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.

Select Year202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977197619751974

4 Award Winning and Honored Books for 1988

---

Outstanding Merit

Book Description: 
A wonderful book •funny, sad, packed with action and information about life in black Alabama in the decades before World War II… . A welcome addition to the growing of books by and about black women. •Dorothy Sterling, author of We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century The daughter of a freeholder, Sara Brooks was born in 1911 on her parents’ subsistence farm in west Alabama. Here in her own words, she makes us understand what it felt like to be young, black, innocent, and steeped in the ways of a black rural world that has largely been lost to us.

Outstanding Merit

Book Description: 
Presents individual stories of young Southeast Asian refugees and discusses some of their problems, hopes, and successes.

Outstanding Merit

Book Description: 
Discusses the economic, legal, health, and civil rights problems presently facing Native Americans and presents a brief history of legal and territorial conflicts between Native Americans and the United States government.

Award Winner

Book Description: 
Surveys the history of black music in America, from early slave songs through jazz and the blues to soul, classical music, and current trends.