The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to the most distinguished African American authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature. The award honors the lives and work of Mrs. King and her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learn more about the Coretta Scott King Book Awards.
The titles in each section below are arranged in reverse chronological order (newest to oldest). Note that the year a book is awarded is one year after the publication date. For example, a book that came out in 2018 would be the 2019 winner.
Author: Marion Dane Bauer; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Published: 2018
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Before the universe was formed, before time and space existed, there was ... nothing. But then ... BANG! Stars caught fire and burned so long that they exploded, flinging stardust everywhere. And the ash of those stars turned into planets. Into our Earth. And into us... A seamless blend of science and art, this picture book reveals the composition of our world and beyond -- and how we are all the stuff of stars"--Publisher's description.
Author: Javaka Steptoe
Published: 2016
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City."--Publisher's description
Author: Troy Andrews; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Hailing from the Tremâe neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest"--Publisher's description.
Author: Daniel Beaty; Bryan Collier (Artist)
Published: 2013
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"A boy wakes up one morning to find his father gone. At first, he feels lost. But his father has left him a letter filled with advice to guide him through the times when he cannot be there."--Publisher's description.
Author: Langston Hughes; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2012
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"This book presents the popular poem by one of the central figures in the Harlem Renaissance, highlighting the courage and dignity of the African American Pullman porters in the early 20th century"--Publisher's description.
Author: Laban Carrick Hill; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2010
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Chronicles the life of Dave, a 19th-century slave who went on to become an influential poet, artist, and potter"--Publisher's description.
Author: Joyce Carol Thomas; Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Published: 2008
Location: Bethlehem
"Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully"--Publisher's description.
Author: Ashley Bryan
Published: 2007
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
Illustrated versions of three well-known hymns.
Author: N. Joy; Nancy Devard (Illustrator)
Published: 2007
Location: Bethlehem
"Olivia shares a secret with her best friend, who then lets it slip to someone else, and soon everyone knows about Olivia's secret"--Publisher's description.
Author: Ashley Bryan
Published: 2003
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of his 'blackening brew'"--Publisher's description.
Author: Bryan Collier
Published: 2000
Location: Bethlehem
"A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy's Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River"--Publisher's description.
Author: Kim L. Siegelson; Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
Published: 1999
Location: Bethlehem
Mentu, an American-born slave boy, watches his beloved grandmother, Twi, lead the insurrection at Teakettle Creek of Ibo people arriving from Africa on a slave ship.
Author: Leontyne Price; Leo Dillon (Illustrator); Diane Dillon (Illustrator)
Published: 1990
Location: Bethlehem
"Retells the story of Verdi's opera in which the love of the enslaved Ethiopian princess for an Egyptian general brings tragedy to all involved"--Publisher's description.
Author: Matt de la Peña; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Published: 2015
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"Every Sunday after church, C.J. and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, C.J. wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty -- and fun -- in their routine, and the world around them"--Publisher's description.
Author: Kadir Nelson
Published: 2013
Location: Bethlehem
"This book presents a biography of the former South African president, best known for his political activism and fight to end apartheid"--Publisher's description.
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
Published: 2011
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In 18th-century West Africa, a boy raised by his blacksmith father and the Mother Elements -- Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth -- is captured and taken to America as a slave"--Publisher's description.
Author: Langston Hughes; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Published: 2009
Location: Bethlehem
"The famous poem, taken from 'The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes,' is accompanied by watercolor illustrations"--Publisher's description.
Author: Virginia Hamilton; Leo Dillon (Illustrator)
Published: 2004
Location: Bethlehem
"In this retelling of a folktale, a group of slaves, unable to bear their sadness and starvation any longer, calls upon the African magic that allows them to fly away..."--Publisher's description.
Author: Leo & Diane Dillon
Published: 2002
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
"In illustrations and rhyme describes the dancing of Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, one of the most famous tap dancers of all time"--Publisher's description.
Author: Doreen Rappaport; Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
Published: 2001
Location: Bethlehem & Monroe
This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words.
Author: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Published: 2000
Location: Bethlehem
In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.
Author: Christopher Myers (Illustrator)
Published: 1999
Location: Bethlehem
"A black cat wanders through the streets of a city"--Publisher's description.
Author: Faith Ringgold
Published: 1991
Location: Bethlehem
"A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name"--Publisher's description.