Announcement of REFORMA de Florida’s 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant winner

REFORMA de Florida is excited to announce the winner of the 2024 REFORMA de Florida Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant, which aims to bring books created by Latinx authors and illustrators portraying the Latino cultural experience into the lives of children.

Congratulations to:

● Lafe Allen Memorial Library / Edenia M. Hernandez – North Miami Beach, FL

The winning submission was selected based on why the collection was needed by the institution and its community, how acquiring the collection would help the institution better serve the children and youth of their community, and the effectiveness of the institution’s plan to make the materials available in their community. Blind judging was instituted by Selection Committee members.

The Lafe Allen Memorial Library will receive 100-200 Latinx YA and children’s books to support the Latino cultural experience in the lives of children.

REFORMA de Florida thanks the 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant Selection Committee:

● Lucia M. Gonzalez: Vice-President/President-Elect of REFORMA de Florida; Library Consultant; Former Director of the North Miami Public Library.
● Isabel Castro: Treasurer of REFORMA de Florida, Assistant Director of the West Orange Public Library in West Orange, New Jersey.
● Alma Ramos-McDermott: Secretary of REFORMA de Florida, 5th-grade teacher at Avalon Elementary in Naples, Florida; Former School Librarian.

We thank everyone who applied for REFORMA de Florida’s 2024 Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant.

REFORMA de Florida is a chapter of REFORMA National. REFORMA is committed to supporting programming for Latino and Spanish-speaking communities. Through our Pura Belpré Book Donation Grant, we aim to support the Latino cultural experience in the lives of Florida’s children.

¡Felicidades a nuestra ganadora!