A Library for Juana

From a very young age, Juana In s 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 In s de la Cruz--in order to spend her life in solitude reading and writing. Though she died in 1695, Sor Juana In s 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 Tom s Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, A Library for Juana celebrates Juana In s's incredible thirst for knowledge, and is lovingly written by renowned children's book author Pat Mora and gorgeously illustrated by Beatriz Vidal.