Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners 1970 to Present

coretta_scott_kingThe 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.”

csk winner seal
The CSK Book Awards seal and award names are owned by the American Library Association.

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 1998



Click for a larger image of Bayard Rustin: Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement

Bayard Rustin: Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement
by James Haskins

List Price: $14.95
Disney-Hyperion (Sep 01, 1996)
Fiction, Hardcover, 128 pages
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
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Click for a larger image of I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina 1865 (Dear America Series)

I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina 1865 (Dear America Series)
by Joyce Hansen

List Price: $12.99
Scholastic Inc (Oct 01, 1997)
Fiction, Hardcover, 208 pages
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
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Click for a larger image of Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry

Ashley Bryan’s ABC of African American Poetry
by Ashley Bryan, Illustrated by Ashley Bryan

List Price: $7.99
Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Jan 01, 2001)
Nonfiction, Paperback, 32 pages
Target Age Group: Picture Book
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Click for a larger image of The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale

The Hunterman and the Crocodile: A West African Folktale
by Baba Wagué Diakité, Illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité

List Price: $16.95
Scholastic Inc (Mar 01, 1997)
Fiction, Hardcover, 32 pages
Target Age Group: Picture Book
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