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 1997
Slam!
An exciting, eye-catching repackage of acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers bestselling paperbacks, to coincide with the publication of SUNRISE OVER FALLUJA in hardcover.
Seventeen-year-old Greg "Slam" Harris can do it all on the basketball court. He s seen ballplayers come and go, and he knows he could be one of the lucky ones. Maybe he ll make it to the top. Or maybe he ll stumble along the way. Slam s grades aren t that hot. And when his teachers jam his troubles in his face, he blows up.
Slam never doubted himself on the court until he found himself going one-on-one with his own future, and he didn t have the ball.
Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts
by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack
Collects the true stories of brave African-American rebels who fought against slavery, from Cinque, who pleaded his case before the Supreme Court, to Nat Turner, who led one of the greatest revolts in history.
Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman
by Alan Schroeder, Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
This is the story of young Harriet Tubman, then called "Minty". A slave in the Brodas household, she is often punished for her feisty, rebellious spirit, and always, above all, dreams of escape.
Neeny Coming, Neeny Going
by Karen English, Illustrated by Synthia Saint James
Essie is excited to see her cousin Neeny, who recently moved to the South Carolina mainland from Daufuskie Island. Neeny is now a fancy young lady, no longer interested in the island way of life. But does anyone ever really forget their roots? Essie knows the answer and gives her cousin a special gift that wil l always keep the island close to her. Full color.
Running The Road To ABC (Aladdin Picture Books)
by Denize Lauture, Illustrated by Reynold Ruffins
Six island children are running at daybreak over the hills, through the fields, across the city square to school! Never before has the love of learning (and learning together) been such a joyous time. Denise Lauture s buoyant, poetic text captures the happiness and youth of energetic children on the way to school; Reynold Ruffins perfectly illustrates the rich beauty of Haiti with the bright-colored vibrance of Haitian folk art. A great read-aloud book for the classroom.
The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children
by Davida Adedjouma, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Black is dark, dark is lovely, lovely is the palm of my heartand my heartbeats are filled with joy When children are encouraged to celebrate their lives their joys, their influences, their hopes the results are pure poetry. Honest, wise, and inspiring, each of the twenty poems in this dazzling collection resounds with the unique rhythms of life, as seen through the eyes of African American children.
Another Way to Dance
Fourteen-year-old Vicki Harris s dream has come true. She has been accepted into the summer program at New York City s prestigious School of American Ballet. It will be hard work and highly competitive, but Vicki feels ready. She is totally committed to dancing.
Vicki isn t prepared to be one of only two African-American students in the program. Nor is she expecting the racism she finds within the school. And Michael, from Harlem, takes Vicki completely by surprise. He shakes up her dream world where Baryshnikov is her idol, her parents never really got divorced, and every pirouette is perfect and shows her that the real world is bigger than a stage.
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