Pura Belpre Award-Group Presentation Information

Information on the Pura Belpre Award:

-The award was established in 1996
-“It is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and/or illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” -Association for Library Service to Children
Presented every two years to author and illustrator
-Committee members-follow intense criteria
-1993- Oralia Garza de Cortes, Sandra Rios Balderrama and Toni Bissessar of REFORMA and Linda Perkins, President of ALSC proposed joint book award
-According to the American Library Association the award is intended to “encourage Latino authors and illustrators in their efforts to produce children’s works celebrating the Latino experience in the United States”
-The award is also co-sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA)
Award inspired by:
-First Latina librarian from The New York Public Library
-Children’s librarian, storyteller, puppeteer and distinguished author for over sixty years
-Born in Cidra, Puerto Rico in 1899
-Moved to New York in 1930’s
-Attended the Library School of The New York Public Library and Columbia University
Criteria
-Original work that portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience
-Must be published in the U.S. or Puerto Rico during past 2 years
-Recipient must be resident/citizen of U.S. or Puerto Rico
-Nonfiction and fiction in Spanish, English, or bilingual forms acceptable
-Honor books
-Possible to present now award-none found
Works Cited
"The Pura Belpre Award Committee Manual." Association for Library Service to Children . 2004. American Library Association. 25 Feb 2009 http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal/Belpre_Manual_Aug05.pdf

CONTACT
-Main website ALA-American Library Association
-Main libraries that pop up are in New York and Texas when you search via internet
COMMITTEE
-This selection committee is made up of seven members, including chair
-3 are reps of the Association of Library Services for Children
-3 are from REFORMA
-The chair alternates from ALSC and REFORMA
-majority are librarians, but all have background in literature

Today I was a little shocked to hear my friend tell me that some woman in an interview asked her "what are you?" My friend Michelle and I always joke around about how people think she is bi-racial when in actuality she is a white-caucasian female. It is funny to us because people won't even let her open her mouth sometimes before they ask her if she is and she doesn't know why. This really made me think back to our discussion last week in class when one of our class members said someone asked her if she was Native American because she had dark hair. I think that a lot of people will say things like this and it is offensive. I don't think it is offensive in the sense that my friend cares that people find her bi-racial, but the fact that people feel they have the permission to just ask. I don't go up to people asking them is they are gay or if they are black. To me it isn't relevant either way so why ask?