Awards

Pro­fes­sional Honors

2012

  • The school library of Car­de­nas Ele­men­tary School in Los Ange­les Uni­fied School Dis­trict now is named Alma Flor Ada Library.

2011

  • Cal­i­for­nia Coun­cil for Higher Edu­ca­tion Award

2008

  • Amer­i­can Edu­ca­tional Research Asso­ci­a­tion [AERA] His­panic Research Issues Award for Research in Ele­men­tary, Sec­ondary or Post­sec­ondary Education
  • Cal­i­for­nia Asso­ci­a­tion for Bilin­gual Edu­ca­tion [CABE] Life­time Achieve­ment Award

2005

  • Read­ing the World Con­fer­ence Award, School of Edu­ca­tion, Uni­ver­sity of San Francisco

1991

  • Los Ange­les Bilin­gual Direc­tors’ Asso­ci­a­tion Award

1990

  • Cal­i­for­nia PTA State Asso­ci­a­tion Award

1989

  • Alum­nae Soci­ety Award, School of Edu­ca­tion, Uni­ver­sity of San Francisco

1985

  • Dis­tin­guished Teach­ing Award, Uni­ver­sity of San Francisco

1984

  • Wayne Doyle Fac­ulty Award for Excel­lence In Research, School of Edu­ca­tion, Uni­ver­sity of San Francisco

1974

  • Michi­gan Endow­ment for the Arts Grant, Detroit, Michigan

1971

  • Fac­ulty Research Grant, Emory Uni­ver­sity, Atlanta, Georgia

1966–68

  • Rad­cliffe Insti­tute Scholar – Two con­sec­u­tive appoint­ments, Har­vard University

1965–67

  • Ful­bright Scholar Research Grant, Insti­tute of Inter­na­tional Education

1959

  • Beca de Honor, Estu­dios His­páni­cos, Uni­ver­si­dad Com­plutense, Madrid

1957–58

  • Teach­ing Assist­ant­ship, Barry Uni­ver­sity, Miami, Florida

1955–56

  • Teach­ing Assist­ant­ship, Loretto Heights Col­lege, Den­ver, Colorado

Lit­er­ary Awards

2012

  • Lit­er­ary Award of the Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion of His­pan­ics in Higher Edu­ca­tion [AAHHE]
  • Vir­ginia Hamil­ton Lit­er­ary Award

2006

  • Lit­er­ary Guild Medal
    [For Cuen­tos que con­ta­ban nues­tras abuelas/Tales Our Abueli­tas Told]

2000

  • Pura Bel­pré Award Medal, Amer­i­can Library Asso­ci­a­tion
    [For Under the Royal Palms]
  • Lau­rate, San Fran­cisco Pub­lic Library

1998

  • Once Upon a World Award, Simon Weisen­thal Cen­ter, Museum of Tol­er­ance, Los Ange­les, Cal­i­for­nia
    [For Gath­er­ing the Sun]

1997

  • Pre­mio Mundial José Martí, Hon­ors, San José, Costa Rica
  • Gold Medal (Folk­lore cat­e­gory), National Asso­ci­a­tion of Par­ent­ing Pub­li­ca­tions
    [For The Lizard and the Sun/La lagar­tija y el sol]

1996

  • Latina Writ­ers Award
  • AEsop Acco­lade from the Amer­i­can Folk­lore Asso­ci­a­tion
    [For Mediopollito/Half-chicken]

1994

  • Par­ents’ Choice Honor Award
    [For Dear Peter Rab­bit]

1991

  • Christo­pher Award Medal
    [For The Gold Coin]

1987

  • Marta Salotti Gold Medal, Inter­na­tional Award for Children’s Lit­er­a­ture, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    [For Encaje de piedra]

1981

  • Sec­ond Prize, Pre­mio Lati­noamer­i­cano de Poesía, Rubén Darío, Casa Nicaragua. (Jury presided by Fer­nando Ale­gría), San Fran­cisco, Cal­i­for­nia.
    [For Cuando el amor se funda en la mirada]

OTHER LITERARY RECOGNITIONS

2006

  • Tales Our Abueli­tas Told:
    • Best Folk­lore in Best Books of the Year, Nick Jr. Fam­ily Magazine
    • Kirkus Best Books, Kirkus Review
    • A Parent’s Choice Rec­om­mended Book
    • Best Books of the Year. Books for a Global Soci­ety SIG – Amer­i­can Library Association

2004

  • ¡Pío Peep!
    • Best Ten Books for Babies, Begin­ning with Books, Cen­ter for Early Literacy
    • Best Book of the Year, Nick Jr. Magazine
    • Media Award, Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media
    • 100 Titles for Read­ing and Shar­ing, New York Pub­lic Library
    • Books of the Year Award, Par­ent­ing Magazines
    • 2 x 2 Read­ing List, Texas Library Association
    • Starred Review, School Library Journal
    • Starred Review, Críticas

2000

  • Under the Royal Palms

    • Best Books of the Year 2000, Amer­i­can Library Association

1997, 1993

  • The Gold Coin, My Name is María Isabel

    • Notable Book in the area of Social Stud­ies by the National Coun­cil of Social Stud­ies and the Children’s Book Council

2006, 1998, 1997

  • Tales our Abueli­tas Told, Under the Royal Palms, Gath­er­ing the Sun

    • Notable Book in the area of Lan­guage Arts
    • Best Books of the Year, Kirkus Review

1997, 1993

  • Gath­er­ing the Sun, Dear Peter Rab­bit, The Gold Coin, My Name is Maria Isabel

    • “Pick of the List,” Amer­i­can Book­sellers Association

1993

  • The rooster who went to his uncle’s wedding

    • One of the Best Books of the Year – Bank Street College