Some Exciting Fall Updates and the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference!

As I encourage you to once again to sign up for the fast-approaching Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference on September 27th, I would like to share some news for fall, in part, to offer an incentive by showing you some of the many wonderful things that can happen to writers when they share their works with others and take that all-important step toward turning their writing passion into a career.

Here are some updates from my clients, who, for the most part, are being published for the first time:

Debut picture book author Katheryn Russell-Brown's LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE (Lee and Low) has received three starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal since its publication this September! The book has also just been listed among The Huffington Post's "50 New Picture Books for Fall 2014" and received accolades from the NY Journal of Books and The Horn Book's "Calling Caldecott" blog! I'm very excited for Katheryn, who, on a recent interview for The Brown Bookshelf, shared her book's "Back Story," a piece that offers a nice glimpse into how books get published these days. To learn more about this fabulous book and its author, visit Katheryn's website.

The amazing ballerina and star of the ballet documentary FIRST POSITION, Michaela DePrince's memoir TAKING FLIGHT: FROM WAR ORPHAN TO STAR BALLERINA and its Step Into Reading companion BALLERINA DREAMS (both from Knopf and co-written with her mother, Elaine DePrince), will debut in the US on October 14th. The memoir has already received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and received quite a bit of online buzz.  The Dutch edition just launched in Michaela's current home city of Amsterdam on September 13th at the Dutch National Ballet's Annual Gala event to celebrate the opening of company's  2014-2015 season. Posters promoting TAKING FLIGHT can now be seen all over Amsterdam, I am told! The Dutch is one of TEN upcoming editions of the memoir to be published worldwide. A very exciting time for another debut author! For more about Michaela, and her books, visit her website.


Eric Pierpoint, whom you may know from his other gig as an actor and his  roles in Park and Recreation and Heart of Dixie among many others, is also a very talented children's book writer! His debut historical fiction adventure THE LAST RIDE OF CALEB O'TOOLE (Sourcebooks) received the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association's "Reading the West Award" in the Children's category this summer! Read an interview with Eric about his inspiration for writing the book, and a sneak peek at his next one! For more information about Eric and his books, visit his website.

And speaking of awards, debut children's author Angela Cervantes won her first one this year for her funny, heartwarming middle grade novel, GABY, LOST AND FOUND (Scholastic). Angela and Gaby won First Place in the Chapter Book category at this year's International Latino Book Awards, presented at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, this summer. I'm happy to report that Angela is also working on her second book with Scholastic! For more information about Angela and her books, visit the author's website.





Petit Collage founder Lorena Siminovich's YOU ARE MY BABY: GARDEN (Chronicle) two-in-one board has just been listed among Parenting.com's "24 Best Baby Books of All Time!" While Lorena is a veteran illustrator with many books under her belt, You Are My Baby is the first board book series that she writes AND illustrates! Look for many more books in the YOU ARE MY BABY series, and another darling series of board books coming from Lorena and Chronicle in 2016!

I feel very fortunate to work with such talented folks and overjoyed about their success. I hope that they inspire you as much as they inspire me every day. And of course, I hope that this will provide the little extra push you need to join our conference on September 27th. I'd love to meet more talented folks whose work I can display on another post next year!

My Latest Mamiverse Editorial and the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference This Weekend!

As promised, I plan on sharing all of my various writings and endeavors here, in the hopes that they will help authors, educators and readers find information on a variety of topics related to Latino literature. 

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! And I am personally celebrating by doing more of the same: promoting Latino literature and helping Latino authors get published! Here is my latest editorial for mamiverse, with my list of recommended titles to help you celebrate: 

Children’s Books to Help You Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

by Adriana Dominguez  10/3/2013

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month offers all Americans the opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of Latinos in the U.S. These dates were not chosen randomly; September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18 respectively, and Columbus Day or El Día de la Raza, helps to close the festivities on October 12, as we celebrate Latinos with parades and events held throughout the country.

Read Related: Heroes & Great Books to Help Kids Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

I can think of no better way to share our culture than through books! Here are some of my personal favorites to share Latino achievements with our children and their friends, teachers and caregivers. I hope that you will make them part of your own library!

Monica Brown’s Bilingual Biographies
Over the years, Monica Brown has made a name for herself as the premier bilingual picture book biographer for kids, by writing engaging books that entertain as they teach—in English and Spanish! Her subjects hail from different countries in Latin America and the US, and include Nobel Prize winning authors Gabriela Mistral (My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela, Luna Rising), Gabriel García Márquez (My Name is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito, Rising Moon) and Pablo Neruda (Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People, Holt—note that this title is available in English only), soccer legend Pelé (Pelé, King of Soccer/Pelé, el rey del fútbol, Rayo), and Latinos who made a significant impact on US culture and society, such as Tito Puente (Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo, Rayo), Celia Cruz (My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia, Rising Moon), and César Chávez and Dolores Huerta (Side by Side/Lado a Lado, Rayo). You simply can’t go wrong if you pick up one of Brown’s picture book biographies to celebrate Latinos with your child!

Click here to read the rest of the article. 

And don't forget that this Saturday is our Second Annual Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference! 

Last year, three of our attendees secured agents, and one has already signed a book deal! It is not too late to register! 

Participants currently include: Erin Clarke, Executive Editor, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers; Adriana Dominguez, Agent, Full Circle Literary; Sulay Hernandez, Senior Editor, Other Press; Toni Kirkpatrick, Editor, Thomas Dunne Books; Andrea Montejo, Agent, Indent Literary Agency; Lukas Ortiz, Managing Agent, Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency, Inc.; Jeff Ourvan, Agent, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency; Johnny Temple, Publisher, Akashic; and Stacy Whitman, Publisher, Tu Books

This year’s keynote speaker is Reyna Grande, a National Book Circle Critics Award finalist and winner of the American Book Award and International Latino Book Award.

Take a look at some of our testimonials!

“I’m a huge fan of this conference! I went last year and loved being able to connect with other Latina writers, and with local editors who were seeking freelance work (as well as editors who encouraged us to submit to their literary journals). I pitched my book project to two agents, one of whom later offered me representation! The book is still in the submission process, but I’m hoping to hear some news very soon. Overall, it was a really inspiring, action-packed day, and I would highly recommend it to any writer who wants to network and learn more about the craft.”

—Lesley Tellez (www.lesleytellez.com), conference attendee

“The conference was very well-organized, the location was modern, close to major transportation, and tech-friendly. The volunteers were enthusiastic and very willing to help in any way possible. All of the attendees were genuinely excited and eager to learn, which was refreshing. Kudos on a job well done and to many more successful conferences!”

—Mercedes Fernandez, Assistant Editor, Kensington Publishing

“It was wonderful seeing so many young people who want to add to the chorus of Latino voices out there. I believe they got inspiration, information, and a healthy dose of reality. Thank you to Medgar Evers College and Las Comadres for creating a much-needed service for our community of writers.”

—Dahlma Llanos Figueroa, author of Daughters of the Stone

You can (still!) register at http://lascomadres.com/countonme/latino-writers-conference/ The conference twitter hash tag is #LCWC

See you in Brooklyn!—Adriana

  

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, especially the new followers. I was very impressed by the amount of thought and consideration that went into some of the suggestions for the blog, and pleased as well, since I interpreted that great care to mean that you feel a sense of ownership with it, which I of course hope you do. Please know that I will consider your contributions carefully and plan on implementing quite a few of those suggestions. I look forward to continuing the conversation, and thank you again for your support.

And now, the winners of the Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

Oscar Bermeo
Christine Womack
Esther Bonilla-Read
Eileen Hu
Deborah Rosen

Each will receive a set of the five books featured in the giveaway. Books will ship directly from the publisher. Congratulations to all!

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

Hachette Book Group has once again generously provided copies of 5 of their new books by Latino authors to give away to readers of VOCES in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Five winners will received the whole set of five books!

To win your copies, do the following:

1. Become a follower of VOCES by clicking on the appropriate box on the side bar.
   
2. Once you have become a VOCES follower, send me an email to adrianasblog@gmail.com confirming that you have done so, and include the following information:

• Your name and shipping address, so that we can know where to send the books.
• An idea for a future post for VOCES, a feature that you'd like to see added to the blog, or feedback on what you like and may not have liked so much about my posts so far. This feedback benefits us all!

*Current followers of the blog will also qualify. If you are already a follower, please let me know in your email message and include the rest of the information requested.

Five winners will be chosen randomly and announced on the site on October 15th, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. Good luck!

To find out more about the books, click on their titles below:

Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson ISBN: 0446546127
Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante ISBN: 0446581623
Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta ISBN: 044654051X
Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo ISBN: 0446519367
Amigoland By Oscar Casares ISBN: 0316159697

**Books will be delivered by publisher. Contest is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Books will not be delivered to P.O. boxes.

The 2009 National Latino Writers Conference in Albuquerque, NM: Part II

For my second installment in my series of posts following up the conference, I would like to print some of Dr. Felipe Ortego y Gasca’s enlightening comments during his opening keynote address. For those of you who may not know, Dr. Ortego y Gasca has long been considered the founder of Chicano Literary Studies. His seminal work, entitled Backgrounds of Mexican American Literature (Univ. of NM, 1971), was the first study published in the field. He is also credited for being the first to write on the subject of Chicano literature for a major publisher with his We Are Chicanos: Anthology of Mexican American Literature (Washington Square Press, 1973). It was truly an honor for me to get an opportunity to see him speak at this conference, and I would like to pass some of that honor on to you.

Ortego y Gasca addressing the participants of the 2009 National Latino Writers Conference.

During his talk, Ortega y Gasca offered these encouraging words to the Latino authors in attendance: “We are still in our gestation period, 1973 is not that long ago”—referring to the date of publication of We Are Chicanos— and adding: “We have to recover the U.S. Latino saga; my family’s history in the U.S. dates back to 1731, before 1776”—obviously pointing to his own Mexican roots, and maybe alluding to that old Southwestern saying: “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.”

He went on to make a distinction between Latin American writers living in the U.S.—who are very much connected to the literary tradition of their homelands—, and Latino Writers— whom, he pointed out, should be identified as U.S.-based Latino authors, such as Sandra Cisneros. I wanted to print this remark in particular because he went on to state that “this distinction is seldom made (by publishers, readers, and the general public), exhibiting a basic misunderstanding and ignorance of the work of U.S. Latino writers, which dates back to the roots of this country—and has a long future ahead.”

Ortega y Gasca also mentioned the demographics with which my readers are already very well acquainted, putting them into perspective, and within the literary context. He said: “By 2040, 1 in 3 Americans will be Latino, and this demographic is changing from the inside, not through immigration.” (Referring to the fact that 1 out of 2 babies now born in the U.S. is of Latino heritage.) “Every county in the US now has Latinos in it.” (A fact that I, for one, was not aware of, and which I found fascinating, since it has endless implications.) Finally, referring to what he dubbed the “tsunamic demographic change” that we are about to face, Ortego y Gasca offered these very simple, wise words to present and future Latino writers: “We should not waste it.”

I hope you are enjoying these posts on the NLWC. Check back at the end of this week, when I will be posting the first of a series of writing tips by some of the published authors who attended the conference.

For more information on the National Latino Writers Conference, and the rest of the programs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, click here.

And the Winners Are… (Part II)

Latino Book Month Giveaway

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who entered the contest, especially the new “followers.” It was wonderful to hear from you. I was pleased to learn that publishers, authors, and readers are following this blog. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that librarians are following it as well, since I know from personal experience that they are often some of the best advocates for Latino literature.

I received many wonderful suggestions through this contest, many of which I plan to put into practice, so stay tuned. Although the contest is over, the dialogue should not be; feel free to continue to send me emails with ideas and/or suggestions for the blog, and please subscribe to let other folks know just how important Latino literature is to you. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

And now, the winners of the May Latino Book Month Giveaway!

Aaron Martin
Brooke Bahnsen
Edi Campbell
Natalya Martinez
Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Each will receive a set of the five books featured in the giveaway. Books will ship directly from the publisher. Congratulations to all!

And the Winners Are… (Part I)

The 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards

For me, one of the highlights of Book Expo America, year after year, is the Latino Book Awards presented during the conference. The awards, which honor literary excellence in a variety of categories, are bestowed by Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes literacy and literary excellence within the Latino community. In 2009, awards were given in four new categories: Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation, Best Gift Book, Best Popular Fiction, and Best Graphic Novel. See below for a complete list of winners, and visit http://lbff.us/latino-book-awards for more information on the awards, and to see lists of previous recipients. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!

The Winners (Title - Author(s) - Publisher):

CATEGORY A – CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Best Educational Children’s Book - English
The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publishing Co.

Best Educational Children’s Book - Spanish
Quiero ser poeta - Rafael Garcia Jolly, José Carbonell Pla, Antonia Moreno, María D. Torres Bañuls - LetraRoja
2ND Place: El secreto del dorado - Maria Villegas y Jennie Kent - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: Figúrate: Animales, fantasía y mundo - María Villegas y Jennie Kent - Villegas Asociados

Best Educational Children’s Book - Bilingual
Dealing With Insults - Qué hacer con los insultos - Marianne Johnson - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras
2ND Place: Teo in Palo Verde - Adam Del Rio - Lectura Books
2ND Place: Ronaldinho - José María Obregón - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras
Honorable Mention: Las abejas - Katie Franks - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras

Best Children’s Picture Book – English
Abuelos - Pat Mora - Groundwood Books
2ND Place: The Secret Legacy - Rigoberta Menchú - Groundwood Books
Honorable Mention: Kitchen Dance - Maurie J. Manning - Clarion Books

Best Children’s Picture Book – Spanish
Los tres reyes de Oriente - Lluis Farre - Bambú
2ND Place: El mejor mariachi del mundo - J. D. Smith - Raven Tree Press
Honorable Mention: Mira, mira - Angels Navarro - Bambú

Best Children’s Picture Book – Bilingual
Rachel and the Lion - Stephanie Lainez - Story House Books
2ND Place: Colors! ¡Colores! - Jorge Luján - Groundwood Books
Honorable Mention: The Storyteller's Candle - Lucia Gonzalez - Children's Book Press

Best Young Adult Fiction – English
Dark Dude - Oscar Hijuelos - Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
2ND Place: Amor and Summer Secrets - Diana Rodriguez Wallach - Kensington Publishers
Honorable Mention: Mr. Clean and the Barrio - David Bueno-Hill - Urbano Books

Best Young Adult Fiction – Spanish or Bilingual
El asunto galindo - Fernando Lalana - Bambú
2ND Place: Odisea - Albert Jané - Combel Editorial, S. A
Honorable Mention: Carlito's Story - Max Benavidez & Katherine Del Monte – Lectura Books
Honorable Mention: No sapiens - Ariel González - Libros en Red

Best Young Adult Nonfiction - English
The Barefoot Shoeshine Boy - Al Rivera - Author House

Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation – English
Soccer's Story & A Fútbol Fable - Gil Sperry - Amigo del Mar Press

Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation – Spanish or Bilingual
Go Milka Go! ¡Corre, Milka, Corre!- Raquel Benatar - Renaissance House


CATEGORY B – NONFICTION

Best Arts Book - English
The Journey of Frederic Edwin Church - Through Colombia and Ecuador - Pablo Navas Sanz de Santamaria - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Line: 7 Elements of Art - Jane Castillo - Crystal Productions
Honorable Mention: Yolanda M. López - Karen Mary Dávalos - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)

Best Arts Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Manuel Hernández - Manuel Hernández - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Alicia Viteri: Memoria digital - Alicia Viteri - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: Herman the Jester and the ABC's of Art - Rafael Filion - Author House

Best Biography - English
Crazy Loco Love - Victor Villaseñor - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: The Last Supper of Chicano Heroes - José Antonio Burciaga - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Paths to Discovery - Norma E. Cantú - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)
Honorable Mention: Take Me With You: A Memoir - Carlos Frias - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Biography - Spanish or Bilingual
Bolívar, delirio y epopeya - Víctor Paz - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Llorando en la oscuridad- Pablo Chapoy - Ediciones Del Ermitaño
Honorable Mention: Yagruma: Amores prohibidos en épocas de tiranía - Francisco Calderon Vallejo - Conceptos Editoriales
Honorable Mention: Un sueño americano - Oscar de la Hoya - Rayo
Honorable Mention: De ciertas damas - Carlos Lleras Restrepo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Business Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing
2ND Place: Hablidades para el trato personal en los negocios - Dr. Camilo Cruz - Taller Del Éxito

Best Gift Book - English
Colombia by Color - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Holywood - Se Habla Español - Rafael J. Rivera-Viruet & Max Resto - Terramax Entertainment Publishing

Best Gift Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Secreto: El libro de la gratitud (The Secret Gratitude Book) - Rhonda Byrne - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Quiero ser poeta - Rafael Garcia Jolly, José Carbonell Pla, Antonia Moreno, María D. Torres Bañuls - LetraRoja
2ND Place: Pardon My Spanglish ¡Porque Because! - Bill Santiago - Qwirk Books
Honorable Mention: Gringosincrasias - Emma Sepúlveda - Asterión

Best History/Political Book - English
No Greater Love: The Lives and Times of Hispanic Soldiers - Major General Freddie Valenzuela, with Jason Lemons - Ovation Books

Best History/Political Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Principio y fin del mito Fidelista - José Alvarez - Trafford Publishing
2ND Place: Alberto Lleras - Alberto Lleras - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Reference Book - English
A Simple Guide to U.S. Immigration and Citizenship - Luis Cortes - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Reference Book - Spanish or Bilingual
De inmigrante a ciudadano - Luis Cortes - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Cookbook - English
Latin Evolution - Jose Garces - Lake Isle Press, Inc.

Best Cookbook - Spanish or Bilingual
Larousse de los postres - Paulina Abascal - Ediciones Larousse
2ND Place: Y hoy ¿qué les doy? - Lourdes Al cñiz y Lourdes March - Grijalbo - Random House Mondadori
Honorable Mention: La comida de Italia - Un viaje para los amantes de la cocina - María Villegas & Sophie Braimbridge - Villegas Asociados

Best Health Book - English
The Art of Healing Latinos - David E. Hayes-Bautista & Roberto Chiprut - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)

Best Health Book - Spanish or Bilingual
¡Mami, tengo hambre! - Jeamme Warren Lindsay, Jean Brunelli, Sally McCullough - Morning Glory Press
2ND Place: Y hoy ¿qué les doy? - Lourdes Al Cñiz y Lourdes March - Grijalbo - Random House Mondadori

Best Religious Book - English
Misa, mesa y musa Vol 2 - Kenneth G. Davis - World Library Publications
2ND Place: Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage: Unlocking the Secrets to Life, Love and Marriage - Mark Gungor – Atria Books


Best Religious Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Autobiografia de un Yogui (revised) - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
2ND Place: Susurros de la eternidad- Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: Reconstruye tu vida: El Camino a la Felicidad Sin Limites - T.D. Jakes – Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Self-help Book - English
The Barefoot Shoeshine Boy - Al Rivera – Author House
2ND Place: I Love You. Now What? Falling in Love is a Mystery. Keeping it Isn't - Mabel Iam – Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Family Activism: Empowering Your Community Beginning with Family and Friends - Roberto Vargas – Bennett-Koehler Publishers
Honorable Mention: The Latino's Guide to Parenting - Suzanne Moreno - Ed-Ventures Publishing Co.

Best Self-help Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Triunfar en la vida - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
2ND Place: ¿Se Habla Dinero? The Everyday Guide to Financial Success - Lynn Jimenez - John Wiley & Sons

Best Spiritual/New Age Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El viaje - Siete pasos para diseñar y dusfrutar una vida con propósito - Lic. Rafael Ayala - Taller Del Éxito
2ND Place: Secreto: El libro de la gratitud (The Secret Gratitude Book) - Rhonda Byrne - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Autobiografía de un Yogui (revised) - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Travel Book - English
Winter in Kandahar - Life in Afghanistan Before the Taliban - Ana M. Briongos - Trotamundas Press

Best Travel Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El viaje de Frederic Edwin Church - por Colombia y Ecuador - Pablo Navas Sanz de Santamaria - Villegas Asociados S.A.

CATEGORY C – FICTION

Best Popular Fiction - English
Gunmetal Black - Daniel Serrano - Grand Central Publishing
2ND Place: Ghosts of El Grullo - Patricia Santana - University of New Mexico Press

Best Popular Fiction - Spanish or Bilingual
No sapiens - Ariel González - Libros en Red

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama - English
Brida - Paulo Coelho - Harper Collins
2ND Place: The Flowers - Dagoberto Gilb - Grove Press
Honorable Mention: If I Die In Juárez - Stella Pope Duarte - University of Arizona Press

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama – Spanish or Bilingual
Por la vida de mi hermana (My Sister's Keeper) - Jodi Picoult - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: El infinito en la palma de la mano - Gioconda Belli - Rayo
Honorable Mention: Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red
Honorable Mention: Nada importa - Alvaro Robledo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Novel – Historical Fiction - English
Alejandro and the Fishermen of Tancay - Braulio Muñoz - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Valfierno: The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa - Martin Caparros - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Novel – Mystery - English
The Case Runner - Carlos Cisneros - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: The Paris Enigma - Pablo de Santos - Harper Collins
Honorable Mention: Gunmetal Black - Daniel Serrano - Grand Central Publishing

Best Novel – Mystery - Spanish or Bilingual
Sangre en el desierto - Alicia Gaspar de Alba - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: Tácticas contra el tedio - Mauricio Bernal - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Novel – Romance - English
The Heartbreak Pill - Anjanette Delgado - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: More Than This - Margo Candela
Honorable Mention: Tarnished Beauty - Cecilia Samartin - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Novel – Romance - Spanish or Bilingual
Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red

Best Graphic Novel – Spanish or Bilingual
Aleida x años - Vladdo (Vladimir Flórez) - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Ellos/Ellas - Silvia Vallejo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Poetry Book - English
Half of the World in Light - Juan Felipe Herrera - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland - Latino Writers Collective - Scapegoat Press
Honorable Mention: The Buried Sea - Rane Arroyo - University of Arizona Press

Best Poetry Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Lugar de Origen - Place of Origin - Elena Lafert & Melina Draper - Oyster River Press
2ND Place: Susurros de la eternidad - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: Secretos - Chuyin Rocha - Createspace

CATEGORY D – DESIGN (Title – Illustrator/Designer(s) - Publisher):

Best Cover Design
Take Me With You: A Memoir - James Perales - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Alicia Viteri: Memoria digital - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: The Richest Latino in America - Rubén and Richard Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Cover Illustration
El secreto del dorado - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publiching Co.

Best Interior Design
Manuel Hernández - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publiching Co.

Best Use of Photos
Colombia es Color - Villegas Asociados S.A.

CATEGORY E – AUDIO

Best Children’s Audio Book – Spanish or Bilingual
Animals at the farm/Animales de la granja - Gladys Rosa-Mendoza - Me + Mi Publishing
2ND Place: My Family and I/Mi familia y yo - Gladys Rosa-Mendoza - Me + Mi Publishing

Best Non-Fiction Audio Book – Spanish or Bilingual
La ley de la atracción - Dr. Camilo Cruz

CATEGORY F - THE MARIPOSA AWARDS

Best First Book - English
Take Me With You: A Memoir - Carlos Frias - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Reclaiming Paris - Fabiola Santiago - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
Honorable Mention: The Seamstress - Frances de Pontes-Peebles - Harper Collins
Honorable Mention: Carnival of Memories - Yocasta Fareri - iUniverse

Best First Book - Spanish
Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red
2ND Place: Pardon My Spanglish ¡Porque Because! - Bill Santiago - Qwirk Books
Honorable Mention: Herman the Jester and the ABC's of Art - Rafael Filion - Author House
Honorable Mention: Secretos - Chuyin Rocha - Createspace

Latino Book Month Giveaway!

Hachette Book Group has generously provided copies of 5 of their new books by Latino authors to give away to readers of VOCES in honor of Latino Books Month.

Five winners will received the whole set of five books! 

To win your copies, do the following:

1. Become a follower of VOCES by clicking on the appropriate box on the side bar. 
   
2. Once you have become a VOCES follower, send me an email to adrianasblog@gmail.com confirming that you have done so, and include the following information: 

• Your name and shipping address, so that we can know where to send the books. 
• An idea for a future post for VOCES, a feature that you'd like to see added to the blog, or feedback on what you like and may not have liked so much about my posts so far. As I stated in my first post, I want this to be a place for dialogue among those interested in Latino lit, so this information will benefit all! 
  

*Those who are already followers of the blog also qualify for the giveaway. If you are a follower, please let me know in your email message, and include the rest of the information requested. 

Five winners will be chosen randomly on the last day of Latino Book Month, May 31st. Winners will be announced on the site on JUNE 1ST, 2009. Good luck! 

To find out more about the books, click on their titles below:

1.       B as in Beauty By Alberto Ferreras ISBN: 0446697893

2.       Into the Beautiful North By Luis Urrea ISBN: 0316025275

3.       Hungry Woman in Paris By Josefina Lopez ISBN: 0446699411

4.       The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos By Margaret Mascarenhas ISBN: 0446541109

5.       Houston, We Have a Problema By Gwendolyn Zepeda ISBN: 0446698520

**Books will be delivered by publisher, so contest is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Books will not be delivered to P.O. boxes.

New Calendar Feature, and More

Hello everyone! I am dropping you this quick note to let you know that in an effort to make this blog as helpful and informative as possible for all readers, including book publishing professionals, authors and book lovers, I have added a calendar of upcoming events to the left side of the page. A quick look at the new calendar will reveal that I intend to include industry-wide events such as Book Expo America and librarians' conferences, as well as those that are more specialized, such as the National Latino Writers Conference in New Mexico, where I will be a participant, and a fabulous writing workshop by famed translator Liliana Valenzuela coming up in July. I'd like to encourage you all to send me your events to add to the new calendar. These can include readings, and all types of workshops, book celebrations or presentations. The only requirement for events is that their main focus be books and nothing else. The readers of this blog comes from all parts of the country and so too should our events. Let's work together to make this the most exhaustive calendar of events related to the Latino book industry out there! 

Another couple of additions you may find helpful, are the "share this" and "subscribe" buttons on the left side of the page. Blogs are still relatively new to some, and it is with those folks in mind that I am attempting to make sharing and subscribing to content a little bit easier. I hope you find the new buttons helpful as well. More to come very soon! 

And the Awards Go To... (What a Wonderful Surprise!)

Here is a nice follow up to the last post that could not wait until my return to the States:

On Monday, the American Library Association (ALA) released its official announcement of their Youth Media Awards for 2009:

The following is a listing of the 2009 Pura Belpré Awards, which honor the work of Latino authors and illustrators "whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books." (It is worth mentioning that the previously biannual award will be granted annually from now on.)

The 2009 Belpré Illustrator Award went to Yuyi Morales for “Just in Case," published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership. The book is a follow up to Morales´ 2004 Belpré winner "Just a Minute."

The 2009 Belpré Author Award went to Margarita Engle for “The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC. This marks Engle´s second consecutive win; she won the award last year for "The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano."

The Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were: “Papá and Me” illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos” illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucía González, published by Children’s Book Press; and “What Can You Do with a Rebozo?” illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla, published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press.

The Belpré Author Honor Books were: “Just in Case” written by Yuyi Morales, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; “Reaching Out” written by Francisco Jiménez, published by Houghton Mifflin Company; and “The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos,” written by Lucía González and published by Children’s Book Press.

And perhaps the biggest surprise of the year: In addition to receiving this year´s Belpré Medal for narrative, Margarita Engle´s “The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” was also named a Newbery Honor Book! A first for a Latino author!

So let´s congratulate all of this year´s winners, and celebrate this new milestone! This is already shaping up to be another wonderful year for Latino literature! ¡Felicidades!

For a complete listing of ALA´s Youth Media Awards for 2009 go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/january2009/ymawrap.cfm

An Update and Some Shameless Promotion

I am out of the country until the first week of February, when I will resume posting. In the meantime, I want to let you know that I continue to work on future posts that I hope will be of interest to you, and that I am still open to ideas and suggestions, so keep those coming, and keep visiting and subscribing!

I can´t resist taking advantage of this forum to share some news as well: On January 1st of this year, Rayo published the bilingual Pelé, King of Soccer/ Pelé, El rey del fútbol, by award-winning author, Monica Brown. I am letting you know about it not because I edited the book, as many of you already know, but because I really believe that it is excellent, and worth knowing about. And I am not alone: Pelé has already received many positive reviews, two of them starred. Since this blog is about promoting and supporting the work of excellent Latino authors and illustrators, I wanted to share the excellent work that Monica Brown and Rudy Gutiérrez did on this book and encourage you to check it out. You can find a link to both the author and illustrator´s websites on this page. Monica´s page has links to the reviews and to an interview I did with her for Críticas magazine. Personally, I think that this book represents the first opportunity to help make this the year that we celebrate Latino children´s literature! Buy It Here

A Nerd, a Radio, and a Poem: 2008 in Review

Those who know me are well acquainted with my incurable optimism and can-do attitude. They count on me to see the good side of things and find solutions to problems—and I often do both. Looking back over this past year however, it seemed that I might have my work cut out for me. Because, Obama’s historic win aside, not much “good” seems to have taken place in 2008. When looking back, most will (rightly) recall a year riddled with layoffs, corporate bailouts, bonus and hiring freezes, and a general feeling of hopelessness, even among those who were “lucky” enough to remain employed.

But those of us who care about Latino literature can look back on this past year with a sense of pride, even renewed hope. We can and should remember that something truly great happened in 2008: some of our best and brightest (and in some cases, youngest) Latino authors received an unprecedented and well deserved amount of recognition; the kind hereto reserved only for Hollywood celebrities. It all started with Junot Díaz’s The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 2008 it seemed as though Junot was everywhere: On bestsellers lists—in both English and Spanish—, and on English and Spanish language media (Who can forget his appearance on the Colbert Report? And, ask a Univison viewer about him and they will say: “Junot has not forgotten where he came from,” or “I was surprised by how good his Spanish is!”). Yes, Junot became a bona fide literary celebrity over the past year. But he was not the only one who would receive that much-deserved praise.

Next, came the PEN USA awards. I had to read the announcement twice to make sure that I had not misread the names of not one, but TWO Latinos on the awards list. Yes, it was true! Daniel Alarcón had won the Fiction Award for Lost City Radio, and my dear friend Juan Felipe Herrera had (finally!) won the Poetry Award for his 187 Reasons Why Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border! That was the moment when I decided that Latino authors were on a roll in 2008. They were unstoppable. Even a deceased Latino author received praise when Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 made The New York Times’ “Best Books of 2008” list! And so, my optimism preserved, I set out to write a post about all of the accomplishments that have made 2008 a great year for Latino writing.

And then came the sobering reminder that there is still much work to be done, in the form of Melita Marie Garza’s piece for Bloomsberg News, published on the second-to-last day of the year (a portion of which was reprinted in The New York Times on that same day). The article refers to a recent study that reveals a steady decline in the representation of Latino and African- American characters in Newbery Award winners. The article quotes authors such as Sherman Alexie and Julia Alvarez, as well as Pat Scales, the president of ALSC (the Association for Library Services to Children that runs the Newbery Award). I think it is worth reading, so I am sharing it here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aCT1f48_Qwzo

You may draw your own conclusions after reading the article, but here is what I propose:

I propose that we use the momentum gained in 2008 to concentrate on providing the same amount of support granted to adult Latino literature to children’s Latino literature. Let’s remember that 1 in 4 children younger than 5 living in the U.S. is now of Latino heritage, and that it is they who will carry our culture and tradition to future generations.

So, a toast to 2008: the year of (adult) Latino literature! And as we share in the joy, let's do everything we can to make 2009 the year of children’s Latino literature. I know we can!

Welcome!/¡Bienvenidos!

I've created this blog with one goal in mind: To provide you with a place to read about Latino authors, their books, and news related to the Latino book market (with a special emphasis on the Latino children's market). We write and speak in two languages, often seamlessly switching between the two, hence, this blog will sometimes switch from English to Spanish, depending on the source of the content. Latino authors, publishers, agents, booksellers, journalists, this is your blog too; I encourage you to participate by sending me your news, events, releases, anything you'd like to let others know about. The name of this blog does not only refer to Latino authors, but to our collective effort in using our "voices" to promote the work of Latino authors and books. This is a work in progress, and I look forward to your feedback to help me make this the place where Latino authors and books are the #1 priority. I hope that you will join me on this wonderful new journey.  Saludos!

"Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar..."—Antonio Machado