Pura Belpré Award, << POOR uh behl PRAY, >> is a literary award given annually to the Latino or Latina authors of a children’s book and of a young adult book, and to the Latino or Latina illustrator of a children’s book. The winning writers and illustrators are those, in the opinion of the judges, “whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” The winners of the award must be citizens or residents of the United States or Puerto Rico, and winning books must be published in the United States or Puerto Rico. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. Belpré, who died in 1982, was born in Puerto Rico and became a noted storyteller and author as well as a librarian after settling in New York City in about 1920.
The Pura Belpré Award was established in 1996 and was given every two years until 2009, when it became an annual award. Originally, one book was chosen for the author award each year. Starting in 2021, author awards were given for two books each year, a children’s book and a young adult book. The award is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and by REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, which is affiliated with the ALA. The winners are selected by a committee consisting primarily of librarians.
