Coretta Scott King Award Winners and Honorables: Juvenile and YA Titles

This list contains the winners and honored authors and illustrators for the Coretta Scott King Award that we carry throughout the Sussex County Library System from 1990 to present day. This award goes to any African American children's or young adult author or illustrator that has reflected the African American experience through their works outstandingly.

In honor of Coretta Scott King who, often remembered as Martin King Jr's wife, has also been referred to as "First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement".

Updated June 6, 2025
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Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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The crossover /
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Series streaming now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James! The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse. "With a bolt of lightning on my...
An American Story
Alexander, Kwame/ Coulter, Dare (CON)
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Book A 2023 New York Times Best Children's Book A 2023 Publisher's Weekly Best Picture Book An NPR Best Book of the Year #1 New York Times Bestselling and...
Trombone Shorty /
Andrews, Troy
Paper Book
A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner Hailing from the Trem\u00e9 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...
Moon over Star
Aston, Dianna Hutts.
CD
In July 1969, the world witnessed an awe-inspiring historical achievement when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon. For the young protagonist of this lyrical and hopeful picture book, that landing is something that inspires her to make one giant step toward...
Crown :
Barnes, Derrick
Paper Book
Winner of the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers A Newbery Honor Book A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book An Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Book An Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor...
Beautiful blackbird /
Bryan, Ashley
Paper Book
A tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia gets new life in this picture book adaptation from Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan about appreciating one's heritage and discovering the beauty within. Black is beautiful, uh-huh! Long ago, Blackbird...
Swim team /
Christmas, Johnnie
Paper Book
"Combines wonderful characters and history to create a story that will make you want to dive right in!" JERRY CRAFT, author of the Newbery Medal-winning New Kid A splashy, contemporary middle grade graphic novel from bestselling comics creator Johnnie Christmas! Bree can't wait for...
Firebird : ballerina Misty Copeland shows a young girl how to dance like the firebird
Copeland, Misty
Paper Book
In her debut picture book, Misty Copeland tells the story of a young girl--an every girl--whose confidence is fragile and who is questioning her own ability to reach the heights that Misty has reached. Misty encourages this young girl's faith in herself and shows her exactly how, through hard work...
Bud, not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book
The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning classic about a boy who decides to hit the road to find his father--from Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.   It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan....
The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book
During one of the most important times in the civil rights movement, one unforgettable family goes on a road trip in this Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree, from author Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. ...
Me and the boss : a story about mending and love
Edwards, Michelle
Paper Book
CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR AWARD WINNER CHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW AWARD WINNER All the highs and lows of having a bossy, protective, and loving older sibling are depicted in this heartwarming picture book by a critically acclaimed author and award-winning illustrator....
Kwame crashes the underworld /
Farmer, Craig Kofi,
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.
Rosa /
Giovanni, Nikki
Paper Book
An inspiring account of an event that shaped American history She had not sought this moment but she was ready for it. When the policeman bent down to ask "Auntie, are you going to move?" all the strength of all the people through all those many years joined in her. She...
Big /
Harrison, Vashti
Paper Book
Winner of the Caldecott Medal! A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty of joyful acceptance,...
Coretta :
King, Coretta Scott,
Paper Book
Celebrate the life of the extraordinary civil and human rights activist Coretta Scott King with this picture book adaptation of her critically acclaimed adult memoir. This is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King--wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.; founder of the Martin Luther...
I have a dream
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Paper Book
Experience history with this picture book of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic speech, including an audio CD. This Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book will inspire young readers! From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King- "My father's dream...
Last stop on Market Street
de la Pen?a, Matt
Paper Book
On Sundays, CJ and his nana ride the bus across town to their stop on Market Street. But today, CJ's not happy about it. Today, he's wondering out loud why they have to wait in the rain and why they don't have a car like his other friends. But it's Nana who opens young CJ's eyes and shows him the...
Day of tears :
Lester, Julius,
Paper Book
Since their mother Fanny left, Emma has taken care of the Butler children, Sarah and Frances. She wants to raise them to have good hearts, as a rift in morals has ripped the Butler household apart: Sarah and their mother oppose the inhumanity of slavery while Frances and their father Pierce believe...
March. Book one
Lewis, John
Paper Book
#1New York TimesBestseller Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon and key figure of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to...
Freewater
Luqman-Dawson, Amina
Paper Book
Winner of the John Newbery Medal Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award  An Indiebound Bestseller A New York Times Bestseller Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical,...
Go forth and tell :
McDaniel, Breanna J.
Paper Book
Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Kirkus Best Books of the Year Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year New York Public Library Best Books of the Year ALSC Notable Children's Books Horn Book Fanfare BolognaRazzi Award...
Jimmy's rhythm & blues :
Meadows, Michelle
Paper Book
Celebrate James Baldwin's one-hundredth birthday anniversary with the first-ever illustrated biography of this legendary writer, orator, activist, and intellectual. Before he became a writer, James "Jimmy" Baldwin was a young boy from Harlem, New York, who loved stories. He...
Remember : the journey to school integration
Morrison, Toni.
Paper Book
Remember is a unique pictorial and narrative journey that introduces children to a watershed period in American history and its relevance to us today. This beautiful 80-page hardcover picture book is a Coretta Scott King Award winner. Toni Morrison collected a treasure chest of archival...
H.O.R.S.E. :
Myers, Christopher
Paper Book
One day at the basketball court, two kids, a familiar challenge--H.O.R.S.E.? But this isn't your grandmother's game of hoops. Not when a layup from the other side of the court, standing on one foot, with your eyes closed is just the warm-up. Around the neighborhood,...
Heart and soul :
Nelson, Kadir
Paper Book
The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. In Heart and Soul, Kadir Nelson's stirring paintings and words grace 100-plus pages of a gorgeous picture book--a beautiful gift for readers of all ages, a treasure to share...
Nelson Mandela
Nelson, Kadir
Paper Book
This stunning picture book biography of Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson is a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Honor award. In this lush, acclaimed book, award-winning author-illustrator Kadir Nelson tells the story of global icon and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson...
We are the ship the story of Negro League baseball
Nelson, Kadir
CD
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America...
How I discovered poetry /
Nelson, Marilyn,
Paper Book
A powerful and thought-provoking Civil Rights era memoir from one of America's most celebrated poets.   Looking back on her childhood in the 1950s, Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Marilyn Nelson tells the story of her development as an artist and young woman...
Bad news for outlaws :
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Author Award Read about the fascinating life of Bass Reeves, who escaped slavery to become the first African American Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi. Sitting tall in the saddle, with a wide-brimmed black hat and twin Colt pistols on his...
No crystal stair : a documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller
Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux.
Paper Book
"You can't walk straight on a crooked line. You do you'll break your leg. How can you walk straight in a crooked system?" Lewis Michaux was born to do things his own way. When a white banker told him to sell fried chicken, not books, because "Negroes don't read," Lewis took five books and one...
Hand in hand :
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Paper Book
In this New York Times Notable Children's Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, follow the life stories of ten Black men in American history and the legacies they left that forever changed the country. Hand in Hand presents the stories of ten men from...
Josephine :
Powell, Patricia Hruby,
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Book Award, Illustrator, Honor Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, Honor Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Nonfiction Honor Parent's Choice Award Wall Street Journal's 10 Best Children's Books of the Year List Bologna Ragazzi Nonfiction Honor...
Martin's big words :
Rappaport, Doreen
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book ● This "stunning, reverent" (School Library Journal) picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brings his...
Long way down : the graphic novel
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Jason Reynolds's Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Long Way Down is now a gripping, galvanizing graphic novel, with haunting artwork by Danica...
Twenty-four seconds from now :
Reynolds, Jason.
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner A New York Times Bestseller Seven starred reviews! "Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish...This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and...
Tar Beach /
Ringgold, Faith
Paper Book
CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD WINNER * CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK * A NEW YORK TIMES BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK Acclaimed artist Faith Ringgold seamless weaves fiction, autobiography, and African American history into a magical story that resonates with the universal wish for freedom, and will...
Only passing through :
Rockwell, Anne F.
Paper Book
A powerful picture book biography of one of the abolitionist movement's most compelling voices. Sojourner Truth traveled the country in the latter half of the 19th century, speaking out against slavery. She told of a slave girl who was sold three times by age 13, who was beaten for not...
Little Melba and her big trombone
Russell-Brown, Katheryn
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA) NAACP Image Awards Nominee - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) A biography of African American jazz virtuoso Melba Doretta Liston, a pioneering twentieth-century...
My daddy is a cowboy /
Seales, Stephanie,
Paper Book
Tall. High as the clouds. Strong as a horse's back. Like a cowboy. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and...
X : a novel
Shabazz, Ilyasah
Paper Book
A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Cowritten by Malcolm X's daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world. Malcolm Little's parents have always told him that he can achieve...
Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice
Smith, Tommie
Paper Book
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...
The hate u give /
Thomas, Angie
Paper Book
8 starred reviews · Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best  ·  William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Absolutely riveting!" --Jason Reynolds "Stunning." -...
Nina :
Todd, Traci N.
Paper Book
A 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Honoree!   This luminous, defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the remarkable and inspiring story of acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy. ...
Black girl you are atlas /
Watson, Renâee
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award A thoughtful celebration of Black girlhood by award-winning author and poet Renee Watson. In this semi-autobiographical collection of poems, Renee Watson writes about her experience...
Piecing me together /
Watson, Renâee
Paper Book
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner New York Times bestseller "Timely and timeless." -Jacqueline Woodson "Important and deeply moving." -John Green Bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson offers a powerful...
How do you spell unfair? :
Weatherford, Carole Boston,
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book "This moving picture book portrays a girl who met injustice with dignity and excelled."--Booklist (starred review) From a multi-award-winning pair comes a deeply affecting portrait of...
Kin :
Weatherford, Carole Boston,
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book A Boston Globe-Horn Book Poetry Award Winner An "imaginative and moving" (The Horn Book, starred review) portrait of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom, rendered in searing poems by ALSC Children's...
Moses :
Weatherford, Carole Boston,
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Award Winner From a highly acclaimed author and bestselling artist comes a resounding, reverent tribute to Harriet Tubman, the woman who earned the name Moses for her heroic role in the Underground...
Standing in the need of prayer : a modern retelling of the classic spiritual
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD WINNER * CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR AWARD WINNER * A stunning and deeply moving picture book based on the popular spiritual from an award-winning author and critically acclaimed illustrator. The classic lyrics have been reworked to chronicle the milestones,...
The talk /
Williams, Alicia,
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner! As a little boy grows into a bigger boy, ready to take on the world, he first must have that very difficult conversation far too familiar to so many Black and Brown Americans in this gentle and ultimately hopeful picture book.
Before the ever after
Woodson, Jacqueline
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies...
Each kindness /
Woodson, Jacqueline
Paper Book
WINNER OF A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR AND THE JANE ADDAMS PEACE AWARD! Each kindness makes the world a little better This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On...
Brown girl dreaming
Woodson, Jacqueline
CD
Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the...
Nigeria Jones /
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
Paper Book
Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner! "An unwavering proclamation of Black girlhood." --Candice Iloh, author of National Book Award finalist Every Body Looking From Ibi Zoboi, bestselling, award-winning author of American Street and coauthor of Punching the Air,...
The people remember /
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
Paper Book
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her debut picture book--a tour de force that uses the principles of Kwanzaa to talk about the history of African Americans. This lyrical, powerful tribute is sumptuously illustrated by New Yorker artist and rising star Loveis...
Star child : a biographical constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
Zoboi, Ibi Aanu
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler, author of Parable of the Sower and...

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