World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Donna Barba Higuera

ドナ・バルバ・イゲラ

Donna Barba Higuera

Profile

Gender
Female
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Central California (grew up) → Washington State (current residence)

Career

Occupations
Children's book author, Healthcare worker
Active Years
2020-

Awards

PNBA Book Award
2021
Work: Lupe Wong Won't Dance
Organization: Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
Result: Winner
Sid Fleischman Humor Award
2021
Work: Lupe Wong Won't Dance
Organization: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Result: Winner
Pura Belpré Award (Author)
2022
Work: The Last Cuentista
Category: Children's Author
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: Winner
Newbery Medal
2022
Work: The Last Cuentista
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Result: Winner
Pura Belpré Award (Honor)
2021
Work: Lupe Wong Won't Dance
Category: Children's Author
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: Honor
Pura Belpré Award (Honor)
2024
Work: Alebrijes
Category: Children's Author
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: Honor
Cybils Award (Elementary & Middle Grade Speculative Fiction)
2021
Work: The Last Cuentista
Organization: Cybils
Result: Finalist

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Lupe Wong Won't Dance

2020 Middle-grade / Sports

Lupe Wong is determined to become the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. The book follows her humorous and heartfelt middle-grade adventures, exploring identity, cultural differences, and standing up for what she believes in.

IdentityCultural differencesHumorSelf-advocacy
Translations
  • Lupe Wong No Baila (Spanish translation)

The Last Cuentista

2021 Middle-grade / Dystopian / Science fiction

Twelve-year-old Petra and her family are chosen to flee Earth before disaster strikes. After awakening centuries later, everyone's memories have been erased except Petra's. The novel explores memory, storytelling, hope, and resistance in a middle-grade dystopian setting.

Memory and storytellingIdentityDystopiaFamily
Translations
  • La última cuentista (Spanish translation)

Bibliography

  • Lupe Wong Won't Dance (Levine Querido, 2020)
  • El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! (Abrams, 2021)
  • The Last Cuentista (Levine Querido, 2021)
  • The Yellow Handkerchief (Abrams, 2023)
  • Alebrijes (Levine Querido)
  • It's Navidad, El Cucuy! (2023)

Translations of Works

  • Lupe Wong Won't Dance → Lupe Wong No Baila (Spanish translation)
  • The Last Cuentista → La última cuentista (Spanish translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Humorous narrative voiceAccessible prose for childrenWillingness to incorporate darker elements when appropriate
Recurring Motifs
Cultural identityLanguage differencesFamily bondsPower of stories and memory

Legacy

Donna Barba Higuera is recognized for exploring cultural identity and the power of storytelling in children's literature. She won the Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Award for The Last Cuentista, securing her influence in contemporary children's books.

Quotes

  • "It certainly veers into the dark end of middle-grade fiction, with brainwashing, 'purging', and, yes, the destruction of our entire planet ... but it doesn’t dwell in the darkness, preferring to give its readers healthy doses of hope, wonder and page-turning action."
    Source: Tae Keller's comment on The Last Cuentista (2021)

Trivia

  • Grew up in Central California.
  • Lives in Washington State with family, three dogs and two frogs.
  • Works in healthcare alongside writing.
  • Official website: https://www.dbhiguera.com/