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 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 2023
Author Award
Freewater
by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Publication Date: Feb 01, 2022
List Price: $16.99
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780316056618
Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Parent Company: Lagardère Group
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Author Honor
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
by Ibi Zoboi
Publication Date: Jan 25, 2022
List Price: $16.99
Format: Hardcover, 128 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780399187384
Imprint: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann
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Author Honor
The Talk
by Alicia D. Williams, Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Publication Date: Oct 18, 2022
List Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9781534495296
Imprint: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Parent Company: KKR & Co. Inc.
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Author Honor
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile, Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2022
List Price: $22.95
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781324003908
Imprint: Norton Young Readers
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Parent Company: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
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Illustrator Award
Standing in the Need of Prayer (paperback): A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Publication Date: Sep 20, 2022
List Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780593306345
Imprint: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann
Read a Description of Standing in the Need of Prayer (paperback): A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual
Illustrator Honor
Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love
by Michelle Edwards, Illustrated by April Harrison
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2022
List Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Picture Book
ISBN13: 9780593310670
Imprint: Anne Schwartz Books
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann
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Illustrator Honor
Swim Team
by Johnnie Christmas, Illustrated by Johnnie Christmas
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
List Price: $24.99
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9780063056770
Imprint: HarperAlley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Parent Company: News Corp
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Illustrator Honor
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile, Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2022
List Price: $22.95
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781324003908
Imprint: Norton Young Readers
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Parent Company: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Read a Description of Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
John Steptoe Award for New Talent
We Deserve Monuments
by Jas Hammonds
Publication Date: Nov 29, 2022
List Price: $18.99
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Classification: Fiction
Target Age Group: Young Adult
ISBN13: 9781250816559
Imprint: Roaring Brook Press
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
Parent Company: Holtzbrinck Publishing Group
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John Steptoe Illustrator Award for New Talent
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
by Angela Joy, Illustrated by Janelle Washington
Publication Date: Sep 06, 2022
List Price: $19.99
Format: Hardcover, 64 pages
Classification: Nonfiction
Target Age Group: Middle Grade
ISBN13: 9781250220950
Imprint: Roaring Brook Press
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
Parent Company: Holtzbrinck Publishing Group