The 2009 Américas Award for Childrens and Young Adult Literature

The 2009 Américas Award The 2009 Américas Award

for Children’s and Young for Children’s and Young Adult LiteratureAdult Literature

About the AwardAbout the Award

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).

The award winners and commended titles are selected for their 1) distinctive literary quality; 2) cultural contextualization; 3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and 4) potential for classroom use.

2009 2009 Américas Américas WinnerWinner

Detail, Detail, Just In CaseJust In Case

2009 2009 Américas Américas WinnerWinner

“Some of the U.S. Army nurses are young Lakota Sioux nuns who have come here to help us even though their own tribe in the north has suffered so much, for so long, starving and dying in their own distant wars.

One of the nuns is called Josefina Two Bears. She promises to take care of all the orphans from the camps.”

Américas Honorable Américas Honorable MentionMention

“Like, no matter where you might be-there’ll always be people who are gonna get in your face…because, you know what, where you are doesn’t change who you are. I thought of that while I was sitting with Sheri waiting for the bus, feeling more like myself than I had in a long time-maybe ever.”

Américas Honorable Américas Honorable MentionMention

Américas Honorable MentionAméricas Honorable Mention

Américas Américas Commended Commended

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Américas Commended TitleAméricas Commended Title

““There was once a shoemaker who There was once a shoemaker who had a shop close to the king’s palace. had a shop close to the king’s palace. He was the world’s most unhappy He was the world’s most unhappy man. All day long, as he sewed man. All day long, as he sewed leather and nailed soles onto shoes, leather and nailed soles onto shoes, he sang to himself:he sang to himself: If you’re born to be a poor man, If you’re born to be a poor man, then poor you’re going to be.then poor you’re going to be. If you’re born to be a poor man, If you’re born to be a poor man, then poor you’re going to be.then poor you’re going to be.The king often passed by the The king often passed by the cobbler’s shop in his carriage, and cobbler’s shop in his carriage, and every time he leaned out the window every time he leaned out the window to listen, he heard the shoemaker to listen, he heard the shoemaker singing the same old song:singing the same old song: If you’re born to be a poor man, If you’re born to be a poor man, then poor you’re going to be.then poor you’re going to be. If you’re born to be a poor man, If you’re born to be a poor man, then poor you’re going to be.then poor you’re going to be.””

Detail, Detail, Baila, Nana, BailaBaila, Nana, Baila


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““Our country is at war with Our country is at war with itself. Argentina has become a itself. Argentina has become a battlefield, a country of death battlefield, a country of death and of mourners. Just as we and of mourners. Just as we are brother and sister, are brother and sister, Eduardo, and our quarrels tear Eduardo, and our quarrels tear at our hearts, so our people at our hearts, so our people fight one another to death. It is fight one another to death. It is the cruelest kind of war.”the cruelest kind of war.”


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“ “Them people who only Them people who only now come from India-now come from India-they not like that at all.’” they not like that at all.’” “But we not like that, “But we not like that, either,” said Ricki. ‘”I either,” said Ricki. ‘”I don’t think I could be like don’t think I could be like one of those long-ago one of those long-ago people that first come people that first come from India to Trinidad.”from India to Trinidad.”

“ “Me neither,” said Me neither,” said Grandpa. “Is not easy to Grandpa. “Is not easy to leave home and go leave home and go someplace where you someplace where you different from everybody different from everybody else. Them long-ago else. Them long-ago Indian people didn’t have Indian people didn’t have it easy when they first it easy when they first come here. My own come here. My own grandfather used to tell grandfather used to tell me about it. They didn’t me about it. They didn’t have it easy at all.”have it easy at all.”

Detail, Detail, Divali RoseDivali Rose

““We were extremely poor, We were extremely poor, so poor that our clothes so poor that our clothes came from donations and came from donations and second-hand cloting stores second-hand cloting stores – in fact, second-hand – in fact, second-hand store clothes were a luxury store clothes were a luxury for us. … In the union we for us. … In the union we worked for five dollars a worked for five dollars a week at first, and later 10 week at first, and later 10 dollars a week. … All my dollars a week. … All my children were raised in a children were raised in a lifestyle of extreme lifestyle of extreme deprivation – they didn’t deprivation – they didn’t have toys or clothes.”have toys or clothes.”


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“’ “’A degenerate?’ My voice A degenerate?’ My voice quivers. ‘Mami, Mami. Please quivers. ‘Mami, Mami. Please understand. I’m no degenerate. I’m understand. I’m no degenerate. I’m your daughter. Why are you being your daughter. Why are you being so cruel? All you do is hurt me and so cruel? All you do is hurt me and hurt me. You have to stop.’hurt me. You have to stop.’

She turns to me with such rage She turns to me with such rage in her face, I’m afraid she’s going in her face, I’m afraid she’s going to slap me. ‘You’re sick! Sick and to slap me. ‘You’re sick! Sick and demented. You need a demented. You need a psychiatrist!’psychiatrist!’

‘ ‘You’reYou’re the one who needs the one who needs therapy! I’m going to start therapy! I’m going to start supplicating to Santa Barbara so supplicating to Santa Barbara so she’ll turn she’ll turn youyou gay! How do you gay! How do you like like thatthat?’?’

“ “ShhhShhh. The neighbors.’ She . The neighbors.’ She rushes to close the sliding doors.rushes to close the sliding doors.

I calm down. ‘I’ve always wanted I calm down. ‘I’ve always wanted a mother to understand and a mother to understand and support me. But you just can’t do support me. But you just can’t do it, can you?’”it, can you?’”


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“ “They want something betterThey want something better, , Lisa told herself. They want to Lisa told herself. They want to move away from this trailer. move away from this trailer. Cold wind whispered through Cold wind whispered through the cracks, gutters dripped with the cracks, gutters dripped with the last of the rain, Pecas the last of the rain, Pecas bumped somewhere under the bumped somewhere under the trailer, and the floor seemed to trailer, and the floor seemed to lurch like a ship. Were they on lurch like a ship. Were they on a wide dusty sea in the middle a wide dusty sea in the middle of nowhere? Lisa knew that if of nowhere? Lisa knew that if she went outside onto the small she went outside onto the small porch, the night would be porch, the night would be black, a color seldom used in black, a color seldom used in her drawings because she had her drawings because she had enough of it in life.”enough of it in life.”


TitleTitle “ “My mom, she really objected to My mom, she really objected to me being a political animal. But me being a political animal. But what happens if you were born what happens if you were born with a mind? Why is thinking with a mind? Why is thinking about shopping better than about shopping better than thinking about the state of the thinking about the state of the world you live in? Tell me that. world you live in? Tell me that. She says I’m too young to go She says I’m too young to go around analyzing how the world is around analyzing how the world is run. And one day, when I was run. And one day, when I was going on and on about global going on and on about global warming, she actually said, ‘It’s warming, she actually said, ‘It’s none of your business, Jacob.’ She none of your business, Jacob.’ She actually said that. Are you getting actually said that. Are you getting to the point where you understand to the point where you understand where I get all this attitude? Are where I get all this attitude? Are you getting this? Anyway, one you getting this? Anyway, one day, I came home wearing a Che day, I came home wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt. ‘Where do you Guevara T-shirt. ‘Where do you get these things?’ she asked. ‘You get these things?’ she asked. ‘You don’t even know what Che don’t even know what Che Guevara stood for.’”Guevara stood for.’”


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“…“…around the kitchen they around the kitchen they sweep, feet tapping, water sweep, feet tapping, water dripping, sponge wiping, dripping, sponge wiping, towel snapping.towel snapping.

My mother’s voice joins my My mother’s voice joins my father’s, hers high and his father’s, hers high and his low. Together they tango low. Together they tango across the room with the across the room with the leftover tamales.”leftover tamales.”

Detail, Detail, Kitchen DanceKitchen Dance


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“ “This book is your personal This book is your personal invitation to become part of one invitation to become part of one of the most exciting youth of the most exciting youth movements of our time: movements of our time: PeaceJam’s Global Call to PeaceJam’s Global Call to ActionAction. PeaceJam is bringing . PeaceJam is bringing young people together with young people together with Nobel Peace Laureates to tackle Nobel Peace Laureates to tackle the toughest issues facing our the toughest issues facing our planet – issues ranging from planet – issues ranging from basic needs, such as access to basic needs, such as access to water, to basic rights, such as water, to basic rights, such as social justice and human social justice and human security. Change starts here, security. Change starts here, and we are inviting you to and we are inviting you to become a part of it. How will become a part of it. How will you answer the call?”you answer the call?”


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TitleTitle “ “Hoping to leave our poverty Hoping to leave our poverty behind and start a new and behind and start a new and better life, my family emigrated better life, my family emigrated illegally from Mexico to illegally from Mexico to California in the late 1940s and California in the late 1940s and began working in the fields. began working in the fields. From the time I was six years From the time I was six years old, Toto and I worked together old, Toto and I worked together alongside our parents. He sang alongside our parents. He sang Mexican songs to me such as Mexican songs to me such as ‘Cielito Lindo’ and ‘Dos ‘Cielito Lindo’ and ‘Dos Arbolitos’ while we picked Arbolitos’ while we picked cotton in early fall and winter in cotton in early fall and winter in Corcoran. After we were Corcoran. After we were deported in 1957 by deported in 1957 by la migrala migra and came back legally, Roberto and came back legally, Roberto took care of me like a father took care of me like a father when he and I lived alone for six when he and I lived alone for six months in Bonetti Ranch, a months in Bonetti Ranch, a migrant labor camp.” migrant labor camp.”


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“’ “’If people are the smartest and If people are the smartest and most powerful creatures in the most powerful creatures in the world, does that mean they are world, does that mean they are also the best and most virtuous?’ also the best and most virtuous?’ asked one of the asked one of the b’enb’en..

‘ ‘Not necessarily,’ Ixkem Not necessarily,’ Ixkem answered. ‘We Maya believe that answered. ‘We Maya believe that everything has its counterpart. everything has its counterpart. There’s water because there’s fire; There’s water because there’s fire; there’s sky because there’s earth; there’s sky because there’s earth; there’s man because there’s there’s man because there’s woman. The large exists because woman. The large exists because of the small and the good exists of the small and the good exists because of the bad. Everything has because of the bad. Everything has its opposite. So there are good its opposite. So there are good people as well as bad.’”people as well as bad.’”


TitleTitle “ “By the time I actually started By the time I actually started sixth grade, I felt like a sixth grade, I felt like a burraburra – a – a donkey, which was what they donkey, which was what they called the kids who weren’t too called the kids who weren’t too smart. We had missed a little smart. We had missed a little more than a week of school. more than a week of school. Nothing was like it was Nothing was like it was supposed to be. I wasn’t sure supposed to be. I wasn’t sure how to explain it except that I how to explain it except that I felt very small.”felt very small.”


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“ “As much as I liked the way As much as I liked the way chickens tasted, I owed my life chickens tasted, I owed my life to one of them. When I was to one of them. When I was about ten years, I had gone about ten years, I had gone upstate to a campground, and upstate to a campground, and as we were sitting around eating as we were sitting around eating some chicken, a great big nasty some chicken, a great big nasty bear with giant teeth came out bear with giant teeth came out of the woods growling at us. of the woods growling at us. Everybody ran away, but as the Everybody ran away, but as the bear came after us, wanting to bear came after us, wanting to eat us humans, I threw a eat us humans, I threw a chicken leg at him. This big chicken leg at him. This big bear, nasty as he was, ate it, bear, nasty as he was, ate it, calmed down, and looked calmed down, and looked happy. … Anyway, I got home happy. … Anyway, I got home safe, but when I arrived at the safe, but when I arrived at the door, all I wanted to do was eat door, all I wanted to do was eat more chicken.”more chicken.”


TitleTitle “ “On each slaver, as soon as On each slaver, as soon as I’d been through the hold with I’d been through the hold with water and people’s thirst was water and people’s thirst was quenched, the questions began, quenched, the questions began, always the same: ‘Where are always the same: ‘Where are we? Are they going to kill us we? Are they going to kill us now?’ Or the more gruesome now?’ Or the more gruesome versions: ‘Are they going to eat versions: ‘Are they going to eat us now? Use our blood for us now? Use our blood for paint? Use our fat to caulk their paint? Use our fat to caulk their ships? Use our skin to make ships? Use our skin to make sails?’sails?’

‘ ‘You’re in Cartagena of the You’re in Cartagena of the Indies,’ I would tell them. ‘A Indies,’ I would tell them. ‘A land ruled by Spain. The land ruled by Spain. The Portuguese brought you here, Portuguese brought you here, but you will be sold to but you will be sold to Spaniards. They will not kill Spaniards. They will not kill you, but you will be their you, but you will be their slaves.’”slaves.’”


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2009Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult

LiteratureReview Committee

Kristel Foster (Sunnyside Unified School District, Arizona)Jamie Campbell Naidoo (University of Alabama)

Hollis Rudiger (Madison, Wisconsin)Elena Gibbons Serapiglia (Yale University, Connecticut)

Patricia Velasco, chairperson (Teachers College, Columbia University, New York)

Award CoordinatorJulie Kline

CLASP Committee on Teaching and Outreachc/o The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeP.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201(414) 229-5986 phone; (414) 229-2879 fax

[email protected]

http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/index.cfm

http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/index.cfm

Documents

The 2009 Américas Award for Childrens and Young Adult Literature