Recommended Books by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: A Writer & Artist to Know

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

I have long loved children, YA, and adult works by Benjamin Alire Sáenz--a former Catholic priest, poet, novelist, children's author, professor and painter.  His writing is evocative, tender, gritty, and fierce. Poet, short story writer, and novelist. I am so pleased to see his work being honored. Richly deserved. These are a few favorites. 

Picture Books
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2012). The Dog Who Loved Tortillas: La perrita que le encantaban las tortillas. Illustrated by Geronimo Garcia.  El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2010). A Perfect Season for Dreaming / Un tiempo perfecto para sonar. Illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia.  El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. 2008 Paterson Book Prize, Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, and  2009
Américas Book Award Honor Book.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1999). Grandma Fina’s Wonderful Umbrella. Illustrated by Geronimo Garcia.  El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. TX: Cinco Puntos Press. 1999 Best Children’s Book, Texas Institute of Letters
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1998). A Gift from Papá Diego / Un regalo de papá Diego. Illustrated by Geronimo Garcia.  El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Middle School & Early High School (7th -9h Grade)
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2012). Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. (Novel, friendship, coming of age)
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Commended
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2009). Last Night I Sang to the Monster. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. (YA Novel)




Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2008). He Forgot to Say Goodbye. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. (Novel, manhood, fathers and sons). Tomas Rivera Award in 2009.

YA & Adult (10th grade +)
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2012). Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.  Winner of the 2013 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction  and  Winner of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award (Short story collection)




Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2008). In Perfect Light. New York: HarperCollins. (Novel, adult)
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2008). Names on a Map. New York: Harper Perennial. (YA Novel, set in 1967 - Vietnam War, Borderlands, women's movement)
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1998). The House of Forgetting. Ivy Books. (Novel, adult)
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2004). Sammy And Julianna in Hollywood. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. (YA Novel, coming of age) Named Top Ten Young Adult novels by the American Library Association.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1995).  Carry Me Like Water.  New York: HarperCollins. (Magic-realism, Novel, 1st novel) Awarded Southwest Book Award.

Poetry
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire.  (2010). The Book of What Remains. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press.




Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2006). Dreaming the End of War. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press. Here is a blog post I wrote that includes part of the twelfth dream from this book.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (2002). Elegies in Blue: A Book of Poems.  El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.




Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1996). Dark and Perfect Angels. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire. (1991).  Calendar of Dust. Broken Moon Press. Winner of the American Book Award in 1991.