It's time to nominate books for the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal Award. This is one of those awards restricted by the ethnicity of the author (you may read my thoughts about that and chime in here). It's given to a "Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth."The award is sponsored jointly by ALSC, a division of the American Library Association, and REFORMA: Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. The suggested book must be published in the United States or Puerto Rico during 2008. The award will be announced at the Youth Media Awards Press Conference during the ALA Midwinter meeting on January 26, 2009.