Pam Muñoz Ryan Wins 2021 Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award For “Mañanaland”

The Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award honors children’s literature that best exemplifies the ideals of social action and encourages young readers to become agents of change themselves by standing up to injustice. The Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award will be formally presented to Muñoz Ryan on May 20, 2021, at the 14th Annual Upstanders Book Award Ceremony. The ceremony will be held virtually from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (PT). Register for the live presentation and conversation at news.antioch.edu/upstanders-award.

“An Upstander is a person or a group who chooses to take a positive stand and act on behalf of themselves and others. This award honors literature that encourages readers to take that risk and stand up for something they believe in,” said Dr. J. Cynthia McDermott, Chair of Antioch University Los Angeles’ Education Department. “Pam Muñoz Ryan exemplifies an Upstander in all her work. We are honored to present her with this award.”

In Mañanaland, Muñoz Ryan weaves an entrancing tale of courage and self-discovery. Córdoba loves stories, especially the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow. If Max could see tomorrow, he would know if he’d make Santa Maria’s celebrated fútbol team and whether he’d ever meet his mother, who disappeared when he was a baby. He longs to know more about her, but Papá won’t talk. So when Max uncovers a buried family secret—involving an underground network of guardians who lead people fleeing a neighboring country to safety—he decides to seek answers on his own. With a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo’s legend as his only guides, he sets out on a perilous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds. This timeless tale of struggle, hope, and the search for tomorrow has much to offer today about compassion and our shared humanity.
                              
“We are preparing children to meet not only their neighborhood, but a much broader existence, filled with people from all walks of life, who speak many languages, whose families originated from many different countries and cultures,” said Pam Muñoz Ryan. “We can’t always just look at someone—at their countenance, their clothing, or the color of their skin—and comprehend their life experience. We often have to first hear a person’s story before the seeds of understanding take hold.”

Pam Muñoz Ryan is the recipient of the Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize for her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo, and the NEA’s Human and Civil Rights Award and the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for multicultural literature for her body of work. Her celebrated novels, Echo, Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi Léon, and Paint the Wind, have received countless accolades, among them two Pura Belpré Awards, a NAPPA Gold Award, a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and two Américas Awards.

Photo Credit: Mike Brown

About Antioch University

Antioch University was founded and incorporated in 1852 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Its first President was Horace Mann, the father of public education in the United States. Antioch’s mission is to provide learner-centered education to empower students with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, economic, and environmental justice. Antioch University is a national university that includes campuses in Yellow Springs, OH; Keene, NH; Los Angeles; Santa Barbara; and Seattle as well as low residency or remote programs such as the Graduate School of Leadership and Change and Antioch University Online. It enrolls approximately 3800 post-traditional age students in a wide variety of graduate programs and an undergraduate degree completion program. A bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education, Antioch University is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) institution and has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1927. Academic departments include Undergraduate Studies; Psychology, Counseling and Therapy; Education; Environmental Studies and Sustainability; Leadership and Management; and Creative Writing.