The American Library Association says of the Coretta Scott King book awards:
Designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience. Further, the Award encourages the artistic expression of the black experience via literature and the graphic arts in biographical, social, and historical treatments by African American authors and illustrators.
And here are the Winners...
2011 Winning Author
ONE CRAZY SUMMER(Gaither Sisters #1)
by Rita William-Garcia
NEWBERY Honor Book
Scott O'Dell Award (2011)
National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal
**Starred Review** HornBook
**Starred Review** ALA Booklist
**National Book Ward Finalist**
In
the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland,
California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know,
eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold
welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and
printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to
attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.
Common Core Recommended
Word Count: 45,483
Page Count:
Accelerated Reader: 4.6 / points: 7.0
AR quiz: 135338
Lexile: 750L
Lockdown
by Walter Dean Myers
Other Awards and Mentions:
**starred review** Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Description: When I first got to Progress, it freaked me out to be locked in a room and unable to get out. But after a while, when you got to thinking about it, you knew nobody could get in, either.
It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his friend Toon get jumped? Then Reese gets a second chance when he's picked for the work program at a senior citizens' home. He doesn't mean to keep messing up, but it's not so easy, at Progress or in life. One of the residents, Mr. Hooft, gives him a particularly hard time. If he can convince Mr. Hooft that he's a decent person, not a criminal, maybe he'll be able to convince himself.
Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers offers an honest story about finding a way to make it without getting lost in the shuffle.
It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his friend Toon get jumped? Then Reese gets a second chance when he's picked for the work program at a senior citizens' home. He doesn't mean to keep messing up, but it's not so easy, at Progress or in life. One of the residents, Mr. Hooft, gives him a particularly hard time. If he can convince Mr. Hooft that he's a decent person, not a criminal, maybe he'll be able to convince himself.
Acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers offers an honest story about finding a way to make it without getting lost in the shuffle.
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Amistad
- ISBN-10: 0061214825
- Look Inside
- amazon
Technical Stuff
Word Count: 45,613
Reading Level: 4.7
Interest Level: Young Adult/some Middle-Graders
Accelerated Reading level: 4.7 / points: 7.0 / quiz: 135792
Ninth Wardby Jewell Parker Rhodes
Description: In New Orleans' Ninth Ward, twelve-year-old Lanesha, who can see spirits, and her adopted grandmother have no choice but to stay and weather the storm as Hurricane Katrina bears down upon them.
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- ISBN-10: 0316043079
- amazon
Technical Stuff
Word Count: 32,545
Reading Level: 3.3
Reading level: Tweens/Middle-Grade
Accelerated Reading level: 3.3 / points: 4.0 / quiz: 139032
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside ShortyWritten by G. Neri
Illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Other Awards and Mentions:
**starred review** Kirkus
**starred review** Booklist
**starred review** Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Description: A graphic novel based on the true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year old African American gang member from Chicago who shot a young girl and was then shot by his own gang members.
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Paperback: 96 pages
- Publisher: Lee & Low Books (July 30, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 1584302674
- Look Inside
- amazon
2011 Illustrator Winner
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, SlaveIllustrated by Bryan Collier,
Written by Laban Carrick Hill
Description: Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 7, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 031610731X
- amazon
Technical Stuff
Word Count: 1,736
Reading Level: 6.0
Reading level: Elementary
Accelerated Reading level: 6.0 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 139661 /
2011 Illustrator Honoree
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi HendrixIllustrated by Javaka Steptoe
Written by Gary Golio
Other Awards and Mentions:
**starred review** Kirkus
**starred review** School Library Journal
Description: Jimi Hendrix was many things: a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. But first, he was a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself a question: Could someone paint pictures with sound?
This a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll.
This a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll.
- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Clarion Books (October 4, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 0618852794
- Look Inside
- amazon
Technical Stuff
Word Count: 1,740
Reading Level: 5.6
Reading level: Elementary/Middle-Grade
Accelerated Reading level: 5.6 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 140255 /
