Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners 1970 to Present
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 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 five categories of 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.
9 Coretta Scott King Award Winning and Honored Books for 2020
Author Award
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
- 4 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book!
- Selected for 1 Book Club’s Reading List
- Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book 2020
- Kirkus Prize Finalist/Winner 2019
- Newbery Medal Winner or Honor 2020
Publication Date: Feb 05, 2019
List Price: $21.99
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780062691200
Imprint: HarperCollins
Publisher: HarperCollins
Parent Company: News Corporation
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Author Honor
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
by Jason Reynolds
Publication Date: Oct 08, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Paperback, 208 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9781481438285
Imprint: Atheneum
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: CBS Corporation
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Author Honor
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
by Junauda Petrus
Publication Date: Sep 17, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9780525555483
Imprint: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann
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Author Honor
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781368039932
Imprint: Rick Riordan Presents
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Parent Company: Rick Riordan Presents
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Illustrator Award
The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
- 6 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book!
- Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book 2020
- Kirkus Prize Finalist/Winner 2019
- Newbery Medal Winner or Honor 2020
- Caldecott Medal Winner or Honor 2020
Publication Date: Apr 02, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9781328780966
Imprint: Versify
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Parent Company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Illustrator Honor
Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace
by Ashley Bryan
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2019
List Price: $21.99
Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781534404908
Imprint: Atheneum
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: CBS Corporation
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Illustrator Honor
Sulwe
by Lupita Nyong’o, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
- 6 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book!
- Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book 2020
- An NAACP Image Award Honored Book
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 48 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9781534425361
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: CBS Corporation
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John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent (Author)
Genesis Begins Again
by Alicia D. Williams
- 3 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book!
- Coretta Scott King Award Winning Book 2020
- Kirkus Prize Finalist/Winner 2019
- Newbery Medal Winner or Honor 2020
Publication Date: Jan 15, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781481465809
Imprint: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: CBS Corporation
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John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent (Illustrator)
What Is Given from the Heart
by Patricia C. Mckissack, Illustrated by April Harrison
Publication Date: Jan 08, 2019
List Price: $17.99
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780375836152
Imprint: Schwartz & Wade
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Parent Company: Bertelsmann
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