Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners 1970 to Present
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The CSK Book Awards seal and award names are owned by the American Library Association.
The Coretta Scott King Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association to honor African-American authors and illustrators who create outstanding books for children and young adults. “… an excellent start on your quest for the best in African-American literature for children.”
The award was established in 1969 to recognize authors. In 1979 it was expanded to include a separate award for illustrators. There are now five categories for book awards; Author, Author Honor, Illustrator, Illustrator Honor, and the John Steptoe Award for New Talent.
These awards are given to commemorate the life and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her continuing efforts in working for peace and civil rights issues. In 2015 The Coretta Scott King Awards became part of the Youth Media Awards. Here is a printable list of all the award winning books.
You may learn more about this award at the American Library Association’s website. Also check out our list of Top 100+ Recommended African-American Children’s Books, some are also CSK Award winning titles.
7 Coretta Scott King Award Winning and Honored Books for 2008
Elijah of Buxton
Master storyteller Christopher Paul Curtis s Newbery Honor novel, featuring his trademark humor, unique narrative voice, and new cover art now in paperback!
Eleven-year-old Elijah lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves near the American border. He s the first child in town to be born free, and he ought to be famous just for that. Unfortunately, all that most people see is a "fra-gile" boy who s scared of snakes and talks too much. But everything changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Now it s up to Elijah to track down the thief and his dangerous journey just might make a hero out of him, if only he can find the courage to get back home.
12 Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali
by Charles R. Smith Jr., Illustrated by Bryan Collier
"An in-depth look at Ali s life through twelve rhyming poems . Collier s bold pictures are among the best of his illustrious career." BOOKLIST (starred review)
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
A National Council for the Social Studies Notable Trade Book for Young People
From the moment a fired-up teenager won 1960 Olympic gold to the day when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson s, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as "The Greatest" waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. The rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs, while bold collage artwork matches every move capturing the "Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme" who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali.
November Blues (The Jericho Trilogy)
Two months after her boyfriend, Josh, dies in a hazing accident, high school senior November discovers she s pregnant. Having to tell her mother is hard enough, but Josh s parents reaction is even more devastating: they hire a lawyer to try to take her baby away from her. Josh s cousin, Jericho, wants to help November however he can, but he s still dealing with his own sense of responsibility for Josh s death. The sequel to the Coretta Scott King Honor Book The Battle of Jericho pulls no punches as it explores with Sharon M. Draper s trademark keen insight into how teenagers think, feel, and speak the difficult decisions and harsh realities of teen pregnancy.
Let it Shine
by Ashley Bryan, Illustrated by Ashley Bryan
This little light of mine,
I m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine,
let it shine,
let it shine.
With a kaleidoscope of color and cut paper, Hans Christian Anderson Award nominee and two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan celebrates three favorite spirituals: "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He s Got the Whole World in His Hands." The power of these beloved songs simply emanates through his joyous interpretations. Come, sing, and celebrate!
Jazz On A Saturday Night (Coretta Scott King Honor Book)
by Leo and Diane Dillon, Illustrated by Leo Dillon
Celebrated illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon have won the Caldecott Medal twice, and now they present stunning illustrations of an evening of jazz music, complete with a special CD.
If you have ever been lucky enough to hear great jazz, then you will understand the pure magic of this book. Leo and Diane Dillon use bright colors and musical patterns that make music skip off the page in this toe-tapping homage to many jazz greats. From Miles Davis and Charlie Parker to Ella Fitzgerald, here is a dream team sure to knock your socks off. Learn about this popular music form and read a biography of each player pictured-and then hear each instrument play on a specially produced CD. What s the featured song? "Jazz on a Saturday Night," written and recorded to accompany this book.
The Secret Olivia Told Me
by E. N. Joy, Illustrated by Nancy Devard
Olivia has a secret - a BIG secret. It s a secret that she tells only to her very best friend. And her friend promises she won t say a word. But the secret is really BIG and really Juicy. What happens when a trusted friend slips and the secret gets out?
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It
Ten-year-old Tae Kwon Do blue belt and budding rock hound Brendan Buckley keeps a CONFIDENTIAL notebook for his top-secret discoveries. And he s found something totally top secret. The grandpa he s never met, whom his mom refuses to see or even talk about, is an expert mineral collector, and he lives nearby! Brendan sneaks off to visit his grandpa Ed DeBose, whose skin is pink, not brown like Brendan s, his dad s, and the late Grandpa Clem s. Brendan sets out to find the reason behind Ed s absence, but what he discovers can t be explained by science, and now he wishes he d never found Ed at all .
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