Máximo César Castellanos celebrated his achievements at the 2026 International Latino Book Awards (ILBA) ceremony, held on October 3 at California State University in San Marcos, California. He was awarded a Gold Medal, a Silver Medal, and a Bronze Medal, recognizing his contributions to literature and translating.
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Castellanos’ book “Dr. Pren and the Warrior from the Other World” won the Gold Medal in the Best Chapter/Young Adult Book Translation, Spanish to English category. He also received a Silver Medal for “Kingsley First Act” in the same translation category. Additionally, his Spanish-language book “Dr. Pren y el Guerrero del Otro Mundo” earned a Bronze Medal in the Charlie Ericksen Best Book Written by a Youth category.
The International Latino Book Awards, now in its 28th year, is the largest Latino literary awards program in the United States, celebrating works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese across various genres, including children’s literature, young adult fiction, poetry, and translation. The awards are produced by Empowering Latino Futures, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whisler.
Castellanos has authored, illustrated, translated, and published 13 books in both Spanish and English. He noted that his work reflects his passion for storytelling and aims to make literature accessible in both languages. Signed copies of his latest book, “Kingsley: Second Act,” are available at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, and all of his works can be found on Amazon. More information about Castellanos and his publications can be found at authormaximocastellanos.com.