Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table (CSKBART)

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

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Look back at our 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards from 2019.

Congratulations to the 2023 CSK Winners and Honors!

2023 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Winners and Honors
2023 Author Winner
	“Freewater,” written by Amina Luqman-Dawson, is the Coretta Scott King Author Book winner. The book is published by JIMMY Patterson/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
2023 Illustrator Winner
	“Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual,” illustrated by Frank Morrison, is the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.
Author Honor Titles
	“Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler,” written by Ibi Zoboi and published by Dutton Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
	“The Talk,” written by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
	“Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice,” written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Illustrator Honor Titles
	Me and the Boss: A Story about Mending and Love,” illustrated by April Harrison, written by Michelle Edwards and published by Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House
	“Swim Team,” illustrated and written by Johnnie Christmas and published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
	Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice,” illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, written by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner
	“We Deserve Monuments,” written by Jas Hammonds, is the John Steptoe New Talent Author award winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner
	“Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement,” illustrated by Janelle Washington, is the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator award winner. The book is written by Angela Joy and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
	Dr. Claudette McLinn is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. Dr. McLinn is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL). She is a retired district supervising librarian for the LA Unified School District with over 34 years of experience, a former bookseller and a much sought-after book award juror/presenter.