About the Award
Los Premios de CLEL Bell were established in 2024 as a way to recognize bi-annual excellence in Spanish language, translation, and bilingual titles that celebrate, model, and support early literacy practices. Modeled after the original CLEL Bell Awards, the award looks for strength in helping caregivers, librarians, and other early childhood advocates use Spanish titles to teach reading, writing, talking, playing, and singing skills to children ages 0-5. The five winners are selected from a shortlist of 25 honored titles.
You can read more about these winning titles and access caregiver activity sheets on our winners page. The 25 titles in each year’s shortlist are chosen from nominations put forward by our committee.
Note: See English CLEL Bells for books published in English.
Selection Criteria
Learn more about the Selection Criteria for the CLEL Bell Awards for books published Spanish.
Award Timeline
The first round of awards honored titles from the past five years, 2019-2024. These are known as the Las Campanitas de Plata. The first official titles for Los Premios de CLEL Bell will have been published in 2023-2025 and were announced in the fall of 2025 during CLELCON. The current SHORTLIST for the 2025 award is HERE and the 2025 winners are HERE. The 2027 awards committee will be underway starting in June 2026.
Award Selection Committee
The Spanish CLEL Bell Award Selection Committee recruits new members every two years. Learn more about the committee.
History
2013 – CLEL created the CLEL Bell Awards. The CLEL Bell Awards Committee named the Silver Bells for honorary titles from the previous 25 years.
2014 – The first annual CLEL Bell Award Winners and Shortlist were awarded (for English language books).
2024 – The CLEL Bell Awards celebrated 10 years! The Awards Committee formed separate committees to honor books in English and books in Spanish. Los Premios CLEL Bell(the Spanish CLEL Bell Awards) was formed and its committee named Las Campanitas de Plata for honorary titles from the previous 15 years.
2025 – The first biannual Los Premios de CLEL Bell Winners and Shortlist were awarded for Spanish language books. Winners revealed at CLELCON2025.
2026 Los Premios CLEL Bell expands committee and begins process for 2027 awards shortlist and 2027 awards
