The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award

Tomás Rivera Book Award

TOMÁS RIVERA BOOK AWARD

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

AWARD

1

We work directly with teachers and students to promote literacy for children and youth utilizing culturally and linguistically affirming literature.

We provide professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers on culturally sustaining language arts and reading pedagogy.

2

We conduct research and advocacy through publications promoting the use of Mexican American children’s and young adult literature for literacy instruction.

3

Est. 1995

SUPPORT OUR ANNUAL PROGRAMMING

Gifts to the Tomás Rivera Book Award Fund support our annual programming, including:

• Award winning author/illustrator presentations serving up to 1,500 k-12 students a year from surrounding school districts

• Providing books for students and classrooms for low-income schools

• Professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers

• Promoting diversity through children’s and young adult literature

• Developing healthy identities and strong community through stories

• Livestreaming of author/illustrator presentations for national and international audiences

• Promoting college awareness

• Research and advocacy children and youth literature that honors the Mexican American experience

TOMÁS RIVERA LEGACY

Tomás Rivera, a native of Crystal City, Texas, is the first Mexican American to have been selected Distinguished Alumnus at Texas State University and is an author, poet, and educator. Graduating with a M.Ed. in Educational Administration (1964) after having received his B.S. degree in English (1958), both from Texas State, he went on to the University of Oklahoma where he received his Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literature in 1969. Within ten years after receiving his Ph.D., he quickly rose to become Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside in 1979. During this time, he published extensively in various locations, including his landmark novel…y no se lo tragó la tierra…And the Earth Did Not Part (1971), short stories and poetry posthumously gathered in The Harvest/la cosecha, and The Searchers: Collected Poetry, respectively. All of his works are now found collected with his essays in Tomás Rivera: The Complete Works, edited by Julián Olivares in 1992.

The creation of this Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award in his honor goes a long way towards keeping alive the prophecy he saw as part of our legacy as members of a healthy and responsible community. This children’s book award will also work towards sustaining the vision he saw for the education of Mexican Americans in the Southwest and the greater United States. It is therefore unquestionably right and proper that this award be given in his name, his honor, his prophesy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Nancy Valdez-Gainer

Director, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award

601 University Drive San Marcos, Texas 78666

n_v133@txstate.edu

512-245-3701

Rachel Harms

Director of Development

601 University Drive, J.C. Kellam 320 San Marcos, Texas 78666

rharms@txstate.edu

512-245-8125