Great Reads: The Coretta Scott King Book Awards

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The Coretta Scott King Book Award, awarded yearly by the American Library Association, recognizes the best books by African American authors and illustrators about the African American experience. In this, the third in a series of articles about some of the award-winners, Carole McCollough, who was the head of the jury that picked the winners, discusses the winning books, and Barbara Clark discusses the work of Walter Dean Myers, who was recognized for his lifetime achievement.

You will find some new favorites with the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Mare's War and the John Steptoe New Talent winner, The Rock and the River.   Mare's War, written by Tanita S. Davis, tells two stories: One of modern-day sisters Octavia and Tali, and the other of their outspoken grandmother, Mare. On a cross-country trip with Mare, the entitled siblings learn much about their grandmother. Mare had a rough start in life, so when she had the opportunity to join the Women’s Army Corps, she left both her mother and beloved younger sister to enlist. This is a surprise to the teenagers, who are more interested in their phones, clothes, and friends than they are in their forthright grandmother. But as the road from California opens up to Texas and beyond, Mare’s story captivates and transforms the girls. It’s a ride that you will want to share.

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon breaks new ground in her heartbreaking story of brothers Sam and Stick, sons of a civil rights worker who is fighting for equality in Chicago during the pinnacle of the civil rights era. While Stick is drawn to the social agenda of the Black Panther Party, Sam is torn between the nonviolent message his father preaches and the increasing militancy he sees in his brother. Novels exploring the lives of the children of civil rights leaders are rare and this one is exciting, fast-moving, and heartrending. You may be surprised to discover the socially progressive agenda of the Black Panther Party, and appreciate the difficult choice Sam has to make. Magoon tells an important, gripping story set in a time of seething racism, terrifying choices, and confusing rhetoric. These complex characters have to make decisions that are remarkably like some you may face today.

Brand-new this year is the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award, which honored Walter Dean Myers, was honored for his lifetime achievement as an author. In books like Scorpions, Amiri & Odette, Somewhere in the Darkness, Motown and Didi, Mojo and the Russians, Monster, Fallen Angels, and Sunrise Over Fallujah, his characters have grappled with life-changing decisions, romance, family relationships, friendships, sports, adventure, music, incarceration, and war. In this video, award committee chair Barbara Clark discusses the award and why the committee picked Walter Dean Myers to honor:

So, the next time you are ready for a new book, choose these or previous years’ Coretta Scott King Award-winning books. You will not be disappointed!

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