A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés

An award-winning biography about the inspiring life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

From a very young age, Juana Inés loved words. When she was three years old, she followed her sister to school and begged the teacher to let her stay so she could learn how to read. Juana enjoyed poring over books and was soon making up her own stories, songs, and poems.

Juana wanted to become a scholar, but career options for women were limited at this time. She decided to become a nun--Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz--in order to spend her life in solitude reading and writing. Though she died in 1695, Sor Juana Inés is still considered one of the most brilliant writers in Mexico's history: her poetry is recited by schoolchildren throughout Mexico and is studied at schools and universities around the world.

The recipient of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, A Library for Juana celebrates Juana Inés's incredible thirst for knowledge, and is lovingly written by renowned children's book author Pat Mora and gorgeously illustrated by Beatriz Vidal.

Pat Mora is the celebrated Latina author of forty award-winning children's poetry and prose picture books. A lifelong literacy advocate, she founded Children's Day, Book Day (El día de los niños, el día de los libros) to celebrate children and motivate them to become readers with daily support from families, teachers, and librarians and annual festivities on April 30. Mora lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit her online at patmora.com.

Beatriz Vidal is an award-winning painter and illustrator, whose titles include Marti's Song for Freedom/Marti y sus versos por la libertad from Lee & Low Books. Her artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world, including the International Exhibition of Illustrations for Children in Italy and the Society of Illustrators in New York. Vidal divides her time between New York City and Buenos Aires, Argentina. You can visit her online at beatrizvidal.com.