2017 BELPRE AUTHOR AWARD
JUANA AND LUCAS
Author: Juana Medina
Gr 2–4—Juana lives in Bogotá, Colombia, with her dog Lucas. She loves brussels sprouts, drawing, and especially the comic book superhero Astroman. She most definitely does not like learning "the English." When her teacher says learning English is going to be a "ton of fun," Juana knows that it will really be "nada de fun." Her abuelo, or Abue for short, is a brain surgeon and tries to explain to Juana how learning English can be very useful. He also has a bribe—if Juana learns English, he will take her to the Spaceland amusement park in Florida, where only English is spoken, even by her hero Astroman. School Library Journal
2017 BELPRE ILLUSTRATOR AWARD
LOWRIDERS TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
Author: Cathy Camper
Illustrator: Raul the Third
Gr 4–8—Lupe, Elirio, and Flapjack—an impala, a mosquito, and an octopus—work in a garage, repairing and detailing cars. When they discover their cat, Genie, is missing, they follow his tracks to a corn maze that turns out to be a trap used by the Aztec god Mictlantecuhtli to steal the skeletons of wayfarers. Can the trio challenge him in the underworld, rescue their pet, and return safely home? The artwork is intricate but accessible; the textures and colors invite imitation. The storytelling is inventive, juggling cultural references, surreal circumstances, and educational impulses. As in the previous volume, Lowriders in Space, the dialogue combines Spanish and English slang, with frequent footnotes and definitions for the Spanish terms. School Library Journal