Abraham Matias, Lupe Ruiz-Flores and Vanessa L. Torres Win Pura Belpré Awards

CHICAGO — Abraham Matias, illustrator of “Popo the Xolo,” Lupe Ruiz-Flores, author of "The Pecan Sheller," and Vanessa L. Torres, author of “On the Wings of la Noche,” are the 2026 recipients of the Pura Belpré Youth Illustrator Award, Children’s Author Award, and Young Adult Author Award, honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in books for children and young adults. The awards were announced today during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Youth Media Awards Announcements in Chicago.

The awards are administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of ALA, and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.

Youth Illustrator Award:

In “Popo the Xolo,” having spent an ordinary day with her loving family, Nana (Grandma) falls asleep in her chair and finds herself journeying through the many strange lands of Mictlān, an indigenous Mexican afterworld, accompanied by her beloved dog, Popo the xoloitzcuintle (a breed native to Mexico). The book was written by Paloma Angelina Lopez and published by Charlesbridge.

“Paper-cut elements and rich colors combine with folkloric images to help little Popo take the reader on a huge, emotional and truly imaginative journey,” said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Gia Ruiz.

The Belpré Committee selected two Honor Books for illustration:

“A-Ztec: A Bilingual Alphabet Book,” illustrated and written by Emmanuel Valtierra and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido.

“The Invisible Parade” illustrated by John Picacio, written by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Children’s Author Award:

In “The Pecan Sheller,” set in 1930s San Antonio, 13-year-old Petra dreams of becoming a writer, but her father's death forces her to leave school for work in a pecan factory to support her family. When grueling conditions lead to tragedy and wage cuts, Petra and her coworkers strike for better pay and safety, risking everything for a better future. The book was published by Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

“‘The Pecan Sheller’” is a powerful and important historical fiction story of grit, family, and the power of community,” Ruiz said.

The Belpré Committee selected three Children’s Author Honor Books:

“A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation,” written by Pablo Cartaya and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

“The Island of Forgotten Gods,” written by Victor Piñeiro and published by Sourcebooks Young Readers, an imprint of Sourcebooks Kids.

“A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez,” written by María Dolores Águila and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

Young Adult Author Award

“On the Wings of la Noche” introduces us to 17-year-old Estrella “Noche” Villanueva, who’s trying to figure out her supernatural duties as a legendary Lechuza who escorts souls to the next world. The problem—her girlfriend Dante recently died, and Noche is not ready to let Dante’s soul go. The book was published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

“Darkly funny, bittersweet and lushly atmospheric, “Noche” offers a memorably distinctive, shape-shifting exploration of identity, grief and humanness,” Ruiz said.

The Belpré Committee selected three Young Adult Author Honor Books:

“Rosa by Any Other Name,” written by Hailey Alcaraz and published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

“Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide,” written and illustrated by Pablo Leon and published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“The Story of My Anger,” written by Jasminne Mendez and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

The members of the 2026 Pura Belpré Award Committee are Chair Gia Ruiz, Altadena Library District, California; Ana Bravo, New York Public Library; Carlos Espinoza Forlenza, Madison, Wisconsin; Deborah M. Gitlitz, Consultant, Portland, Oregon; Jenna M. Griffith, Marion High School Library, Illinois; Esmeralda Majors, Shelby, North Carolina; Kristin K. Williamson, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City; and Award Administrative Assistant Verónica Rivera-Negrón, Takoma Park Maryland Library.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About REFORMA

REFORMA is a national organization of library and information professionals committed to promoting the development of library collections that include Spanish language and Latino oriented materials. The organization strongly advocates for culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate library services, programs and materials to meet the information and cultural needs of the Latino community. For more information on REFORMA, visit www.reforma.org.

About the Association for Library Service to Children

ALSC, a division of the American Library Association, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 3,300 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for all children through libraries. Visit www.ala.org/alsc.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

For information on the Pura Belpré Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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