In the words of judge A.J. Verdelle, “In Everything Begins & Ends at the Kentucky Club, his twentieth published book, Benjamin Alire Sáenz shows how decades working at your craft gives birth to might and mastery … He presents a rendering of reality that is lush, tender, expansive, inclusive and profound. The author takes stunning care with language—English, Spanish, and the languages of sunlight, daylight, dimlight, night light—twisting and tumbling with the whispered language of the human heart. Sáenz also devotes impressive attention to rendering communities on the borders of the United States and Mexico, on the boundaries of sensual and sexual expression, on the edge of despair, and on the cusp of redemption.”
The American Library Association showered author Benjamin Alire Sáenz with awards at its Mid-Winter 2013 conference. His latest young adult novel — Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, published by Simon and Schuster — won the Pura Belpré Award for the best YA novel to celebrate the Latino cultural experience , the Stonewall Award for the best book depicting the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience, and an Honor Book listing from the Printz Award.
For a look at the rest of Ben's oeuvre, click here.
The January 15, 2013 of Shelf Awareness for Readers carried a starred review for Make It, Take It, the debut novel from Rus Bradburd: "Ex-coach Rus Bradburd crafts a spare and intriguing story that illuminates the complex machinations required to stay afloat in the unforgiving world of this high-stakes "amateur" sport. Ironic, acerbic and often distressing, Make It, Take It is fiction, but it feels more authentic than any ESPN documentary … With an ear for the music of leather on hardwood, Bradburd is a fan, no question--but Make It, Take It is both a crisply sardonic tale of frustration and a blistering indictment of the sickness inherent in the business of college basketball."
Join us December 20 for a Make It, Take It Christmas Party @ Cinco Puntos World Headquarters!
Author Rus Bradburd will be signing copies of his witty new novel, Make It, Take It. Buy Rus' book and get it signed, buy great children's books for the kids and the grandkids, talk with friends, drink some wine or beer, eat the cheese and snacks, and the best part? Nearly everything at the store is on sale at 25% off for the holidays!
When: December 20 | 5-7PM
Where: CPP World HQ (701 Texas Avenue in downtown El Paso, TX)
The Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin is unveiling a new exhibit called "Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century." The exhibit seeks to examine the critical role that women played in the state's development. The exhibit highlights the work of women like Barbara Jordan, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Clara Driscoll, and Juanita Craft while also shining a spotlight on books by sixteen Texas authors. One of those books is Keepers of the Earth by the late LaVerne Harrell Clark.
The exhibit runs from December 8, 2012 to May 19, 2013.
The urgency and bravery described in Which Side Are You On? is at once both historic and contemporary ... Author George Ella Lyon, and illustrator Christopher Cardinale, do a masterful job of portraying the historic setting and the unsung heroes of the coal miners’ strikes in the 1920’s and 30’s. And yet, by bringing this era into sharper focus, Lyon and Cardinale bring the realization that folk song is ever relevant in contemporary society. This book showcases a classic example of folk song, while simultaneously providing the context in which this song for social change took root. Social unrest, and the desire for justice, provide fertile ground for the flourishing of folk music as the voice of the oppressed. By describing the development of this song, Lyon and Cardinale remind us of its relevance today.
To read more about Which Side Are You On? The Story of a Song, check out reviews or order your copy today, click here.
We're Austin-bound this weekend for the 2012 Texas Book Festival! Stop by and visit us at booth 310 in the exhibitor tents, located along the west side of the Texas State Capitol on Colorado Street. We'll be there Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-5 with lots of new books to share!
"...there's clearly a shortage of realistic "boy books." Sometimes it feels as if the biggie publishing houses have given up on the coming-of-age male reader."
That's one of CPP's newest authors, Brett Hartman, discussing YA books on his brand-spankin-new website. Click on over to find upcoming book tour dates, read Brett's bio and check out more of the excerpted Q&A.
For the next six weeks, the people of El Paso will be reading Rudolfo Anaya's seminal coming-of-age tale, Bless Me, Ultima, and we want you to join along! The community-wide reading event culminates in the world premiere of the novel's long-awaited film adaptation at the famous Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso on September 17.
To encourage participation, the El Paso Public Library will be raffling off a brand new e-reader every week through the end of September.
You can also check out Anaya's Elegy on the Death of César Chávezhere (hardcover) and here (paperback).
Three of our YA authors will be speaking at the School Library Journal's one-day SummerTeen online conference this Thursday, August 9. You can find them at the Perseus Booth from 3:30-4:30 (EST). To take a sneak-peak at Cadillac Chronicles, the debut novel from Brett Hartman that we'll be discussing, click here.
Beat the summer heat by staying indoors and watching the conference from your home, library or mobile device! Panels include topics like Graphic Novels, Multicultural Reads, and Rockin' Women of YA Lit. Click here to view the full program.
Registration is still open, and the price for students is only $9.95! Click here to register.
Remember to follow along on twitter at: #sljSummerTeen
In the search for the perfect book cover, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Bobby Byrd and designer Antonio Castro walked across the bridge to the one and only Kentucky Club on Avenida Juárez to find some inspiration. And to down a Bohemia or two. Check out the video below, shot at the famous watering hole, to hear what Ben has to say about the dark nature of the stories in his upcoming collection, Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club.
NBC Latino features Xavier Garza's Lucha Libre as one of five extraordinary Latino-inspired books for boys. We are reminded, "This is a really fun book for little lucha libre fans."
New Mexico’s favorite storyteller brings his bilingual blend of ghost stories, coyote yarns, and tall tales back to the Wheelwright Museum! Joe has delighted Santa Fe families for a generation with imaginative journeys through the Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures of the Southwest. If you're in the Santa Fe area this summer we highly recommend celebrating Joe's 30th year telling tales at the Wheelwright.
Joe will be sharing some of his most beloved stories every Saturday and Sunday evening starting at 7pm, from July 21-August 12. Admission is FREE!
For more about the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, click here.
Click here to buy Joe's latest collection of bilingual folk tales, The Coyote Under the Table.
Lee and Bobby have stacks of new books at ALA Annual in Anaheim this week! Find them at booth #2567. Author and illustrator Xavier Garza will also be on hand to celebrate his Pura Belpré Honor BookMaximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel.
From book signings to panel discussions to the big Pura Belpré Celebratiòn, check out this blog post for all Cinco Puntos events at ALA.
On the heels of this week's recall election in Wisconsin, we invite Governor Scott Walker to read Which Side Are You On? — the story of a song which was written in 1931 by Florence Reece in a rain of bullets. It has been sung by people fighting for their rights all over the world.
Come on all you good workers!
For more on Which Side Are You on? The Story of a Song click here.
CPP author Beto O'Rourke unseated 8-term incumbent Silvestre Reyes in the 16th Congressional District primary Tuesday night here in El Paso. The race was called at 12:45 a.m., with Beto bringing in 50.4 percent of the votes.
"El Paso will make what many believe is one of the most important decisions in borderland political history: Reyes or O'Rourke" —Darren Hunt, KVIA
CP author Beto O'Rourke goes head-to-head with incumbent Sylvestre Reyes in this Congressional debate via ABC 7 (watch the video here. They discuss Beto's take on ending marijuana prohibition, and his book, Dealing Death and Drugs, at 14:30).
The 16th Congressional district primary is just days away (May 29) and right now the race is looking close, with recent polls showing Beto in the lead. If you live in El Paso, remember to get out and VOTE!
Were she alive today, songstress and activist Florence Reece would be turning a grand 112 years old!
The Zinn Education Project honors her memory today with two wonderful posts—click here to check out their facebook page and to view an amazing image of Reece singing on stage with folk legend Pete Seeger.
To learn more about Reece and the book Which Side Are You On? The Story of a Song based on the classic folk tune she penned while under a hale of bullets, click here.
Cinco Puntos Press is proud to honor the work of El día de los niños / El día de los libros, its founders and supporters, by discounting our children’s books for libraries throughout the country who are participating in this important program. Our catalog is filled with books, many in English and Spanish, that have the potential to delight, edify and entertain children of all ages, books that will give them a mirror into their own culture or a window into the cultures of other kids. All our books represent the work of dedicated authors, editors, and designers who have worked hard to make books that offer a combination of singular content, appealing presentation and lasting value.
Congratulations to Sheila Black, a recipient of the 2012 Witter Bynner Fellowship, selected by Poet Laureate Philip Levine. Commending Black on her work, Levine said, “She is a consummate poet of memory who seems able to inhabit all the various women she is and has been. The loves and losses of the child, the young woman and the mother are present in these rich lyrics and storied poems. Hers is a poetry of feeling, and the whole panoply of emotions—from love to rage—is present and earned.”
With heavy hearts we say goodbye to beloved artist and storyteller Anthony Horton, who spent the greater part of his life living and surviving in the secret underground tributaries of the NYC subway system. In 2008, we were lucky enough to publish his and Youme Landowne's graphic novel, Pitch Black - Don't Be Skerd, the story of Anthony's life underground. The New York Times wrote up a touching story on Anthony here: A Fiery End of a Life Lived Beneath the City. Rest in Peace, Anthony.
Just got back from a long weekend at the ALA's Midwinter Meetup in Dallas where Cinco Puntos authors were awarded three honors by the prestigious organization.
"The story is a good and important one, and it is well told for an elementary-school audience...Cardinale’s folksy, woodcut-style paintings include several memorable images."
"[BEAUTY IS A VERB] is going to be one of the defining collections of the 21st century–and let’s hope it doesn’t take nearly half a century for us all to recognize it."—Ron Silliman, Wednesday, September 21, 2011
"I have a four-year-old son who’s bi-racial (Lao-Ethiopian). I read him this book about Mali’s journey; and in a surprising & sweet, innocent way, my son started asking me about war, about why Mali had to leave her country. It was a special bonding moment for my son & me, for me to have the opportunity to educate/teach him about his daddy’s own journey to America. I was born in Vientiane, and spent 14 months in Nong Khai Refugee camp before coming to America."
The publishing world is already buzzing about our new poetry anthology, Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability! Calling the collection, "unusual and powerful," Publishers Weekly gave the book a spot on its Top Ten list of Poetry Books for fall.
A ground-breaking anthology that brings fresh understanding to the American experience of disability and its poetry, these poems and essays reflect on the body’s fragility, the commodification of the body, and the very nature of beauty and function.
Edited by Jennifer Bartlett, Sheila Black and Michael Northen, Beauty is a Verb is due out this September, but you can get a first look at excerpts, hear from the writers and more when you follow the anthology's facebook page.
For the full list of contributors and to take a closer look at Susan Austin's magical cover art, click here.
Everyone's favorite counting book, Juanito Counts to Ten / Johnny cuenta hasta diez has been chosen as Library Media Connection's Editor's Choice 2011 in the Spanish Language/Bilingual category!
Written by Cinco Puntos' own Lee Byrd and illustrated by Francisco Delgado, follow along as Johnny counts the kisses he gives his loving family in this counting book for early readers.
Want to see more colorful illustrations and read more about the book Kirkus Reviews calls "a winning story of love of family and friends"? Click here.
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez's Patterson Prize-winning debut novel is the perfect summer read... and now it's beach-bag-ready in all its paperback glory!
Public school dual langage programs are notoriously under-funded, and with the 15th anniversary of El Día de los niños/El Día de los libros fast approaching, SpanglishBaby’s co-founder, Roxana A. Soto knew the perfect way to help. "We know of several Spanish teachers who have to bring books from their own home libraries to share with their students because they have no budget to grow their school's bilingual libraries. We want to try to change that."
Don't wait! The contest ends May 15th! For guidelines and rules, click here.
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
6:30 to 8 PM
Busboys and Poets - 14th St.
Washington DC 20009
Teaching for Change's Busboys and Poets Bookstore welcomes Christopher Cardinale, illustrator of Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush (written by Luis Alberto Urrea) and Matt Dembicki, editor of and a contributing illustrator to Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection to discuss and sign their books, Mr. Medoza's Paintbrush and Trickster.
Dembicki and Cardinale will be joined by other contributors to Trickster. Co-sponsored by DC Conspiracy, Cinco Puntos Press, Fulcrum Pubishing and Teaching for Change.
In anticipation of J.L. Powers' newest YA novel, This Thing Called the Future due out this spring, we're releasing the first five chapters now! Set in modern-day South Africa, the story follows Khosi, a 14-year-old girl faced with a slew of extraordinary circumstances: from a supernatural stalking to losing a loved one to AIDS.
"A great achievement by J.L. Powers."—Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner
To read the beginning of the book and learn more about This Thing Called the Future click here.
Tim Tingle's true story of growing up Choctaw, Saltypie, received an honor in the Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners category, while Joe Hayes' tall tale The Gum Chewing Rattler won an honor in the stories for Young Listeners category. In the Stories for Adolescent listeners, Joe's DVD version of the classic scary story La Llorona was honored.
Look for these stories (along with the rest of this year's winners and honors) in the April/May issue of Storytelling Magazine/Storytelling World.
Today, December 7, marks the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, "a date which will live in infamy," ...Seven decades later infamy lives on, stealing childhoods, families, homes, lives. Now as another year comes to a close, we pray for peace... again and again... again and again... Mali Under the Night Skyis another hopeful, urgent prayer.
Terry Hong, writer for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program, gave Youme Landowne's Mali Under the Night Sky a rave review in today's Book Dragon. To read the rest, click here.
To find out more about Mali Under the Night Sky and order your copy today, click here.
Get the scoop on the new edition, what award-winning journalist Terrance Poppa thinks about U.S. drug prohibition, and how he gained access to the most dangerous man in Mexico.
Cinco Puntos Holiday Hours
(through December) :
9am to 5:30pm Mon - Fri
9am to 2pm on Saturdays
Closed Christmas Day &
New Year's Day
Still can't make it? Give Lee Byrd a call at 915-412-7349 and we'll try to work with your schedule to find a time for you to shop. We're located at 701 Texas Ave in downtown El Paso.
A Laotian girl's life takes a cruel turn in this haunting yet hopeful tale...
Congrats to writer and illustrator Youme Landown for the great review in Publishers Weekly. The magazine calls Mali's tale of growing up amidst civil war in Laos (based on the true story of artist Malichansouk Kouanchao) "a deeply felt and gently told story."
To read the full review or to find out more about Mali Under the Night Sky click here.
Set in Rosario, Mexico, this tale of a moralizing muralist was first published in Urrea's collection of short stories, Six Kinds of Sky, and was later adapted as a graphic novel with the help of illustrator Christopher Cardinale.
Benjamin Sáenz will be on Saturday morning's Border Writers / Border Readers Panel from 8 to 9:15AM, while Joe Hayes will be telling tales on Saturday night, from 8 to 10PM at Swapping Ground: An Evening of Storytelling located in the Yacht & Beach Club / Hampton Room. Meanwhile you can find the folks from Cinco Puntos throughout the convention at booth 212.
This year's theme is Teachers and Students Together: Living Literate Lives. The National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention runs from Thursday, November 18 to Sunday, November 21 in Orlando, Florida.
California Readers is the state's premier reading and school library advocacy group. Saltypie is one of 41 books added to the list this year.
Each year a California Readers' committee reviews over 1,500 titles, selecting 100 fiction and nonfiction books that they believe will create balanced school library collections and support classroom curricula. The books are judged for general excellence in their genre and their appeal to children and young adults.
Lone Star Noir, edited by Cinco Puntos’ own father-son team Bobby and John Byrd, is now available here. The Anthology features over a dozen hard-boiled noir tales (quite a few penned by Cinco Puntos alums) covering the dusty Texas landscape.
Click here to check out the reviews and order a signed copy today.
In May 2010, Cinco Puntos Press published Ilan Stavan's Cesar Chavez: A Photographic Essay, a book of photos depicting the life and work of labor leader Cesar Chavez. To accompany an excerpted group of photos from that book, NPR producer Felix Contreras conducted an interview with his father, Luis Contreras, about the elder Contreras’ early life as a member of a migrant farm worker family.
On September 1, 2010, PEN Center USA announced the results of its 2010 Literary Awards. Cinco Puntos is proud that the organization honored Benjamin Saenz as a finalist in the Children’s/Young Adult Literature category for his YA novel Last Night I Sang to the Monster. Other finalists were Kate DiCamillo and Liz Garton Scanlon. The category winner was Paul Fleischman.
We’re delighted that TeachingBooks.net, one of the most interesting and enterprising online educational programs that Cinco Puntos has collaborated with in the promotion of literacy, has featured Cinco Puntos Press authors JOE HAYES and TIM TINGLE. Do yourself a favor and take a free ride at TeachingBooks.net and listen to these two master storytellers.
The Bloomsbury Review features Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush in a two-column call-out box in its Summer 2010 issue. Of the graphic novel, Bloomsbury says, "Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush is a rich gift…Urrea and Cardinale are a “match made in heaven.” Indeed.
Cinco Puntos is exhibiting at the American Library Association's Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. from June 25-28. If you are attending, please stop by the Cinco Puntos booth (#2833) to visit with authors Joe Hayes and Benjamin Alire Sáenz, artist Christopher Cardinale, and to nibble on a cookie from our favorite El Paso bakery, Gussie's Tamales.
Click here for a full schedule of Cinco Puntos events at ALA.
Here's a rare treat for New York fans. On April 28, Word Books in Brooklyn is hosting a release party for Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush, the new graphic novel by Luis Alberto Urrea and artist Christopher Cardinale. In the years that Christopher and Luis have worked on this wonderful book, they have been in the same city at the same time exactly twice. The opportunity to have the two of them together to celebrate their book was so enticing that Cinco Puntos arranged to have an advance shipment of Mr. Mendoza’s Paintbrush available for Word. If you miss this event, there will not be another opportunity to buy this book until June. This really is a unique chance to meet the book’s collaborators.
Cinco Puntos Press is proud to honor the work of El día de los niños / El día de los libros, its founders and supporters, by discounting our children’s books for libraries throughout the country who are participating in this important program. Our catalog is filled with books, many in English and Spanish, that have the potential to delight, edify and entertain children of all ages, books that will give them a mirror into their own culture or a window into the cultures of other kids. All our books represent the work of dedicated authors, editors, and designers who have worked hard to make books that offer a combination of singular content, appealing presentation and lasting value.
To see a list of our titles and an order form, please click here. These specially discounted prices are only for libraries participating in the 2010 El día de los niños / El día de los libros and are not to be used for collection development. Quantity purchases of at least 75 books are required. If you have any questions, please contact us at (915) 838-1625 or fax to (915) 838-1635.
Cinco Puntos will be attending the 2nd Tucson Festival of Books this weekend March 13th and 14th on the campus of the University of Arizona. Three CPP authors will be featured—Tim Tingle, Tom Miller and Luis Alberto Urrea—each with new titles from Cinco Puntos Press (see below). Please go to our blog or the Tucson Festival of Books site for more detailed information about performance times and places. Co-publisher Bobby Byrd will be at the booth with long-time CPP employee Mary Fountaine (aka Cactus Mary, the soapmaker).
Poet and novelist Benjamin Alire Sáenz will be the guest speaker for the Friends of the El Paso Downtown Public Library at the Downtown Library, 501 N. Oregon. Ben will be reading from his latest YA novel Last Night I Sang to the Monster, a book which is receiving starred reviews and is being considered for prestigious national awards.
Poets and Writers Magazine recently named Sáenz one of the 50 Most Inspiring Writers of Our Time. He teaches at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has received the Wallace Stegner Fellowship, the Lannan Fellowship and an American Book Award. Still, with all this fanfare, he calls himself a fronterizo, a person of the border. The Border region is his home, the place where his imagination is rooted.
Cinco Puntos Press is open this holiday season from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday. If you're in town and visiting, be sure to drop by our very colorful store at 701 Texas Avenue, just five blocks east of the heart of downtown. We've got great discounts on books, including the marvelous holiday classic, CHARRO CLAUS AND THE TEJAS KID, the wonderful story of Santa's Mexican cousin. It's bilingual! Cactus Mary and her desert-fragrant soaps are here too.
Joe Hayes’ Dance, Nana, Dance has won the 2009 Aesop Award! Given annually by the American Folklore Society, the coveted award recognizes outstanding new books of folklore for children and young adults.
In their award letter, the Aesop committee said, “…Please convey [the committee’s] congratulations to Joe Hayes and Mauricio Trenard Sayago on this outstanding bilingual work of Cuban folktales. With a style that captures the rhythmic pulse of the Cuban way of life, the vibrant storytelling in this collection of tales by Joe Hayes will delight Spanish-speaking and English-speaking children alike.
The accurate translation builds familiarity in reading and expressing ideas in a second language. The colorful illustrations reflect the warmth of Cuban folk art. We hope that this anthology will inspire young readers to gain great awareness of Cuban cultural sensibilities.”
The El Paso Public Library’s fourth annual Great Southwest Bookfair is happening on October 31st at the Main Library in downtown El Paso. This year, the festival features three Cinco Puntos authors—Joe Hayes, Xavier Garza and Claudia Martinez. The event is FREE and open to the public. Mark it on your calendar. It’s a wonderful chance to enjoy performances by these and other fine authors.
Where: The auditorium at the Main Library. 501 N. Oregon
For more information: call 543-5466 or click here.
Teachers and librarians, send an email to info@cincopuntos.com to receive a full-color, printable event poster for your classroom or library.
In an interview with Steve Bennett, Cynthia Weill (the author) said “The books are aimed at three audiences: kids, people interested in folk art and educators. I want a teacher to be able to use the books not only for concepts but also to educate about Mexican culture. I am also hoping that these books bring recognition to the artisans and Oaxaca's amazing folk arts. Handicrafts are an important livelihood for families in the poorest state in Mexico."
Kirkus Reviews gives it a glowing review in its August 15, 2009 issue:
"Sáenz' poetic narrative will captivate readers from the first sentence to the last paragraph of this beautifully written novel, which explores the painful journey of an adolescent through the labyrinth of addiction and alcoholism. It is also a celebration of life and a song of hope in celebration of family and friendship, one that will resonate loud and long with teens."
Kirkus gives Benjamin Alire Sáenz' upcoming YA novel Last Night I Sang to the Monster a glowing review in its August 15, 2009, issue. The novel publishes in September 2009.
"Sáenz' poetic narrative will captivate readers from the first sentence to the last paragraph of this beautifully written novel, which explores the painful journey of an adolescent through the labyrinth of addiction and alcoholism. It is also a celebration of life and a song of hope in celebration of family and friendship, one that will resonate loud and long with teens."
"These incantations were dreamed by Mayan women in the Highlands of Chiapas in southern Mexico," writes Ambar Past in her introduction. "The Tzotzil authors of this anthology claim their spells and songs were given to them by their ancestors, the First Fathermothers, who keep the Great Book in which all words are written down." Everything about this book is saturated; the ink is dark, the words look rich and thick on the pages. On the cover, the face of Kaxail, Mayan goddess of the wilderness, appears simple and complex, childlike and wise. An incantation for a newborn girl by Rosa Xulemho is characteristically simple and evocative: "When you grow up, / when you can speak, / you will work in the cornfield, / you will weave, / you will earn money / 'to buy your salt."
The baby is given the tools of women's work: a spindle, carding combs, weaving sticks, a grinding stone and a tumpline for carrying firewood. Weaving, cooking, making love and dancing are the most common subjects. "The force of the word can cure or kill," Past explains. The soul can be made to wander off from the body. There are portals to the Underworld. Each person has an animal companion, or "wayhel," "a word grown from the root (way) of the verbs to sleep and to dream." It's a witchy book. Be careful.
José Lozano’s cool alliterative riffs on the alphabet and his wacky drawings combine la cutura del barrio with Mr. Rogers smarts to make for a wonderful read-aloud ABC book in Spanish and English. So take a stroll around the block in José’s neighborhood—or, as they might say it in Spanish, una vuelta a la manzana, a turn around the apple. So, listen up to this little bit of gossip he has to say about Benito when he passes his house:
B is for Benito who loves baseball, bumblebees and big bean burritos. His Uncle Bobby gave Benito a bugle for his birthday. Benito blows his bugle so loud even Aunt Betty can hear it ten houses away.
This book is so cool it will make you want to practice the alphabet in your own ‘hood—in Spanish and English!
Sometimes we get so caught up in reading, designing, discussing, thinking about and producing new books that we forget to look back at what we’ve done. It’s a way of looking that we were taught called, “eating your work”—we chew over the highlights and heartbreaks in the production, and sometimes the heart failures that came with missed deadlines or a typo that wasn’t caught. Then we always think about how proud we are of each book, and of what the author accomplished in imagining and then writing that particular book. We do a little bragging, because we do so love to brag about the books that Cinco Puntos publishes.
"Since 1985, this family-owned and–operated indie publishing house has been churning out fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books on social justice issues around the world. The crayon-bright storefront has a stellar selection of hardbacks and paperbacks. Kiddos can learn the alphabet with ABeCedarios, a bilingual look at the ABC’s through Mexican folk art, and adults can brush up on U.S./Mexico relations with David Dorado Romo’s Ringside Seat to a Revolution." —Texas Monthly
The Américas Award seeks to bring attention to children's books that authentically portray the cultural heritage of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latinos in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs.
Cinco Puntos is selling books at the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend. It should be a beautiful weekend at the UCLA campus. If you are in the neighborhood, come visit us at Booth #347.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. The festival is free, but you will have to pay to park on campus.
Both of these books will be for sale at the LA Times Festival of Books on the campus of UCLA—where we’re headed on Friday. It should be a beautiful weekend at the UCLA campus. If you are in the neighborhood, come visit us at Booth #347.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. The festival is free, but you will have to pay to park on campus.
This new collection of Joe’s, collected from his many visits to Cuba, received the The Ninth Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award! Another winning title from Joe Hayes!
We just got back from the first annual Tucson Book Festival. It was a huge success. We’re heading out to the Texas Library Association (TLA) in Houston April 1-3, where Joe Hayes will be presenting at the Opening Author Session Luncheon on April 1 with Attica Locke and Jon Scieszka. Come visit us in Booth 1652.
The new show Lie To Me on ____ has featured some images from our book Vatos! You can see the photographs from Vatos on the prison wall within the first few minutes of the show. You can watch it free here at hulu.com
Cinco Puntos Press is proud to honor the work of El día de los niños / El día de los libros, its founders and supporters, by discounting our children’s books for libraries throughout the country who are participating in this important program. Our catalog is filled with books, many in English and Spanish, that have the potential to delight, edify and entertain children of all ages, books that will give them a mirror into their own culture or a window into the cultures of other kids. All our books represent the work of dedicated authors, editors, and designers who have worked hard to make books that offer a combination of singular content, appealing presentation and lasting value.
To see a list of our titles and an order form, please click here. These specially discounted prices are only for libraries participating in the 2009 El día de los niños / El día de los libros and are not to be used for collection development. Quantity purchases of at least 75 books are required. If you have any questions, please contact us at (915) 838-1625 or fax to (915) 838-1635.
Lee and Bobby Byrd
Cinco Puntos Press
¡Happy Diá!
Click the below link to view our catalog and order form.
Congratulations to Youme Landowne and Anthony Horton! Their book PITCH BLACK: DON'T BE SKERD was selected as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2008 by the YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) of the American Library Association at their annual Mid-Winter conference in Denver.
PITCH BLACK is a collaboration between Youme and Anthony, and is Youme’s second book.
To watch a video of Youme talking about Pitch Black, please go to our Cinco Puntos Press blog. Youme was at our booth at the 2009 Midwinter American Library Association Conference before we knew that her book was a prize-winner.
Gr 4-8–An excellent resource for storytellers, these 13 bilingual folktales by award-winning Hayes introduce readers to Cuban classics. [Críticas, 11/1/2008; STARRED]
Renowned Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle will be telling stories at the Downtown Public Library in El Paso on Sunday afternoon, January 25 at 2pm. His visit is sponsored by the Friends of the Downtown Public Library and by Cinco Puntos Press.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Tim's books, Walking the Choctaw Road and Crossing Bok Chitto will be available for sale. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Tim's books will go to the Friends of the Downtown Public Library.
Looking for unique gifts that will remind your friends and family of the Southwest and the U.S/Mexico border?
The books at Cinco Puntos will give your gift list all the savory flavors and colors of our part of the world. Guaranteed! Click on the news title or here for some suggestions.
Crossing Bok Chitto has been chosen by the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America program for American Indian Heritage Month. NEA has partnered with Kidthing to present a free book each month to readers. For November, Crossing Bok Chitto is available for FREE to download.
Cinco Puntos is proud to announce the release of Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid by writer and illustrator Xavier Garza. Xavier's artwork bubbles with kinetic excitement for the story of Vincent's wild Christmas ride.
Just arrived from the printer: Joe Hayes' Dance, Nana, Dance / Baila, Nana, Baila. This beautiful collection of Cuban folktales will become a classic like his others: The Day It Snowed Tortillas and Watch Out for Clever Women.
The upcoming bilingual children's book, A Perfect Season for Dreaming, has received not one but two Starred Reviews!
"Young readers will enjoy its structure, numbers and playful dreams, while more sophisticated readers—and even adults—will find reasons to return to it again and again." —Kirkus Reviews
Claudia Martinez, author of The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, will be interviewed on Pacifica Radio’s Nuestra Palabra program. The interview will air live on Tuesday, August 19 at 7:30 pm CST. You can stream the interview here.
The American Indian Library Association (AILA) awarded Crossing Bok Chitto the 2008 American Indian Youth Literature Award for the Best Picture Book. Congratulations to Tim Tingle and Jeanne Rorex Bridges. Pictured with Tim are Sherman Alexie who received the YA award for his novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Chief Joseph Medicine Crow who received the middle-school award for his memoir Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond. The award ceremony took place at the annual American Library Association Convention in Anaheim.
Susan Gonzales Abraham and Denise Gonzales Abraham will be speaking at the 2008 Santa Fe Writers Conference. The conference is from July 21 to July 25 and features a variety of women writers. Don’t miss this great opportunity! You can find more information and sign up here.
Publishers Weekly follows Kirkus in giving a strong review to our latest hit, Little Zizi.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: Wry but always empathic, Lenain brings a novelistic depth to [the] story…for sheer storytelling talent, there's no doubt: Lenain and Poulin are definitely well endowed.
Co-author of The Bee Tree, Stephen Buchmann will be a featured guest author at this years Ann Arbor Book Festival. The festival will be held from Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18, 2008. (Visit the festival's website for more details.)
Stephen is an expert in bee conservation and pollination and will be giving several talks, workshops and book signings at the festival. Don't miss out!
The blog will have news about our books and bring our readers general news and comments about the very interesting world of independent publishing. We hope you will read the blog and comment when you have the urge.
"I find this whimsical, irreverent, haunting voice compulsively readable. In fact, I breezed through the whole book in one sitting, and then read parts of it again...Trust me: you're in for a treat."—Powell's Books blog
Join publisher and poet Bobby Byrd, Harvey Goldner's two daughters Emily and Amy and Seattle poetry luminaries—Arnie Pihl, Chris Dusterhoff, Chrysta Casey, David Fewster, Brian McGuigan, Maged Zaher, J. Glenn Evans and others—to celebrate Harvey’s selected poems The Resurrection of Bert Ringold from Cinco Puntos Press.
For more information contact the Elliott Bay Bookstore at (206) 624-6600 or call Cinco Puntos at (915) 838-1625.
The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is pleased to announce Crossing Bok Chitto as the recipient of its American Indian Youth Literature Award for best picture book!
Everyone loves a classic Joe Hayes' folktale! Check out his latest kids' book: The Gum-Chewing Rattler Who can resist this dangerous desert tale with an ending full of pink bubble gum?!!
Care for something older and more frightGhost Fever / Mal de Fantasma is a bilingual chapter book which won the Texas Bluebonnet award in 2007.
Cinco Puntos Press will be open this Saturday, December 22, from 9 to 5 pm. In fact, we'll be open for business Monday through Saturday until Christmas! Check out this map for directions to our building.
ALL our titles are discounted! We offer gift wrapping and shipping to help you get your presents out on time.
The Texas Library Association’s (TLA) Bluebonnet Selection Committee has just announced its Master List for 2008-09. And we are delighted that Crossing Bok Chitto—written by Tim Tingle and illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges—is on that list. Such wonderful news for such a wonderful book. Please click here to find out more about Crossing Bok Chitto. To see the complete 2008-09 Master List, click here.
The skeletons of the dead are dancing all through Cinco Puntos' bilingual children's books...don't miss a fun scare!
Celebrate Día de los Muertos and Halloween with some classic folktales from the famous storyteller Joe Hayes or a charming Festival of Bones with Luis San Vicente.
Harvey Goldner (1942-2007), known as “The Bard of Belltown" in Seattle, died early morning on July 4th in Seattle, WN.
Click here to read his obituary in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and here to read Bobby Byrd's Blog about Harvey. Cinco Puntos is publishing his collection The Resurrection of Bert Ringold in October.
We are broken-hearted that he won't see his new book which we all love. May he rest in peace.
ALA (American Library Association) Notable Children's Book 2007
Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book
Oklahoma Book Award for Best Illustrations, 2007
Oklahoma Book Award for Best Children's Book, 2007
Anne Izard's Storytellers' Choice Award
Paterson Prize
Skipping Stones Honor Book
Teddy Award, Texas Writers League, 2005
Texas Institute of Letters Best Children's Book of 2006
The Texas Library Association has announced that Joe Hayes has won the 2007 Bluebonnet Award. Joe joins a prestigious pantheon of writers who have also received the Bluebonnet. Former winners include Kate DiCamillo, Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary.
Joe won the Bluebonnet with Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma, a bilingual middle reader which is written the same way he likes to tell his stories—in two languages.
This is the first time that a bilingual book has won the Bluebonnet.
Texas school children vote each year to select the winner of the Texas Bluebonnet award. This year 170,000 children participated in the voting; 23,580 of those children selected Ghost Fever/Mal de Fantasma as their favorite book.
Congratulations to Tim Tingle and Jeanne Rorex Bridges!
The American Library Association has listed Crossing Bok Chitto on their Notable Children's Books list for 2007!
Other awards and starred reviews Crossing Bok Chitto has been awarded are:
Teddy Award, Texas Writers League, 2005
Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly
Starred Review, Booklist
Editor's Choice, The New York Times Book Review
We apologize for any inconveniences you may experience. Cinco Puntos is currently upgrading our website.
If you have ANY problems at all please email us at info@cincopuntos.com or call us at 1-800-566-9072. If you report a verified problem, we will gladly give you a deeper discount on your order.
Unfortunately we were not able to transfer our customer accounts to our new, upgraded website. All customers, as well as returning customers will need to create a brand new account and enter all their contact and billing information. We greatly apologize for the inconvenience.
"Young readers will enjoy its structure, numbers and playful dreams, while more sophisticated readers—and even adults—will find reasons to return to it again and again." —Kirkus Reviews
