Pura Belpré Awards

IIn 1930s San Antonio, texas, 1937 thirteen-year-old Petra has big dreams: graduate from high school in a few years, become a writer, and travel the world. But after lossing her beloved father, er dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it's only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the...

Twelve-year-old Nico and his cousins' seemly boring summer in Puerto Rico takes a horrific turn when they encounter the legendary chupacabra, a cult, and the gods who created the island.

"Noche is a Lechuza by night, an ethereal jet-black owl who guides the dead to the after. Except now, Noche cannot bring herself to escort her dead girlfriend, whose soul is fading the harder Noche holds on....Death waits for Estrella (Noche) Villanueva. In her human form, she is a lonely science girl grieving the tragic accidental drowning of her girlfriend, Dante Fuentes. At night, she is a Lechuza who visits her dead girlfriend at the lake, desperate...

Langley Park, Maryland, 2013. Brothers José and Charlie know very little about their mother's life in Guatemala, until José grows curious about the ongoing genocide trial of Efrain Rios Montt. At first his mother, Clara, shuts his questions down. But as the trial progresses, she begins to open up to her sons about a time in her life that she's left buried for years. Petén, Guatemala, 1982. Sisters Clara and Elena hear about the armed conflict every...

Nana is surrounded by family and takes joy in her many grandchildren. She's also tired and feels pain. Soon she begins her transition from life into death, accompanied by her beloved Xolo dog, Popo. Together they go on Nana’s journey, and by the end of the story, Nana's family celebrates the many years of love they shared with her. And a grandchild will now care for Popo.

"A young girl examines fear and death and discovers bravery against the backdrop of Día de Muertos"-- Provided by publisher.