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.

8 Coretta Scott King Award Winning and Honored Books for 2015


Click for a larger image of Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson

Publication Date: Aug 28, 2014
List Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Classification: Poetry
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780399252518
Imprint: Nancy Paulsen Books
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann


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How I Discovered Poetry
by Marilyn Nelson

Publication Date: Jan 14, 2014
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9780803733046
Imprint: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann


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How It Went Down
by Kekla Magoon

Publication Date: Oct 14, 2014
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9780805098693
Imprint: Henry Holt & Company
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
Parent Company: Holtzbrinck Publishing Group


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The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander

Publication Date: Mar 18, 2014
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780544107717
Imprint: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Parent Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt


Click for a larger image of Firebird

Firebird
by Misty Copeland, Illustrated by Christopher Myers

Publication Date: Sep 04, 2014
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780399166150
Imprint: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann


Click for a larger image of Josephine: The Dazzling Life Of Josephine Baker

Josephine: The Dazzling Life Of Josephine Baker
by Patricia Hruby Powell

Publication Date: Jan 14, 2014
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 104 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781452103143
Imprint: Chronicle Books
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Parent Company: McEvoy Group


Click for a larger image of Little Melba And Her Big Trombone

Little Melba And Her Big Trombone
by Katheryn Russell-Brown, Illustrated by Frank Morrison

Publication Date: Aug 20, 2014
List Price: $19.95
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9781600608988
Imprint: Lee & Low Books
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Parent Company: Lee & Low Books


Click for a larger image of When I Was the Greatest (paperback)

When I Was the Greatest (paperback)
by Jason Reynolds

Publication Date: Aug 18, 2015
List Price: $9.99
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9781442459489
Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: KKR & Co. Inc.