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Born Alma Flor Ada Lafuente January 3rd 1938 in Camagüey, Cuba, she lived with her family at her grandmothers house
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Instead of having a lavish Quinceañera, Alma came to the United States and attended summer school in PA to learn English. This began her journey to become bilangual
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After completing Highschool in Cuba, she received a scholarship to Loretto Heights College in Colorado
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Earned a degree in Hispanic Studies from Universidad Complutense de Madrid
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Head of Spanish Dept. at Colegio A. von Humboldt in Lima, Peru
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Attended Pontifica Universidad Católica in Peru and earned her Ph.D for Faculty of Humanities
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Conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University
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Alma was a professor at Mercy College of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan
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Alma became a professor of education and the director of the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. There is no confirmed retirement date but she now holds the title of Professor Emerita.
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From 1976- Present day, Alma is a professor of education and director of the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults
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Published first Children's Book; How Happy I Would Be
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Marta Salotti Gold Medal (Argentina), 1989, for Encaje de piedra
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NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and American Booksellers “Pick of the List” for The Gold Coin
NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and American Booksellers “Pick of the List,” 1993, for My Name is María Isabel -
Gathering the Sub earned Alma the “Once Upon a World” Simon Weisenthal Museum of Tolerance Award, the NCTE Notable Trade Book in Language Arts, and NCSS/CBC Notable Trade Book in the field of Social Studies in 1998
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The Lizard and the Sun earned Alma the Gold Medal Parenting Magazines in 1998
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José Martí World Award (Costa Rica), San Francisco Public Library Laurate, 2000 Purá Belpré Gold Medal, American Library Association, 2000, for Under the Royal Palms
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