Alma Flor Ada

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#### Biographical Information

Alma Flor Ada is a children’s literature author with an expertise in poetry, folktales, and novels. She writes books in both English and Spanish and has won many notable awards throughout her career. Not only is she a award winning author, she is also a very active member of the bilingual education community and has developed many educational resources. She is also a public speaker and social justice advocate.

Alma was born on January 3, 1938, in Camagüey, Cuba and was raised there up until she completed high school. Growing up Alma enjoyed spending time in nature on the farm, reading, and listening to stories. Alma grew up in a family full of literacy and was surrounded by storytellers, poets, and educators. Some of her most influential story tellers around her were her mom, dad, uncle, and grandma.

Alma has always pursued education and literature throughout her career. She earned a degree in Hispanic Studies from Spain and a PhD in Spanish Literature from Peru. Once receiving her doctorate degree and conducting research at Harvard, Alma became a professor at the University of San Francisco and was the director of The Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. In 1970 Alma moved to the United States with her four children and currently resides in California. She is currently a very influential leader in bilingual education.

#### Themes

* *Language*: Language centers around many of Alma's literary works. Many of her books are available in English and Spanish, and some incorporate both languages. Alma mentions in many books the importance of language and advocates for bilingualism. Most of her work that touches on language deals with the main characters being directly impacted by language in their daily lives.
	+ *My Name is María Isabel + Me llamo María Isabel*
	+ *I Love Saturdays y domingos + Me encantan los Saturdays and Domingos*
* *Culture*: Culture is a major focus in most of Alma's literary work. Most of Alma's works include Latino culture and highlight the traditions and customs that go along with it. Many of her books include celebrations and she has also written books specifically on different celebrations. She takes pride in being bilingual and bicultural and it is demonstrated through her work.
	+ *Family & Friendship*: Intertwined with culture is the theme of family & friendship. A central role in Latino culture, it is emphasized in many of Alma's books.
		- *Dancing Home + Nacer bailando*
		- *Encaje de piedra*
		- *Love, Amalia + Con cariño, Amalia*
		- *I Love Saturdays y domingos + Me encantan los Saturdays and Domingos*
		- *Happy Birthday, Little Red Riding Hood + ¡Feliz cumpleaño, Caperucita Roja*
		- *Dear Peter Rabbit + Querido Pedrín*

* *Social Justice*: Alma's educational resources focus on social justice. She develops resources and materials for teachers in the classroom that center around a curriculum for social justice.
	+ *Authors in the Classroom: A Transformation Education Process* (co-authored with Isabel Campoy)
	+ *A Magical Encounter: Latino Children's Literature in the Classroom*.
	+ Reading programs by Harcourt School Publishers, Macmillan-McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scott Forseman, Santillana, and Frog Street.

#### Writing Style

Alma Flor Ada's writing style is very expansive. Alma has a passion for language and incorporates poetry and rhyming in many of her picture books as well as young adult novels. Alma has written many books based on her real life and stories around her. She is an expert in retelling old folktales as well as nursey rhymes. Aside from her fiction works, Alma is also skilled in writing nonfiction and has published informational texts and educational resources for teachers.

#### Bibliography

Alma has published more than 200 books and won numerous medals. Below are some of the most recent and popular.

* **Christopher Medal** (*The Gold Coin*)
* **Pura Bel­pré Medal** (*Under the Royal Palms*)
* **Once Upon a World** (*Gathering the Sun*)
* **Parents’ Choice Honor** (*Dear Peter Rabbit*)
* **NCSS and CBC** **Notable Book** (*My Name is María Isabel*)
* International Latino Book Award (Love, Amalia; Dancing Home, and Yes! We Are Latinos)
* **Marta Salotti Gold Medal** (*Encaje de piedra*).
* **Virginia Hamilton Award** (2012) in recognition of her body of work for children
* **OHTLI Award** 2014 by the Mexican Government for her services to the Mexican communities in the United States.

#### Criticism:

* Goodreads: Average of 3.9/5
* Amazon: Average of 4.8/5

Although I did not come across any actual criticism on Alma Flor Ada by reputable critiques, it can be mentioned that some of her works may be controversial as they address topics of social justice which may be sensitive to others.

###### Citations:

* https://www.frogstreet.com/about/authors/alma-flor-ada-phd/
* https://www.almaflorada.com/about/biographical-information/
* https://www.colorincolorado.org/videos/meet-authors/alma-flor-ada
* https://latinosinkidlit.com/2015/10/20/alma-flor-ada-always-cuban/
* https://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ada