Celia C. Perez

Congratulations Celia winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Author Honor and 2023 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for TUMBLE!

Celia C. Pérez is a second generation Cuban-Mexican-American. Her debut middle grade novel, The First Rule of Punk (Viking/Penguin), was awarded a Pura Belpré Author Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book,  Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and NPR Best Book of the Year, among many other accolades. The Spanish edition La primera regal del punk is now available. Celia’s second middle grade novel, Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers (Kokila/Penguin) was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book and 2020 Rise: Feminist Book Project. Celia’s newest middle grade novel, Tumble (Kokila/Penguin), about about wrestling with the past, legendary luchadores and family lost and found, has been awarded the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, Pura Belpré Honor, and has received SIX starred reviews!

Celia lives in Chicago with her family, where in addition to writing books about lovable weirdos and outsiders, she works as a librarian. Her book reviews and zine reviews have been published in The Horn Book Magazine, Library Journal, Criticas and Venus Zine. When she was in middle school, Celia filled diaries with recaps of televised wrestling matches. Listen to Celia on on NPR’s All Things Considered,  check out her zine-making tips  “How to Make a Zine: A Kid-Friendly DIY Guide”, and find her at celiacperez.com, on Twitter @CeliaCPerez and Instagram @CeliaPerezWrites.

Praise for Tumble:

Author Celia Pérez on challenging assumptions about what it means to grow up Latino on NPR’s All Things Considered (August 2022)

“Humor and heartfelt emotion reign supreme in a quirky narrative that centers the importance of family, blood or blended.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A plucky, heartwarming tale that celebrates the complexity of family relationships.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred

• Pura Belpré Author Honor and Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for Tumble
• Boston Globe-Honor Book Honor Book and Pura Belpré Author Honor, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, and Kids’ Indie Next/ABA Indies Introduce Title for The First Rule of Punk
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of the Year, Horn Book Best Book of the Year, National Public Radio Best Book of the Year
• New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year and Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Book of Year