American Indian Library Association Announces Winners

Shen's Books does not have much expertise in Native American books for children, but it is always nice to see more and more awareness generated for any books related to less familiar cultures. Is is especially heartening to see organizations like the American Indian Library Association (AILA) becoming more active in the children's book universe.

The AILA announced the first recipients of its first American Indian Youth Literature Award yesterday. The winners are:

Picture Book:
Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, illustrated by Sam Sandoval

Middle-School Book:
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

Young Adult:
Hidden Roots by Joseph Bruchac

This new literary award was created as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award present Native Americans in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

Which reminds me (pardon my digression), the first Joint Conference for Librarians of Color is taking place in October, a gathering of five minority affiliates of the American Library Association (ALA): The American Indian Library Association (AILA); the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA); the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA); the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Provide Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking.