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 Woodson Award Seal 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.


6 Award Winning and Honored Books for 1990


Secondary Level Winner

Paul Robeson: Hero Before His Time (Biographies)
by Rebecca Larsen

Publication Date: Sep 01, 1989
List Price: $24.00
Format: Hardcover, 158 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780531107799
Imprint: Franklin Watts
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Parent Company: Lagardère Group

Read a Description of Paul Robeson: Hero Before His Time (Biographies)


Book Description: 
Surveys the personal life and career of the singer, actor, and political activist.

Outstanding Merit

New Kids In Town: Oral Histories Of Immigrant Teens (Scholastic Biography)
by Janet Bode

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    Publication Date: Sep 30, 1991
    List Price: Unavailable
    Format: Paperback, 126 pages
    Classification: Fiction
    Target Age Group: Middle Grade
    ISBN13: 9780590441445
    Imprint: Scholastic Inc
    Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
    Parent Company: Scholastic Inc.

    Read a Description of New Kids In Town: Oral Histories Of Immigrant Teens (Scholastic Biography)


    Book Description: 
    Eleven teenage immigrants tell compelling stories of their escapes from war, poverty, and repression to carve out new lives in America.

    Outstanding Merit

    A Long Hard Journey: The Story Of The Pullman Porter
    by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack

      Publication Date: May 01, 2001
      List Price: $21.95
      Format: Hardcover, 160 pages
      Classification: Nonfiction
      ISBN13: 9780802768841
      Imprint: Walker Childrens
      Publisher: Walker and Co
      Parent Company: Walker and Co

      Read a Description of A Long Hard Journey: The Story Of The Pullman Porter


      Book Description: 
      A chronicle of the first black-controlled union, made up of Pullman porters, who after years of unfair labor practices staged a battle against a corporate giant resulting in a "David and Goliath" ending.

      Outstanding Merit

      Vilma Martinez (Raintree Hispanic Stories)
      by Corinn Codye

        Publication Date: Nov 01, 1989
        List Price: $21.40
        Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
        Classification: Nonfiction
        Target Age Group: Picture Book
        ISBN13: 9780817233822
        Imprint: Heinemann Library
        Publisher: Heinemann Library
        Parent Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

        Read a Description of Vilma Martinez (Raintree Hispanic Stories)


        Book Description: 
        Examines the life of the lawyer who has won many landmark civil rights cases.

        Outstanding Merit

        Arctic Explorer: The Story of Matthew Henson (Trailblazer Biographies)
        by Jeri Ferris

          Publication Date: Dec 01, 1989
          List Price: $25.26
          Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
          Classification: Nonfiction
          Target Age Group: Middle Grade
          ISBN13: 9780876143704
          Imprint: Carolrhoda Books
          Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
          Parent Company: Lerner Publishing Group

          Read a Description of Arctic Explorer: The Story of Matthew Henson (Trailblazer Biographies)


          Book Description: 
          A biography of the Black explorer who discovered the North Pole.

          Elementary Award

          In Two Worlds: A Yu’pik Eskimo Family
          by Aylette Jenness

            Publication Date: Apr 24, 1989
            List Price: $13.95
            Format: Hardcover, 84 pages
            Classification: Fiction
            Target Age Group: Middle Grade
            ISBN13: 9780395427972
            Imprint: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
            Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
            Parent Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

            Read a Description of In Two Worlds: A Yu’pik Eskimo Family


            Book Description: 
            Text and photographs document the life of a Yup’ik Eskimo family, residents of a small Alaskan town on the coast of the Bering Sea, detailing the changes that have come about in the last fifty years.