Julius Lester, children’s and adult author, was born January 27. He passed away in 2018. More information about Julius Lester can be found here:
365 Black Books: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Thursday
Born January 24, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was was an Afro-Puerto Rican historian who moved to the United States and spent his life collecting materials demonstrating the accomplishments of the African diaspora and the scope of Black history.
His book: The Negro: A Selected Bibliography
Biography 1: Diasporic Blackness The Life and Times of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Vanessa K. Valdes
Biography 2: Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Elinor Des Verney Sinnette
Biography 3 (A children’s book): Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
365 Black Books 2019 CSK Book Awards Saturday
2019 Author Winner: A Few Red Drops by Claire Hartfield
2019 Illustrator Winner: The Stuff of Stars; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
2019 Author Honor Title: The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
2019 Illustrator Honor Title: Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
365 Black Books 2020 CSK Book Awards Friday
2020 Author Winner: New Kid by Jerry Craft
2020 Illustrator Award Winner: The Undefeated; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2020 John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
2020 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner: What is Given From the Heart; illustrated by April Harrison
365 Black Books 2021 CSK Book Award Winners Thursday
2021 Author Winner: Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
2021 Illustrator Winner: R-E-S-P-E-C-T; illustrated by Frank Morrison
2021 Author Honor Title: Lifting as We Climb by Evette Dionne
2021 Illustrator Honor Title: Magnificent Homespun Brown; illustrated by Kaylani Juanita
365 Black Books: 2022 CSK Award Winners Wednesday
2022 CSK Author and Illustrator Award Winner: Unspeakable The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Floyd Cooper
2022 Author Honor Book: Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
2022 John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: Me(Moth) by Amber McBride
2022 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner: The Me I Choose to Be; illustrated by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt
365 Black Books 2023 CSK Book Awards Tuesday
The following books were 2023 CSK Book Award Winners
2023 Author Winner: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
2023 Illustrator Winner: Standing in the Need of Prayer; illustrated by Frank Morrison
2023 John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
2023 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner: Choosing Brave; illustrated by Janelle Washington
365 Black Books 2024 CSK Book Awards Monday
2024 Author Winner: Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
2024 Illustrator Winner: An American Story art by Dare Coulter
2024 John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner: There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia
2024 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner:
365 Black Books MiSelf in Books Monday
These three books are from the 2025 Miself in Book list. You can view the list here.
Book 1 (Elementary): Black Star by Kwame Alexander
Book 2 (Middle Grade): One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Book 3 (Young Adult): Knucklehead Poems by Tony Keith, Jr.
365 Black Books BCALA 2024 BOTB Saturday
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) will soon be publishing the 2025 Best of the Best Books (BOTB). In the meantime, check out these books from the 2024 BOTB list.
Elementary: A Voice of Hope The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story by Nadia Saloman; illustrated by London Ladd
Middle Grade: Onyx & Beyond by Amber McBride
Young Adult Tanglefoot by Kalela Williams
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 