Hispanic Heritage Month Library Posters

September 13, 2023

May we make some recommendations?

Tomás Rivera Book Award

Texas State University College of Education developed the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. The award was established in 1995 and was named in honor of Dr. Tomás Rivera, a distinguished alumnus of Texas State University.

Tomás Rivera was a writer and educator in Texas. His writings inspired hope for many migrants that their lives and experiences would not be forgotten. His legacy lives on within the Hispanic communities of Texas. This award helps to bring awareness to the educational importance and the contributions of Mexican Americans in the Southwest and greater United States.

This year's book winners were A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar and Tumble by Celia Perez. Read more about this award and see past winners here.

Speaking of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, our very own representative, Alma Medina, has served on the panel to select runner-ups! Alma is a retired school librarian who now works for us to advocate for library success. Her passion for education has been a tremendous asset to our company's goal. If you get the chance to work with her make sure to give her a big thank you!

Below are some of her favorite Hispanic authors that she recommends.

Amada Irma Pérez has been a bilingual educator, consultant and presenter for more than twenty-five years. Her teaching experience includes kindergarten through university. She is an advocate of programs that encourage literacy and multicultural understanding. She believes that better communication will lead to world peace. Amada Irma Pérez speaks at local, state, national and international conferences and inspires diverse audiences of students, teachers, parents, businesses and community organizations.

Pat Mora is an award-winning author of books for children, teens, and adults. Pat’s honors include honorary doctorates from North Carolina State University and SUNY Buffalo, a lifetime achievement award from the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award. She’s a lifetime member of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), an honorary member of the American Library Association, and she received a Kellogg National Leadership and a Poetry Fellowship from NEA.

Pam Muñoz Ryan is an American author and the 2018 U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She is the author recipient of the National Education Association’s Civil and Human Rights Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for Multicultural Literature, and is twice the recipient of the Pura Belpré Medal and the Willa Cather Award. Many of her stories reflect her half-Mexican heritage.