Carter G. Woodson Award Winning Books
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Carter G. Woodson Seal
As of 2001 awards and honors are given in the following categories: Elementary (K-6), Middle (5-8), and Secondary (7-12) grade level books.
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) established the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. First presented in 1974, this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.” Books relating to ethnic minorities and the authors of such books rarely receive the recognition they merit from professional organizations. By sponsoring the Carter G. Woodson Awards, NCSS gives wide recognition to and encourages these authors and publishers. Here is a printable list of all the award winning books. Learn more at NCSS’s website.
Also check out our list of Top 100+ Recommended African-American Children’s Books, some are also CSK Award winning titles.
One Award Winning Book for 2025
Doll Test: Choosing Equality
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by David Elmo Cooper
Four Dolls.
Two Psychologists.
One Landmark Court Case.
During the first half of the twentieth century, schoolchildren in many parts of the United States were segregated Black children and white children could not legally attend the same schools. In their so-called doll test, pioneering Black psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark investigated the effects of segregation by presenting children with two Black and two white baby dolls. Show me the doll that you like best, they said. Show me the doll that looks like you.
Their research showed that segregation harmed Black children. When the Brown v. Board of Education case came along to challenge school segregation, Kenneth Clark testified about the doll test. His testimony was compelling, and in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declared school segregation illegal.
Narrated by dolls, this book-length poem by acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford introduces Kenneth and Mamie Clark and their powerful research to young readers.