LibGuides: Coretta Scott King Book Awards: 2020s

Author Winners & Honor Books 2020-2029

Winner

New Kid by Jerry Craft

New Kid by Jerry Craft (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv G CRA (Juvenile Graphic Novels)

ISBN: 9780062691200

Publication Date: 2019-02-05

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?.
New Kid [Streaming Audiobook] by Jerry Craft; Phoebe Strole (Read by); Marc Thompson (Read by); Dan Bittner (Read by); Nile Bullock (Read by); TBD (Read by); Ron Butler (Read by); Jesus Del Orden (Read by); Miles Harvey (Read by); Guy Lockard (Read by); Peyton Lusk (Read by); Robin Miles (Read by); Rebecca Soler (Read by)
Call Number: OverDrive Audiobook

ISBN: 9780062885326

Publication Date: 2019-02-05

Honor Books

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Look Both Ways : a Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
Call Number: YA F PET-J

ISBN: 9780525555483

Publication Date: 2019-09-17

Told in two voices, sixteen-year-old Audre and Mabel, both young women of color from different backgrounds, fall in love and figure out how to care for each other as one of them faces a fatal illness

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Call Number: Juv F MBA S1

ISBN: 9781368039932

Publication Date: 2019-10-15

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it, and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to get it away from the creature, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds; Alexander Nabaum (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv F REY

ISBN: 9781481438285

Publication Date: 2019-10-08

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and weaves them into one funny, poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

WINNER

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Before the Ever After by Woodson, Jacqueline
Call Number: Juv F WOO (Juvenile fiction)

ISBN: 9780399545436

Publication Date: 2020-09-01

ZJ's friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career.

HONOR BOOKS

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
Lifting as We Climb : Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor
Call Number: YA F TAY-MD L8 (Young adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780399257308

Publication Date: 2020-01-07

Cassie Logan, first met in Song of the Trees and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is a young woman now, searching for her place in the world, a journey that takes her from Toledo to California, to law school in Boston, and, ultimately, in the 60s, home to Mississippi to participate in voter registration. She is witness to the now-historic events of the century: the Great Migration north, the rise of the civil rights movement, preceded and precipitated by the racist society of America, and the often violent confrontations that brought about change. Rich, compelling storytelling is Ms. Taylor's hallmark, and she fulfills expectations as she brings to a close the stirring family story that has absorbed her for over forty years. It is a story she was born to tell.
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come [E-Book] by Mildred D. Taylor
Call Number: YA F TAY-MD L8 Ebook (OverDrive)

ISBN: 9780698173194

Publication Date: 2020

King and the Dragonflies by Callender, Kacen
Call Number: Juv F CAL (Juvenile Fiction)

ISBN: 9781338129335

Publication Date: 2020-02-04

In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself.

Lifting As We Climb by Evette Dionne
Call Number: YA 323.3 DIO-E (Young adult nonfiction)

ISBN: 9780451481542

Publication Date: 2020-04-21

When the epic story of the suffrage movement in the United States is told, the most familiar leaders, speakers at meetings, and participants in marches written about or pictured are generally white. Dionne shows that the real story isn't monochromatic. Women of color, especially African American women, were fighting for their right to vote and to be treated as full, equal citizens of the United States. They had to overcome deep, exclusionary racial prejudices that were rife in the American suffrage movement. Dionne draws an important historical line from abolition to suffrage to civil rights to contemporary young activists, and in doing so fills in the blanks of the American suffrage story.

WINNER

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford; Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv 976.6 WEA (Juvenile nonfiction)

ISBN: 9781541581203

Publication Date: 2021-02-02

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, an armed mob looted homes and businesses as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed, most buried in unmarked graves. Thousands were left homeless. No official investigation occurred until seventy-five years later. Unspeakable helps young readers understand the events of the Tulsa, Oklahoma race massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history.

HONOR BOOKS

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
Revolution in Our Time by Kekla Magoon
The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
Call Number: YA F ELH-S (Young adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780593177051

Publication Date: 2021-03-02
Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
Call Number: YA 322.4 MAG-K (Young adult nonfiction)

ISBN: 9781536214185

Publication Date: 2021-11-08
The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi; Loveis Wise (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy 973.04 ZOB (Easy nonfiction)

ISBN: 9780062915641

Publication Date: 2021-09-28

It begins in Africa, where people were taken from their homes and families. They spoke different languages and had different customs. Yet they were bound and chained together and forced onto ships sailing into an unknown future. Ultimately, all these people had to learn one common language and create a culture that combined their memories of home with new traditions that enabled them to thrive in this new land.

WINNER

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Call Number: JUV F LUQ (Juvenile fiction)

ISBN: 9780316056618

Publication Date: 2022-02-01

After fleeing the plantation where they were enslaved, siblings Ada and Homer discover the secret community of Freewater, and work with freeborn Sanzi to protect their new home from the encroaching dangers of the outside world.

HONOR BOOKS

Star Child : a Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi
The Talk by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith & Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile

Star Child : a biographic constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi
Call Number: JUV B BUT (Juvenile biography)

ISBN: 9780399187384

Publication Date: 2022-01-25

From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler. Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler expereinced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.
The Talk by Alicia D. Williams; Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY WIL (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9781534495296

Publication Date: 2022-10-18

As a little boy grows into a bigger boy, he must first have the difficult conversation Black families have with their sons, warning them about the challenges they face due to racism.
Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice by Tommie Smith; Derrick Barnes
Call Number: YA B SMI-T (Young adult biography)

ISBN: 9781324003908

Publication Date: 2022-09-27

On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.

WINNER

Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi

Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
Call Number: YA F ZOB-I (Young adult fiction)

ISBN: 9780062888846

Publication Date: 2023-05-09

Warrior Princess. That's what Nigeria's father calls her. He's raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals that connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother--the perfect matriarch to their Movement--disappears, Nigeria's world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn't want. Nigeria's mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father's disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. There, she slowly begins to blossom and expand her universe. As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.

HONOR BOOKS

Big by Vashti Harrison
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherfod ; illustrated by Frank Morrison
Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carol Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Big by Vashti Harrison
Call Number: EASY HAR (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9780316353229

Publication Date: 2023-05-02

Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, "big" becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is.
How Do You Spell Unfair? : MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford; Frank Morrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV B COX (Juvenile biography)

ISBN: 9781536215540

Publication Date: 2023-04-11

A true story of determination and groundbreaking achievement follows eighth grade African American spelling champion MacNolia Cox, who left Akron, Ohio, in 1936 to compete in the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., only to be met with prejudice and discrimination.
Kin : rooted in hope by Carole Boston Weatherford; Jeffery Boston Weatherford (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV F WEA

ISBN: 9781665913621

Publication Date: 2023-09-19

A multi-generational family history told in the voices of the author's ancestors, spanning enslavement alongside Frederick Douglass at Maryland's Wye House plantation, service in the U.S. Colored Troops, and the founding of all-Black Reconstruction-era communities.

WINNER

Twenty-four Seconds from Now... by Jason Reynolds

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now ... by Jason Reynolds
Call Number: YA F REY-J

ISBN: 9781665961271

Publication Date: 2024-10-08

In a series of moments spanning two years, seventeen-year-old Neon navigates the progression of his relationship with Aria, culminating in a case of the jitters as the two intend to take the next big step in their relationship.

HONOR BOOKS

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Black Star by Kwame Alexander
One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Call Number: YA 811.6 WAT-R

ISBN: 9780593461709

Publication Date: 2024-02-13
Black Star by Kwame Alexander
Call Number: JUV F ALE D2

ISBN: 9780316442596

Publication Date: 2024-09-24

Twelve-year old Black girl Charley, who dreams of becoming the first professional female pitcher, must navigate adolescence during the turbulent segregation era and the beginning of the Great Migration.
One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Call Number: JUV F CLI

ISBN: 9780823450169

Publication Date: 2024-03-05

In the 1870s, a Black family undertakes a perilous wagon journey westward for a tenuous shot at freedom in Nebraska.

Illustrator Winners & Honor Books 2020-2029

Winner

The Undefeated illustrated by Kadir Nelson ; written by Kwame Alexander

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv 811.6 ALE

ISBN: 9781328780966

Publication Date: 2019-04-02

Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Honor Books

The Bell Rang illustrated & written by James E. Ransome
Infinite Hope : a Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace illustrated & written by Ashley Bryan
Sulwe illustrated by Vashti Harrison and written by Lupita Nyong'o

The Bell Rang by Ransome, James E. (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy RAN

ISBN: 9781442421134

Publication Date: 2019-01-15

Every single morning, the overseer of the plantation rings the bell. Daddy gathers wood. Mama cooks. Ben and the other slaves go out to work. Each day is the same. Full of grueling work and sweltering heat. Every day, except one, when the bell rings and Ben is nowhere to be found. Because Ben ran. Yet, despite their fear and sadness, his family remains hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he made it North. That he is free. An ode to hope and a powerful tribute to the courage of those who ran for freedom, The Bell Rang is a stunning reminder that our past can never be forgotten.

Infinite Hope : a black artist's journey from World War II to peace by Ashley Bryan (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv B BRY (Juvenile Biography)

ISBN: 9781534404908

Publication Date: 2019-10-15

In May of 1942, at the age of eighteen, Ashley Bryan was drafted to fight in World War II. For the next three years, he would face the horrors of war as a black soldier in a segregated army. He endured the terrible lies white officers told about the black soldiers to isolate them from anyone who showed kindness, including each other. He received worse treatment than even Nazi POWs. He was assigned the grimmest, most horrific tasks, like burying fallen soldiers, but was told to remove the black soldiers first because the media didn't want them in their newsreels. And he waited and wanted so desperately to go home, watching every white soldier get safe passage back to the United States before black soldiers were even a thought. For the next forty years, Ashley would keep his time in the war a secret. But now, he tells his story. The story of the kind people who supported him. The story of the bright moments that guided him through the dark. And the story of his passion for art that would save him time and time again.

Sulwe by Nyong'o, Lupita ; Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy LUP

ISBN: 9781534425361

Publication Date: 2019-10-15

When five-year-old Sulwe's classmates make fun of her dark skin, she tries lightening herself to no avail, but a shooting star's tale of the sisters Night and Day helps her understand there is beauty and worth in every shade.

WINNER

R-E-S-P-E-C-T : Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

Respect : Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford; Frank Morrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy B FRA (Easy biography)

ISBN: 9781534452282

Publication Date: 2020-08-25

Aretha Franklin was born to sing. The daughter of a pastor and a gospel singer, her musical talent was clear from her earliest days in her father's Detroit church. Aretha sang with a soaring voice that spanned more than three octaves. Her incredible talent and string of hit songs earned her the title "the Queen of Soul." This Queen was a multi-Grammy winner and the first female inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And there was even more to Aretha than being a singer, songwriter, and pianist: she was an activist, too. Her song "Respect" was an anthem for people fighting for civil rights and women's rights. With words that sing and art that shines, this vibrant portrait of Aretha Franklin pays her the R-E-S-P-E-C-T this Queen of Soul deserves.

HONOR BOOKS

Magnificent Homespun Brown : a Celebration illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, written by Samara Cole Doyon
Exquisite : the Poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, written by Suzanne Slade
Me & Mama illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Magnificent Homespun Brown : a celebration by Samara Cole Doyon; Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy DOY (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9780884487975

Publication Date: 2020-01-07

Told by succession of exuberant young narrators, Magnificent Homespun Brown is a story- a song, a poem, a celebration- about feeling at home in one's own beloved skin.

Exquisite : the poetry and life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade; Cozbi A. Cabrera (Illustrator)
Call Number: East B BRO (Easy biography)

ISBN: 9781419734113

Publication Date: 2020-04-07

A biography of African American poet, Gwendolyn Brooks.

Me and Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy CAB (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9781534454217

Publication Date: 2020-08-25

For a little girl on a rainy day, the best place to be is with Mama.

WINNER

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper; by Carol Boston Weatherford

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford; Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv 976.6 WEA (Juvenile nonfiction)

ISBN: 9781541581203

Publication Date: 2021-02-02

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, an armed mob looted homes and businesses as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed, most buried in unmarked graves. Thousands were left homeless. No official investigation occurred until seventy-five years later. Unspeakable helps young readers understand the events of the Tulsa, Oklahoma race massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history.

HONOR BOOKS

Nina : a Story of Nina Simone illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Traci N. Todd
We Wait for the Sun illustrated by Raissa Figueroa, written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe
Soul Food Sunday, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza, written by Winsome Bingham

Nina : a story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy B SIM (Easy biography)

ISBN: 9781524737283

Publication Date: 2021-09-28

A biography of Nina Simone, an acclaimed singer whose music gave voice to the struggle for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement.
We Wait for the Sun by Katie McCabe; Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)
Call Number: Juv B ROU (Juvenile biography)

ISBN: 9781250229021

Publication Date: 2021-02-09

In the hour before dawn, Dovey Mae and Grandma Rachel step into the cool, damp night on a secret mission: to find the sweetest, ripest blackberries that grow deep in the woods. But the nighttime holds a thousand sounds--and a thousand shadows--and Dovey Mae is frightened of the dark. But with the fierce and fearless Grandma Rachel at her side, the woods turn magical, and berry picking becomes an enchanting adventure that ends with the beauty and power of the sunrise. A cherished memory from Dovey Johnson Roundtree's childhood, this magical experience speaks to the joy that pulsed through her life, even under the shadow of Jim Crow. With Grandma Rachel's lessons as her guiding light, Dovey Mae would go on to become a trailblazer of the civil rights movement--fighting for justice and equality in the military, the courtroom, and the church.
Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham; Charles Esperanza (Illustrator)
Call Number: Easy BIN (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9781419747717

Publication Date: 2021-11-16

Granny teaches her young grandson how to cook the family meal, in this celebration of food, traditions, and gathering together at the table. Includes recipe for baked macaroni and cheese.

WINNER

Standing in the Need of Prayer: a Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

Standing in the Need of Prayer : a modern retelling of the classic spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford; Frank Morrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY 291.4 WEA (Easy nonfiction)

ISBN: 9780593306345

Publication Date: 2022-09-20

The popular spiritual, Standing in the need of prayer, has been reworked to chronicle the milestones, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of African American people and their history. The text and illustrations of this inspirational book are informative reminders of yesterday, hopeful images for today, and aspirational dreams of tomorrow.

HONOR BOOKS

Me and the Boss: a Story about Mending and Love illustrated by April Harrison, written by Michelle Edwards
Swim Team illustrated & written by Johnnie Christmas
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith & Derrick Barnes

Me and the Boss : a story about mending and love by Michelle Edwards; April Harrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY EDW (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9780593310670

Publication Date: 2022-10-11

Six-year-old Lee will not give up until he can show his big sister Zora, a.k.a. the boss, how good he can sew. Includes instructions on how to make Lee's smiling moon.
Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV G CHR (Juvenile graphic books)

ISBN: 9780063056770

Publication Date: 2022-05-17

Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.
Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice by Tommie Smith; Derrick Barnes
Call Number: YA B SMI-T (Young adult biography)

ISBN: 9781324003908

Publication Date: 2022-09-27

On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.

WINNER

An American Story illustrated by Dave Coulter ; written by Kwame Alexander

An American Story by Dare Coulter (Illustrator); Kwame Alexander
Call Number: EASY 306.362 ALE (Easy nonfiction)

ISBN: 9780316473125

Publication Date: 2023-01-03

A picture book in verse that threads together past and present to explore the legacy of slavery during a classroom lesson.

HONOR BOOKS

Big by Vashti Harrison
Holding Her Own: the Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes illustrated by Shannon Wright ; written by Traci N. Todd
There Was a Party for Langston illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarret Pumphrey ; written by Jason Reynolds

Big by Vashti Harrison
Call Number: EASY HAR (Easy fiction)

ISBN: 9780316353229

Publication Date: 2023-05-02

Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, "big" becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is.
Holding Her Own : the Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes by Traci N. Todd; Shannon Wright (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV B ORM (Juvenile biography)

ISBN: 9781338305906

Publication Date: 2023-01-03

When Jackie Ormes sees an opportunity, she takes it. She's a journalist, cartoonist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist -- and she wants to use her artistry to bring joy and hope to Black people everywhere. But in post-World War II America, Black people are still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie has a dilemma: How can her art remain true to her signature Jackie joy, while also staying honest about the inequalities Black people have been fighting against? Traci N. Todd and Shannon Wright have crafted a gorgeous and moving tribute to the indelible legacy of America's first Black woman cartoonist.
There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds; Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator); Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY B HUG

ISBN: 9781534439443

Publication Date: 2023-10-03

A celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told through the lens of the party held at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991.

WINNER

My Daddy is a Cowboy illustrated by C.G. Esperanza ; written by Stephanie Seales

My Daddy Is a Cowboy : a picture book by Stephanie Seales; C. G. Esperanza (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY SEA

ISBN: 9781419760815

Publication Date: 2024-06-11

While a young Panamanian American girl and her father share "just-us" time on an early morning horseback ride around their town, he tells her cowboy stories and she realizes she is a cowboy too.

HONOR BOOKS

Coretta : the autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King illustrated by Ekua Holmes ; written by Coretta Scott King
Everywhere Beauty is Harlem : the Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarawa illustrated by E.B. Lewis ; written by Gary Golia
Go Forth and Tell : the Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller illustrated by April Harrison ; written by Breanna J. McDaniel

Coretta: the Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY B KIN

ISBN: 9781250167101

Publication Date: 2024-01-02

Adapted from her adult memoir, this is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King--wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., founder of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (the King Center), and twentieth-century American civil and human rights activist.
Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem : the vision of photographer Roy De Carava by Gary Golio; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Call Number: JUV B DEC R

ISBN: 9781662680557

Publication Date: 2024-01-16

This visually stunning portrait of Black photographer Roy DeCarava, a child of the Harlem Renaissance and an artistic collaborator of Langston Hughes, takes readers through 1940s Harlem where beauty is everywhere as he immortalizes and documents the lives of ordinary Black people.
Go Forth and Tell: the Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel; April Harrison (Illustrator)
Call Number: EASY B BAK

ISBN: 9780593324202

Publication Date: 2024-02-06

A luminous picture book biography about librarian and storyteller Augusta Baker, the first Black coordinator of children's services at all branches of the New York Public library.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Author Winners & Honor Books 2020-2029

Winner

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Honor Books

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by J﻿unauda Petrus

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Look Both Ways : a Tale Told in Ten Blocks by J﻿ason Reynolds

WINNER

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

HONOR BOOKS

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

Lifting as We Climb : Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne

WINNER

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford

HONOR BOOKS

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

Revolution in Our Time by Kekla Magoon

The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi

WINNER

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

HONOR BOOKS

Star Child : a Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

The Talk by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith & Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile

WINNER

Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi

HONOR BOOKS

Big by Vashti Harrison

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherfod ; illustrated by Frank Morrison

Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carol Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Jeffery Boston Weatherford

WINNER

Twenty-four Seconds from Now... by Jason Reynolds

HONOR BOOKS

Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson ; illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Black Star by Kwame Alexander

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Illustrator Winners & Honor Books 2020-2029

Winner

The Undefeated illustrated by Kadir Nelson ; written by Kwame Alexander

Honor Books

The Bell Rang illustrated & written by J﻿ames E. Ransome

Infinite Hope : a Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace illustrated & written by A﻿shley Bryan

Sulwe illustrated by Vashti Harrison and written by Lupita Nyong'o

WINNER

R-E-S-P-E-C-T : Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

HONOR BOOKS

Magnificent Homespun Brown : a Celebration illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, written by Samara Cole Doyon

Exquisite : the Poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, written by Suzanne Slade

Me & Mama illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera

WINNER

Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper; by Carol Boston Weatherford

HONOR BOOKS

Nina : a Story of Nina Simone illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Traci N. Todd

We Wait for the Sun illustrated by Raissa Figueroa, written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe

Soul Food Sunday, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza, written by Winsome Bingham

WINNER

Standing in the Need of Prayer: a Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

HONOR BOOKS

Me and the Boss: a Story about Mending and Love illustrated by April Harrison, written by Michelle Edwards

Swim Team illustrated & written by Johnnie Christmas

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith & Derrick Barnes

WINNER

An American Story illustrated by Dave Coulter ; written by Kwame Alexander

HONOR BOOKS

Big by Vashti Harrison

Holding Her Own: the Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes illustrated by Shannon Wright ; written by Traci N. Todd

There Was a Party for Langston illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarret Pumphrey ; written by Jason Reynolds

WINNER

My Daddy is a Cowboy illustrated by C.G. Esperanza ; written by Stephanie Seales

HONOR BOOKS

Coretta : the autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King illustrated by Ekua Holmes ; written by Coretta Scott King

Everywhere Beauty is Harlem : the Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarawa illustrated by E.B. Lewis ; written by Gary Golia

Go Forth and Tell : the Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller illustrated by April Harrison ; written by Breanna J. McDaniel

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Look Both Ways : a Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

The Bell Rang illustrated & written by James E. Ransome

Infinite Hope : a Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace illustrated & written by Ashley Bryan