Honors

Not A Monster, a picture book (Charlesbridge, 2023)

  • Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year- 2024
  • ALSC Summer reading list-2024
  • Washington Children’s Choice Award Nominee-2025
  • VA READS title- 2024-2025
  • Blueberry Honor Book-2024
  • Blueberry Honor Audience Choice- 2024
  • Illinois Reads Selection- 2024
  • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best- 2023
  • Evanston Public library’s 101 Great Books for Kids List- 2023 
  • Kirkus Starred Review 

Still Dreaming/ Seguimos Soñando, a picture book (Lee and Low, 2022)

  • Skipping Stones Honor Award – 2023
  • Américas Award Commended Title- 2023
  • Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year In Spanish- 2023
  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2022
  • Southwest Books of the Year- 2023
  • IRC Notable Books for Global Society 2023
  • ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2023
  • ALA Pure Belpre Award Honor for Illustration 2023
  • Library Guild Award 2023
  • Book Riot Must Read October Children’s Book Releases

Not A Bean, a picture book (Charlesbridge, 2019)

  • Texas Library Association Topaz List Starred Book- 2021
  • Virginia Library of School Librarians VA Reads Selection- 2021-2022
  • Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year 2020
  • PBS SoCal Our Favorite Math Picture Books for Kids, November 2021
  • PBS SoCal Bilingual Kids Math Books Featuring Hispanic and Latino Characters, September 2021
  • Schaumberg Township District Library Adaptive Book Explorers Selection 2021
  • York Public Library Read Woke Selection 2021
  • Howard County Library System Book List 2020
  • Forest Park Public Library Summer Reading 2020
  • The Children’s Book Council November 2020 Reading List
  • Lone Star Literary Life Kids’ Summer Reads 2020
  • Midwest Book Review Bilingual Shelf Pick July 2020 
  • CLCD Reading List: Embracing Spanish! 2020
  • Kirkus Starred Review 
  • Library Journal Starred Review
  • Horn Book Starred Review

Pig Park, a novel (Cinco Puntos Press, 2014/ limited e-rights Houghton Mifflin Read180  Program) 

  • Illinois Reads Selection- 2015
  • Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book- 2015 
  • NACCS Tejas Foco Young Adult Fiction Award- 2015
  • CPS Battle of the Books Official Title- 2015 
  • CPS Recommended HS Reading- 2015 
  • Chicago Public Library Books for Kids Interested in Engineering- 2015
  • ALAN’s Picks- September 2014

The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, a novel (Cinco Puntos Press, 2008) 

  •  Library Guild Award for translation- 2018 
  • CPS Battle of the Books Official Title- 2010 
  • Paterson Prize for Books for Young People- 2009 
  • Américas Award Commended Title- 2009 
  • Recommended by Teaching Tolerance- 2009 
  • Recommended further reading in the Spring One Book, One Chicago Program- 2009
  • Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book – 2008 
  • Chicago Public Library Best of the Best- 2008 
  • Southwest Books of the Year- 2008 
  • ALAN’s Picks- July- 2008 

Other Professional Honors 

  • SCBWI Out of the Margins Award 2022
  • Highlights Foundation Scholarship Recipient 2019
  • City of Chicago DCASE Individual Artist Program Grantee 2017 
  • City of Chicago DCASE Individual Artist Program Grantee 2014 
  • UIC College of Education Community Engagement Grantee 2013 
  • Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Support Initiative Grantee 2013
  • Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Support Initiative Grantee 2011 
  • City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grantee 2011 
  • City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grantee 2009 
  • City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grantee 2008 
  • Lorna Dee Cervantes Isla Mujeres Poetry Scholar Summer 2001& 2002 
  • Third Annual Hispanic Playwright’s Festival Official Selection 2001