Essence Magazine - Kid's Literary Award Nominees

Essence Magazine will honor African-American writers via the Essence Literary Awards. The nominees for the awards--in fiction, nonfiction, children's, poetry, commentary/public affairs, memoir and photography were selected by the editors of Essence and are listed on the Essence website. The nominees in the Children's category are:

• Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine illustrated by Kadir Nelson/Scholastic
• Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace and Raul Colon/Jump at the Sun
• Marvelous World by Troy Cle/Simon & Schuster�s Children�s Publishing
• The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-mbachu/Jump at the Sun
• Sallie Gal and the Wall-a-Kee Man by Shelia P. Moses and Niki Daly/Scholastic

The winners will receive their awards during Black History Month, on February 7, 2008, at a ceremony in New York city, hosted by Hoda Kotb of the Today Show and Dr. Ian Smith.