Silvia Lopez

A Cuba native, Silvia Lopez arrived in Miami in 1960 with one suitcase and no English. She became a National Board Certified media specialist with degrees in English and Educational Technology and a Masters in Library Science. For nearly four decades, Silvia served hundreds of children as librarian in schools and public libraries in Miami-Dade County. Silvia's eBook Zunzuncito: a Tale of Cuba's Bee Hummingbird (in English and Spanish) won an International Latino Book Award. The eBook is available on her website, as well as a paperback version on Amazon. Silvia became a traditionally published author in March 2018 with the release of her first hard-cover picture book Just Right Family: An Adoption Story, illustrated by Ziyue Chen, which went on to receive the 2018 Florida Book Award. Her book Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, illustrated by Paola Escobar, won the 2020 Florida Book Award and was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature. Both the English and Spanish versions of that book were chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. They were followed by Pacho Nacho, illustrated by Pablo Pino. Silvia is also the author of the English and Spanish versions of My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, and My Little Golden Book About Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Nomar Pérez. She has written two bilingual Easy Readers with co-author Susan Rose: José and El Perro, chosen as one of NY Public Library Best Books for Kids 2023, and José and Feliz Play Fútbol, Parade Magazine Best Books to Give for Christmas 2023. A third book in the José series is in the works. Released in May 2024, Silvia’s book Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, illustrated by Olivia Sua, received a starred review in School Library Journal.