Inside the Coretta Scott King book awards
Coretta Scott King was born this week (April 27 to be exact), so it's a good time to look at the book award that bears her name. There's also a Baltimore connection: Deborah Taylor, the Enoch Pratt's coordinator of school and student services, is the chair of the awards committee. We asked her about the program, which is in its 40th year.
Why is the awards program is important?
This awards program has been instrumental in spotlighting the best work created by African American authors and illustrators. [In 2009, Kadir Nelson won the author award for We Are The Ship and Floyd Cooper won the illustrator award for The Blacker the Berry.] The awards provide assurance to teachers, librarians, and parents that the awarded books have been carefully read and evaluated for literary quality and for the insight they provide into the African American experience.
Do the award winners carry a central theme or message for readers in Baltimore and other cities?
The award winners send a strong message of the depth of experiences in African American culture. They often highlight the resilience of young people and how much all readers can learn from and be inspired by African American history and culture.
How have the award-winning books evolved over the past 40 years?
Certainly the range of topics has greatly expanded over the past 40 years. Subject matter and stories are more sophisticated, something that is also reflected in the field of children’s publishing as a whole.
What are two or three personal favorites among past award winners?
A few years ago, the book we selected for a citywide reading program, Baltimore’s Book, was a Coretta Scott King Award winner. That book Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson, is such a lyrical and poetic novel about three brothers trying to stay united as a family despite losing their parents and the middle brother’s attraction to the urban streets.
Kadir Nelson won for his illustrations of Ntozake Shange’s poem, Ellington Was Not a Street. Every time I look at his dramatic, intelligent illustrations, I’m struck by how much they illuminate a particular period in African American history. Interestingly, Kadir Nelson won this year’s Award for his writing in We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. This book represents an amazing achievement in writing, illustration, and research.
Comments
This is a good, positive interview affirming the importance and quality of
African-American literature, authors, and illustrators. Deb Taylor possesses the spirit of the award and the experience in young adult literature to represent the CSK Award's value to publishing. I hope it inspires the many aspiring authors and illustrators for years to come.
Posted by: Eunice | April 29, 2009 10:17 AM