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
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:
This week I will feature award winners and honors from the Coretta Scott Book Awards. This year’s winners and honors:
2025 Author Winner: Twenty-four Seconds From Now by Jason Reynolds
2025 Illustrator Award Winner: My Daddy is a Cowboy illustrated by C. G. Esperanza
2025 Author Honor Book: Black Girl You are Atlas by Renee Watson
2025 Illustrator Honor Book: Coretta, The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Born January 14, John Oliver Killens wrote several novels, two of which were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction: And Then We Heard the Thunder and The Cotillion, or One Good Bull is Half the Herd. More information about John Oliver Killens can be found here
Born January 15, 1933, Ernest J. Gaines is an African American author of eight novels and several short stories. Three novels became movies: A Lesson Before Dying, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and A Gathering of Old Men. One short story, The Sky is Gray, was adapted for a movie. More information about his books can be found here
There is also an award given to a rising African American author: The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
Born January 14, Dudley Randall was a poet and founder of Broadside Press, which published many works of poetry. He was also Detroit’s first Poet Laureate
His book: The Black Poets
Another book: Roses and Revolutions
A book about him: Wrestling With the Muse
Born January 13, Sharon Robinson is the daughter of Jackie Robinson. She is also a nurse-midwife, health writer, author, and educator. She has written several books about Jackie Robinson and herself.
Book 1: Her memoir, Child of the Dream
Book 2: Jackie Robinson’s biography, Promises to Keep
Book 3: Jackie’s Nine
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.
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
Grace F. Edwards, born January 3 in Harlem was a novelist and mystery writer.
Her novel: In the Shadow of the Peacock
She also was the author of the Mali Anderson mystery series: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/7826/grace-f-edwards
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