Carter G. Woodson Award Winning Books

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.

Carter G. Woodson Seal

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.

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3 Award Winning and Honored Books for 1987

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Outstanding Merit

Book Description: 
Children of the Maya is a somewhat misleading title for this book, since it covers the plight of Guatemalan refugees of Mayan descent, who escaped the death squads of the Guatemalan army. The hardships and horrors they endured are vividly recounted through first-person narratives. Their recollections are often gruesome: Luis Garcia tells of finding his father’s decapitated body in a ditch; Antonio Guerra remembers the sights and sounds of the army’s massacre of his neighbors and the burning of his village. Accompanying black-and-white photos illustrate the stark contrast between the primitive camps in Mexico where the refugees took temporary shelter and the modest but clean apartments of Indiantown, Fla., where they now live. The author also discusses the problems of adjusting to life in America and the lasting impressions of terror left on the children’s psyches. A preface gives a helpful overview of Mayan culture and history. These stories are important, and should acquaint children with the crisis facing the Guatemalan people, whose plight is underpublicized.

Outstanding Merit

Book Description: 
Book by Rosenberg, Maxine B., Ancona, George

Award Winner

Book Description: 
Explores the everyday life, culture, and preservation of traditions of America’s native peoples, the Indians, Inuits, and Aleuts.