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.


4 Award Winning and Honored Books for 1996


Secondary Level Winner

A Fence Away From Freedom
by Ellen S. Levine

    List Price: $18.99
    Putnam Juvenile (Oct 17, 1995)
    Nonfiction, Hardcover, 260 pages
    Target Age Group: Middle Grade
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    Book Description: 
    A series of interviews with Japanese Americans, who were placed in internment camps during World War II merely because they had Japanese ancestry, reveals how they lost businesses, homes, and personal possessions.

    Outstanding Merit

    Red-Tail Angels: The Story Of The Tuskegee Airmen Of World War Ii
    by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack

      List Price: $21.95
      Walker Childrens (Jan 01, 1996)
      Nonfiction, Hardcover, 144 pages
      Target Age Group: Middle Grade
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      Book Description: 
      A history of African American pilots with a focus on World War II.

      Outstanding Merit

      Konnichiwa! I Am a Japanese-American Girl
      by Tricia Brown

        List Price: $15.95
        Henry Holt & Company (BYR) (Apr 01, 1995)
        Nonfiction, Hardcover
        Target Age Group: Early Reader
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        Book Description: 
        Presents the activities of Lauren Kamiya and her family as they prepare for and participate in the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, an event that combines elements of both Japanese and American cultures. By the author of Chinese New Year.

        Elementary Award

        Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave (We Are Still Here)
        by Monty Roessel

          List Price: $8.95
          Lerner Publishing Group (Sep 01, 1995)
          Nonfiction, Paperback, 48 pages
          Target Age Group: Picture Book
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          Book Description: 
          In this unique series, Native American authors examine their cultural traditions, from Navajo rug weaving in the Southwest to wild rice gathering in northern Minnesota. Each book describes these customs as they are seen through the eyes of the participants and discusses how Native American people maintain their cultural identities in contemporary society.