Margarita Engle is the author of the 2006 Pura Belpré Medal Winner, The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, and The Surrender Tree, which received the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal as well as a 2009 Newbery Honor.

Henry Holt Books for Young Readers is a division of MacMillan which provides a wonderful profile page of Ms. Engle. One of my favorite stories is how her mother and father met in Cuba. Since neither could speak the other’s language, they communicated with each other through drawing pictures.

On ALSC’s Pura Belpré page, the 2009 Belpré Committee Chair Claudette McLinn remarks, “Engle’s prose breathes life into each character, and her rich use of language catapults the reader into the jungles of Cuba. The engaging story keeps the reader racing through the pages of history.”

I was thrilled to attend the 2009 Pura Belpré Celebración. I’m pleased to share with you a portion of Ms. Engle’s beautiful acceptance speech.

excerpted portions of Engle’s Pura Belpré acceptance speech for The Surrender Tree

– posted by Teresa Walls, ALSC member and ALSC Blog manager

Posted by Teresa Walls

Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 12:28 pm and is filed under Author Spotlight, Blogger Teresa Walls, Children's Literature (all forms), Diversity, Literary and Related Awards, Other ALA Divisions/Programs. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.