Friday, December 15, 2017

Winners of the 2017 Troncoso Reading Prizes

Thank you Maria Manigbas, branch manager, and the staff of the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library for administering the annual Troncoso Reading Prizes. Yesterday we presented the winners with certificates of achievement and gift cards from Barnes and Noble. The winners also received two signed copies of my books.

Below are photos with the winners, library staff, parents, and teachers who attended the event. I am so excited to do it again next year and to keep encouraging students in our community to read. We also discussed college preparation, strategies for applying, different colleges to consider, and how to prepare students to be thinking and getting ready for higher education. I loved all the questions the audience had, and I hope we can continue these conversations in the future with more community events.

Winners of 2017 Troncoso Reading Prizes:

5-8th grade category:
1st Place: Aaron Avila, LeBarron Elementary School
2nd Place: Savannah Vega, LeBarron Elementary School
3rd Place: Edgar Aragon, LeBarron Elementary

9-12th grade category:
1st Place: Amber Esperanza Madrid, Valle Verde Early College High School
2nd Place: Katya Neida Compian, Del Valle High School
3rd Place: Amy Ruby Diaz, Ysleta Middle School

Every year, we award prizes for students who read the most books between September 15-November 15. The prizes are awarded only to students within the geographical area covered by the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library.

First Place receives a $125.00 gift card.
Second Place receives a $100.00 gift card.
Third Place receives a $75.00 gift card.

All prizes are gift cards from Barnes and Noble Booksellers. A total of six prizes are awarded in the two categories every year.

Runners-up and students who read at least ten books also receive certificates of participation. Individual schools also receive certificates of appreciation. This year: LeBarron Elementary School, Lancaster Elementary School, Ysleta Middle School, Del Valle High School, Valle Verde Early College High School, and El Paso Academy East.

Librarians at the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library register readers during the eligible period of the prizes. The library staff administers the prizes and makes final decisions on all the prizewinners.

If you have any questions or to register next year, please contact the library staff at the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library, 9321 Alameda Avenue, El Paso, Texas, 79907. Telephone: 915-858-0905.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction

Please help me spread the word. At the Texas Institute of Letters, I have permanently endowed the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction ($1,000).

The Troncoso Award will be given to a first novel or short-story collection by an author from Texas or writing about Texas. The publication date of the work must be in 2017. The deadline for submission is January 2, 2018.

Here are the basic rules for all TIL awards: Each year the Texas Institute of Letters awards more than $20,000 to recognize outstanding literary works in several categories. Eligibility for the awards requires that the author be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least two consecutive years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible.

2017 TIL Contests:

Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction
Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction
Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Non-Fiction
Ramirez Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book
Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry
John A. Robertson Award for First Book Of Poetry
Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction
Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story
H-E-B/Jean Flynn Best Children’s Book
H-E-B Best Young Adults Book
Denton Record-Chronicle Best Children’s Picture Book
Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book
Fred Whitehead Award for Best Design of a Trade Book

Texas Institute of Letters:

Thank you.
Sergio Troncoso