advocates for literacy and diverse books. She lives with her husband in Texas. ggmccall.com

National Latino Children’s Literature Conference

The 2018 National Latino Children’s Literature Conference will showcase the works of authors, illustrators, and scholars which embody Latino culture and art as a means to promote literacy and reading in Latino children.

Highlighting the literacy needs of Latino children and their families, the conference also serves as a forum for librarians, educators, researchers, and students to openly discuss future information and education needs necessary to promote Latino literacy.

This year’s conference will be held at UTSA’s Downtown Campus in San Antonio, TX.

 February 22-24, 2018 
UTSA’s Downtown Campus
San Antonio, TX

Keynote Speakers

Rafael López

Rafael López is an internationally recognized illustrator and artist. A children’s book illustrator, he won the 2016 Pura Belpré medal from the American Library Association for his illustrations for Drum Dream Girl and the 2010 Pura Belpré medal for Book Fiesta. In 2012, he was selected by the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival poster. He has been awarded the 2017 Tomás Rivera Children’s Book Award, three Pura Belpré honors and two Américas Book Awards. The illustrations created by López bring diverse characters to children’s books and he is driven to produce and promote books that reflect and honor the lives of all young people.

Monica Brown

Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of many award-winning books for children, including Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People (Henry Holt), winner of the Américas Award for Children’s Literature and an Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction, and Waiting for the Biblioburro (Random House), a Christopher Award winner. Her picture book Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/Lado a lado: La historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez (Rayo/HarperCollins) was an NAACP Image Award nominee and Tejas Star Book Award finalist. Monica’s books are inspired by her PeruvianAmerican heritage and desire to share Latino/a stories with children. “I write from a place of deep passion, joy, and commitment to producing the highest possible quality of literature for children. In my biographies, the lives of my subjects are so interesting and transformational that I am simply giving them voice for a young audience. I don’t think it is ever too early to introduce children to the concepts of magical realism, social justice, and dreaming big!”

Margarita Robleda Moguel

Author of over 30 Latino/a children’s books and winner of the Juanes de la Cabada Fine Art of Children’s Tale Award.

From Margarita: On the migration card, when I leave Mexico, I put in occupation: to be happy. In doing so I remember that everything I do has that goal. Happiness, not as a state of mind, but as realizing my sense of life: being a better person. I think the frog is my nagual. Through his eyes I see things that I have the impression that no one else sees, these discoveries I translate into songs and stories, articles for the newspaper, conference themes, and in recent times in poems and photographs, such as those of the Moon. For many years I have dedicated myself to sing and tell stories to children, now I have opened the age limit until the age of 112, because I consider that the 113 as that changes the character. I struggle day by day so as not to lose my temper.

Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Ms. Mccall is the author of Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low Books), a novel in verse. Under the Mesquite received the prestigious Pura Belpre Author Award, was a William C. Morris Finalist, received the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Literacy Promising Poet Award, the Tomas Rivera Children’s Book Award, and was included in Kirkus Review’s Best Teen Books of 2011, among many other accolades. 

Ms. Garcia McCall was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. She immigrated with her family to the United States when she was six years old and grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas (the setting of both her novels and most of her poems). She is currently a high school English teacher in San Antonio.

Shame the Stars

By Guadalupe Garcia McCall

•             Hardcover: 288 pages
•             Publisher: Tu Books (September 15, 2016)
•             Language: English
•             ISBN-10: 1620142783
•             ISBN-13: 978-1620142783

Eighteen-year-old Joaquín del Toro’s future looks bright. With his older brother in the priesthood, he’s set to inherit his family’s Texas ranch. He’s in love with Dulceña—and she’s in love with him. But it’s 1915, and trouble has been brewing along the US-Mexico border. On one side, the Mexican Revolution is taking hold; on the other, Texas Rangers fight Tejano insurgents, and ordinary citizens are caught in the middle.

As tensions grow, Joaquín is torn away from Dulceña, whose father’s critical reporting on the Rangers in the local newspaper has driven a wedge between their families. Joaquín’s own father insists that the Rangers are their friends, and refuses to take sides in the conflict. But when their family ranch becomes a target, Joaquín must decide how he will stand up for what’s right.

Shame the Stars is a rich reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in Texas during the explosive years of Mexico’s revolution. Filled with period detail, captivating romance, and political intrigue, it brings Shakespeare’s classic to life in an entirely new way.

Guadalupe Garcia McCall was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a young girl, keeping close ties with family on both sides of the border. Trained in Theater Arts and English, she now teaches English/Language Arts at a junior high school. Her poems for adults have appeared in more than twenty literary journals. McCall is an up-and-coming talent whose debut YA novel, Under the Mesquite, won the Pura Belpré Award and was named a Morris Award finalist. McCall lives with her husband and their three sons in the San Antonio, Texas, area. You can find her on the Web at guadalupegarciamccall.com.

 LibroFEST

Houston Public Library 

Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 - October 15, 2016

Saturday, October 1, 2016 | 1PM - 5PM

Central Library Plaza | 500 McKinney St., 77002

Join us for the 5th Annual Houston LibroFEST, a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month that spotlights books, art, history and culture through library presentations, activities, performances and more. Local literary organizations, community groups, writers, artists and notable speakers take part in the festivities. This free event is for all to enjoy! 

Follow #HOULibroFest on Facebook and Twitter

12:45 PM  |  KICK OFF: HPL Welcome + Performance by High School for the Performing and Visual Arts group, Mariachi Los Pasajeros

1 PM  |  Two Trailblazing Latina Leaders: Former Texas State Representative, Diana Dávila Martínez, and former Houston City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Houston, Gracie Saenz, share their experiences as Latina civic leaders.

2 PM  |  Aliens, Mothers and Family Trees: Bilingual storytime with Salvadoran children’s author, René Colato Laínez!

2:45 PM  |  Music performed by Dan Oviedo & Friends

3 PM  |  Readings by local writers sponsored by Gulf Coast Literary Journal, Writespace, Public Poetry, and the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American Studies

4 PM  |  American Dreams: Poet Javier O. Huerta and Wall Street executive-turned-author Julissa Arce speak about their immigrant experiences and remarkable accomplishments; moderated by Claudia Kolker.

Pura Belpré Ganadores

Photo by Alma Ramos- McDermott

Los ganadores from left to right Rafael López, Xavier Garza, Duncan Tonatiuh,  Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Margarita Engle - and Sara Palacios who was not able to attend.

This year was the sweet sixteen fiesta for the Pura Belpré Award. Como siempre, it was a wonderful ceremony with muchos aplausos, risas, happy lagrimas and mucho corazón. In this post, three of the ganadores want to say a few words about what this important award means to them.

Duncan Tonatiuh

 Photo by Alma Ramos- McDermott

On June 24 I received the Pura Belpré illustration award. It was a great, great honor. I'm in awe of all the love Diego Rivera: His World and Ours continues to receive.

To me, the Pura Belpré award means being part of a community of individuals who are passionate and dedicated to creating and sharing outstanding books. It means being part of a family of authors, illustrators, librarians, editors and publishers that care about the Latino experience and that want to generate knowledge, pride and understanding among Latinos and the rest of American society.


The ceremony was at the Disney Hotel in Anaheim, California during the ALA conference. It was an opportunity to catch up with friends and to make new ones. The celebración was colorful and festive. It included poetry, singing, dancing, laughing, crying, mariachi, lucha libre and inspiring and thoughtful words from recipients and committee members. Thank you Jamie Naidoo and Oralia Garza for your tremendous effort in making the celebración possible. 

 Photo by Duncan Tonatiuh

Receiving the Belpré award fills me with pride and enthusiasm. It inspires me to work hard and to let my voice and vision be heard. I want to continue being a part of the Belpré family. I look forward to seeing it evolve and grow. And I look forward to more epic fiestas!

Guadalupe Garcia McCall

 Photo courtesy of Guadalupe Garcia McCall

As writers, we are used to working in solitude. When we first start writing a new book, we sit at our desks alone. No one is there to help us, but we like it that way. We like reflecting, so we want to be alone with our thoughts. Sometimes we remember our high school English teachers saying something about theme or unity or parallelism and a small light bulb goes off in our heads, but mostly we hear only our own thoughts. Our fears, our dreams, our delusions, our hopes, our self-doubts, and our aspirations get muddled together, restraining yet freeing our creativity all at the same time. We revise and edit constantly, and we are so very thankful to editors and their long, thoughtful editorial letters. But even after publication, we still want to change things. We sit at home reading that finished book wishing we could rewrite a certain scene before even one more person reads it. Then something wonderful happens; people read it and like it. Sometimes they even honor it with a starred review or, most surprisingly, an award.

 

Photo by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

The experience of receiving the Pura Belpre Author Award for Under the Mesquite has been wonderfully unexpected and surreal. It has been unexpected, because, to be honest, I just wanted to get my little book of poems about my family published. It has been surreal because I am still in awe of how far my little poems have traveled, how they have opened their wings and taken flight. Winning the Pura Belpre Author Award has validated more than my writing. This award is a celebration of the love and dedication my mother, Tomasa Ruiz de Garcia, put into raising me and my brothers and sisters. It commemorates her memory in a way that is beyond anything I could ever hope do on my own. I will be forever grateful to ALSC, Reforma, and especially the Pura Belpre committee members who saw my mother's spirit, her love, thriving within the pages of Under the Mesquite and chose to honor it with such a gift. Sinceramente, I am humbled by this award, and I feel very blessed. 

Xavier Garza

Photo by Celia C. Perez

To receive the Pura Belpre Honor book award for Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel has been an incredible experience for me. “A Pura Belpre Honor book award,” I kept telling myself after I got the call informing me of the honor being bestowed on Maximilian. It was beyond belief for me! I can’t even skillfully put into the words what it means to me personally to receive such a prestigious award, especially for portraying something that I hold as dear to my heart as lucha libre. I am a big believer in celebrating Latino culture and heritage. It is what makes us unique from the music that we dance to, to the food that we eat. These are all aspects that serve to give us our identity as a people. The Pura Belpre celebrates all these things, and does even more. It promotes and celebrates literacy. So to receive an award that celebrates our very culture tugs at my heart strings. The fact that is aimed at books geared towards young children makes even more special. 

Photo by Celia C. Perez

I will never forget the look in my son’s eyes as he cheered and clapped for me as I received my Pura Belpre honor book plaque at the ceremony. It almost made me cry. I can’t say thank you enough to the Pura Belpre award committee, to my publisher Cinco Puntos Press and to my family and friends for supporting me in reaching this great honor. 

*

The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and 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 (ALSC), 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.