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 Forged by Fire

Forged by Fire
by Sharon M. Draper

Publication Date: Jan 01, 1997
List Price: $7.99
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 160 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9780689818516
Imprint: Simon Pulse
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: KKR & Co. Inc.

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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

Publication Date: Sep 01, 1996
List Price: $14.95
Format: Hardcover, 128 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780786801688
Imprint: Disney-Hyperion
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Parent Company: The Walt Disney Company

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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

Publication Date: Oct 01, 1997
List Price: $12.99
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780590849135
Imprint: Scholastic Inc
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Parent Company: Scholastic Inc.

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Click for a larger image of In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall

In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall
by Folami Abiade, Dinah Johnson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Dakari Hru, Michael Burgess, E. Ethelbert Miller, Lenard D. Moore, David Anderson, Angela Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, and Davida Adedjouma, Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe

Publication Date: Apr 01, 2013
List Price: $8.95
Format: Paperback, 32 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9781584300168
Imprint: Lee & Low Books
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Parent Company: Lee & Low Books

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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

Publication Date: Jan 01, 2001
List Price: $7.99
Format: Paperback, 32 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780689840456
Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: KKR & Co. Inc.

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Click for a larger image of Harlem

Harlem
by Walter Dean Myers, Illustrated by Christopher Myers

Publication Date: Feb 01, 1997
List Price: $17.99
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780590543408
Imprint: Scholastic Press
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Parent Company: Scholastic Inc.

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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

Publication Date: Mar 01, 1997
List Price: $16.95
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780590898287
Imprint: Scholastic Inc
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Parent Company: Scholastic Inc.

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