UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book will present the 2017 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award to Jorge Argueta for “Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds,” and an honor award to Nikki Grimes, author of “Garvey’s Choice,” during a public presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on Penn State's University Park campus. 

Both noted children’s poets also will speak and sign copies of their books, available at the event through the Penn State Bookstore.

The Hopkins Award is presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of poetry for children published in the previous calendar year. Argueta will accept the award and a $1,000 prize, courtesy of Lee Bennett Hopkins, who will be present via Skype. In addition, a special presentation is planned for the silver anniversary of the award.

Those unable to attend the milestone event in person will be able to watch a livestream via Mediasite Live, and an online recording will be available via the same link for a limited time.

The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award is a juried competition named for the internationally renowned educator, poet, anthologist and passionate advocate of poetry for young people. Established in 1993, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was the first award of its kind in the United States. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, the Penn State University Libraries, and Lee Bennett Hopkins share joint administration of the annual award, which is selected by a panel of authors, librarians, teachers and scholars. 

For more information about the Hopkins Award, contact Caroline Wermuth at 814-863-5472 or cvw1@psu.edu, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s award website.