More Than a Dozen American Reading Company Authors and Illustrators of Authentic Spanish Titles Awarded the Heralded Premio Campoy-Ada Recognition from Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española

Blue Bell, PA – April 12, 2021 – American Reading Company (ARC) is proud to announce four authentic Spanish books (including an anthology) published through ARC Press, its publishing arm cataloging more than 500 books in English and Spanish, has received the Premio Campoy-Ada recognition from Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (ANLE).  

In consonance with its commitment to defend and foster the use of the Spanish language in all its authentic variations, ANLE’s Campoy-Ada award, named in honor of two of its members, national authors Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada, recognizes works in the field of children’s and youth literature that stand out for the originality of their idea, and their artistic and literary achievement. 

The following ARC Press books, authors and illustrators were awarded:  

NARRATIVA JUVENIL 

• Lucía M. Sánchez (editor), – Tres Eran Tres: Cuentos inspirados en el folclore latino 

• Gema Sanchez – El Pájaro Verde 

• McKinley Baker, Illustrator 

• Maru Gonzalez – Ye'kamaru, la constructora de sueños

• Li Liu, Illustrator  

• Camila Quintana Author and Illustrator – El regalo de la araña 

• Katherine Aliano Ruiz – Valeria y los tres hermanos 

• McKinley Baker, Illustrator 

BIOGRAFÍA INFANTIL – Mención de honor 

• Authors Mario Palma & Raul Reyes – Roberto Clemente: Dando oportunidades a los latinoamericanos 

• Illustrator Chris Uribe 

LIBROS INFORMATIVOS – Mención de honor 

• Diana Espinal – Tortugas laúd en peligro 

• Designers Gema Sanchez and Nick Beato 

Commenting on this esteem honor, Lucía M. Sánchez, VP of Spanish and Multilingual Programs, American Reading Company said, “I speak for myself and every member of our team when I say that we are beyond grateful for this incredible recognition. From the beginning, our mission has been to have books that reflect all perspectives, with an emphasis on the experiences of Latinx, African Americans, Asian Americans, and First Nations Peoples, as well as people of all classes and gender identities. Our truly diverse team of writers craft original stories in their own voices, proudly representing those who are typically missing from children’s literature. Where we see a need, we fill it, creating narratives, in word and images, in which readers can genuinely see themselves and their families. It is an honor to be recognized for this work.”  

“American Reading Company has undeniably the smartest, hardest working, and dedicated team of writers and illustrators,” said Jane Hileman, CEO, ARC. She continued, “this award underscores our efforts to support multilingualism and bi-literacy by ensuring our districts and schools, who are the leaders in this effort, have the resources they need to educate and inspire.” 

American Reading Company hosted a private virtual event celebrating the award with renowned authors F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada on June 2, 2021.  

Watch the video here.

About American Reading Company 

American Reading Company is a diverse, mission-driven organization that works to ensure every student is reading on or above grade level in more than 5,320 schools and 1,070 districts nationwide. Headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, ARC employs more than 250 people nationwide. The team works collaboratively to strengthen district and school capacity at every level by placing literacy and agency at the heart of school transformation through: 

• Thematic Inquiry Core Curriculum

• K–12 Reading Instruction and Assessment 

• Teacher and Leader Learning 

• Expertly Curated Classroom Libraries 

 As a result, all students using ARC’s programs read, write, discuss, think, investigate, and solve problems at ever-increasing levels of proficiency. Their academic performance is accelerated, and their life prospects are fundamentally improved. 

 About ARC Press 

ARC Press, the publishing arm of American Reading Company, creates content-rich, engaging titles on a variety of science and social studies topics and in a variety of literary genres, filling gaps for rigorous, diverse text across levels. All ARC Press titles are published in both English and Spanish.