Notable Authors
Dr. Tomás Rivera is one of Texas State University’s most distinguished alumni. He was born in Crystal City, Texas, to a family of migrant farm workers, and he worked in the fields as a young boy. His novel …y no se lo tragó la tierra / …And the Earth Did Not Devour Him was published in 1971 and is widely regarded as his masterpiece. In 1995, Texas State's College of Education established the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, which honors authors and illustrators who create literature depicting the Mexican American experience. The 2015-2016 Common Experience theme celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Tomás Rivera Book Award, as well as the life and legacy of Dr. Rivera himself. See University Libraries material by Dr. Tomás Rivera.
Sandra Cisneros has been honored with numerous awards including the MacArthur Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, and a Texas Medal of the Arts. See material by Sandra Cisneros and Wittliff Collections.
Meg Medina has been named 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. See University Libraries material by Med Medina.
Books and Book Awards
Use the Library Catalog to search for print resources, multimedia resources, and ebooks. The Library Catalog also provides location and availability details. Use quotation marks for "phrase searching"
The 3rd Floor Juvenile Collection has many bilingual and spanish-language material books
- National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) Book AwardRecognizes an outstanding new book in the field of Chicana and Chicano Studies. @TXST-UL
- American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE), Books of the Year AwardPresented annually at the national conference of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, is a celebration of Hispanic culture, history and research excellence. These authors' accomplishments are at the highest levels of literature and scholarship. By awarding the annual Book of the Year Award, AAHHE acknowledges and honors the power of the written word to share the Hispanic experience and to enlighten the global community. @TXST-UL
- American Sociological Association, Latina/o Sociology Distinguished Contributions to Scholarship Book AwardsRecognizes an outstanding book in the area of Latina/o/x Studies. @TXST-UL
- MLA Prize in United States Latina and Latino and Chicana and Chicano Literary and Cultural StudiesOutstanding scholarly study in any language of United States Latina and Latino or Chicana and Chicano literature or culture. @TXST-UL
- Conference on Latin American History (CLAH), Bolton-Johnson PrizeAwarded annually for the best English-language book on any aspect of Latin American History.@TXST-UL
- Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin, Tejano Book AwardRecognized that little was being written about Tejanos and their contributions to Texas and U.S. history. They established an award that would: (1) give Tejano Heritage books greater recognition from historians, scholars, academicians, film, television, and multimedia communities; and (2) put such published books in the spotlight and bring attention to Tejano Heritage, history and contributions. @TXST-UL
- Latino Book AwardsAuthors, translators, and illustrators are honored for their books written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. About one-third of our entries come from major publishers. Others come from medium-sized and small publishers or are self-published titles.
Juvenile Literature Awards
- Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book AwardAwarded by Texas State University's College of Education 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. Tomas Rivera, a distinguished alumnus.
@TXST-UL - Pura Belpré
Founded in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. @TXST-UL
- Américas AwardFounded in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. @TXST-UL