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.

coretta_scott_king 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.

10 Coretta Scott King Award Winning and Honored Books for 2019

Author Award
A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919

by Claire Hartfield

List Price: $18.99
Clarion Books (Jan 02, 2018)
Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN: 9780544785137Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Author Honor
Author Honor
The Parker Inheritance

The Parker Inheritance

by Varian Johnson

List Price: $17.99
Arthur A. Levine Books (Mar 27, 2018)
Middle Grade, Fiction, Hardcover, 352 pages
ISBN: 9780545946179Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Author Honor
The Season of Styx Malone

The Season of Styx Malone

by Kekla Magoon

List Price: $16.99
Wendy Lamb Books (Oct 16, 2018)
Middle Grade, Fiction, Hardcover, 304 pages
ISBN: 9781524715953Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Illustrator Award
The Stuff of Stars

The Stuff of Stars

by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by Ekua Holmes

List Price: $17.99
Candlewick Press (Sep 04, 2018)
Picture Book, Fiction, Hardcover, 40 pages
ISBN: 9780763678838Publisher: Candlewick Press
Illustrator Honor
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

by Margot Lee Shetterly, Illustrated by Laura Freeman

List Price: $18.99
HarperCollins (Jan 23, 2018)
Picture Book, Nonfiction, Hardcover, 40 pages
ISBN: 9780062742469Publisher: HarperCollins
Illustrator Honor
Illustrator Honor
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968

by Alice Faye Duncan

List Price: $17.95
Calkins Creek (Aug 28, 2018)
Picture Book, Fiction, Hardcover, 40 pages
ISBN: 9781629797182Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent
Monday’s Not Coming

Monday’s Not Coming

by Tiffany D. Jackson

List Price: $17.99
Katherine Tegen Books (May 22, 2018)
Young Adult, Fiction, Hardcover, 448 pages
ISBN: 9780062422675Publisher: HarperCollins
John Steptoe Illustrator Award for New Talent
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