2010 MOCK CSK Book Award Nominations

It's that time of year again - time to guess who might win an annual author or illustrator Coretta Scott King Book Award or Honor. The real awards will be unveiled in just a few short weeks. Serving on this year's actual committee are: Dr. Jonda C. McNair, Jury Chair, Dr. Lesley Colabucci, Washington, D.C. Children's Librarian Eboni Curry, Dr. Cora Dunkley, Diane Foote of Chicago, Debby Gold of Ohio, and Karen Lemmons of Detroit, MI.

Kyra's 2011 Mock CSK Book Award Lists - AUTHORS











Mock 2011 Author Book Award Winner: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Mock 2011 Author Honor Winners:

• Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Pickney
• Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama (Raise your hand if you gave this one as a Christmas gift!?)
  
• Yummy: The Last Days of the Southside Shorty by Greg Nevi (graphic novel)

Mock 2011 New Author Award - between two!

• Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey. I have to admit, I thought the Green Book was what used to hold the S&H Green Stamps! Just love learning about new aspects of history!
• Eight-Grade Super-Zero by Olugbemisloa Rhuday-Perkovich. Hopefully, the start of a series.
  

Kyra's 2011 Mock CSK Book Award Lists - ILLUSTRATORS
























MOCK 2011 Illustrator Award - Javaka Steptoe for Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

MOCK 2011 Illustrator Honors:

• Sonia Lynn Sadler for Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World
• Don Tate for She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story
• Shandra Strickland for A Place Where Hurricanes Happen

As always, I wonder if those who have self-published children's and young adult books have taken the time and effort to complete an application to be considered for the 2011 awards. I wonder if a graphic novel will indeed win an award... or if an e-book only will win an award.

To read other predicitions for the 2011 CSK Book Awards, visit the Brown Book Shelf blog or the discussion at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana Mock CSK Book Award blog. Or, you can simply leave your comments here! Who do you think should be on the winners' lists?! Enjoy!

2009 Coretta Scott King Awards - Another Year of Mock Silence?

Do a blog search - is there any chatter on mock Coretta Scott King Awards for 2009? No librarians seem to be talking about the CSK awards? No bloggers? No book industry publications? I have not been able to find any, so decided to start a thread given the awards are coming out later this month. Here are my picks for 2009 - what are yours?

2009 Mock CSK - Author Award Nominees

• Sunrise Over Falluja by Walter Dean Myers (He's won a CSK Award 9 times before)
  
• Letters to a Young Sister by Hill Harper (Should have been honored for 2007 Letters to a Young Brother)
  
• Brand New School, Brand New Ruby by Derrick Barnes (Dark horse, I don't think any CSK Award has gone towards a series novel... Think Connie Rose Porter of the American Girls Addy book series ... or the Willimenia Rules! series by Valerie Wilson Wesley... or... you get my point.)
• You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy - a popular book with over 25 Amazon comments.
  

2009 Mock John Steptoe New Talent Award - Author Nominees

• Bird by Zetta Elliott. This book also won a Lee & Low New Voices honor award.
  
• Howard Thurman's Great Hope by Kai Jackson Issa
  

2009 Mock CSK - Illustrator Award Nominees

• Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope illustrated by Bryan Collier. Collier has won the CSK Illustrator award five times previous. Did the newly published book get submitted in time for the December deadline?
  
• We Are the Ships: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson, a three time CSK award winner. Very strong promotional efforts in 2008; many Amazon comments.
  
• A Man for All Seasons: The Life of George Washington Carver illustrated by Wil Clay. Clay has also won a CSK award before. Georgeous illustrations in this book, but is the subject of Carver too nineteenth century given the new dawn of Obama?
• No Mush Today illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. Just so sweet!
  
• Art from Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter illustrated by Shane Evans. I admit, I'm biased on this and the next selection. How can we live in a world that Shane Evans' illustrations have not been at leasted HONORED for a CSK Award. Did you know that 31% of all past CLK Illustrator Awards have gone to just five illustrators (Ashley Bryan, Jerry Pinkney, Leo Dillion and Diane Dillion and Bryan Collier). Now, this is no disrespect to any winning illustrators - I just can't understand why one award would continue to go to the same folks year after year. Judges?
  
• Stitchin' and Pullin': A Gee's Bend Quilt illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera. Again, I'm biased. I'm a quilter and happen to be a fan of Cozbi's illustrations and dolls. There have been 37 illustrators to win any CSK Illustrator award - less than 10 have been women. Last year sistah Nancy Devard won an Honor award. As for the Gee's Bend Quilting subject matter, these quilts are of historical importance. In 2008 there were three different law suits regarding aspects of the Gee's Bend Quilt phenomena. What other woman illustrator would you nominate for 2009?
  

2009 Mock John Steptoe New Talent Award - Illustrator Nominees

• Howard Thurman's Great Hope illustrated by Arthur L. Dawson.
• March On!: The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World illustrated by London Ladd.
• Bird illustrated by Shadra Strickland. Did you know there have been ZERO... NONE... NO female winners of the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator award? None. Maybe 2009?
  

Now, if there was a CSK Award for compiling a book ... my nominee would be

• Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat edited by sistah poet Nikki Giovanni

I also think if there were awards for promoting the cause of African American literature in 2008, one nominee would be ....

• The Brown Bookshelf blog - What a tremendous job this team of Paula Chase Hyman, Varian Johnson, Don Tate, Kelly Starling Lyons, and Carla Sarratt has done to keep us all updated on new books, authors and illustrators. I, for one, am looking forward to the 2nd annual 28 Days Later Black History calendar!
  

So, who do you think will win CSK Awards in 2009? How many new winners will there be? How many women? Will there be a year when a self-published African American author or illustrator wins? What say you?

African American Picture Books - May 2007

Here's the May installment in my quest to list 2007 Children's Picture Books by Black authors or illustrators. Ok - so far was only able to locate one title.

1. When Gorilla Goes Walking by Nikki Grimes, Shane Evans (illustrator) Pub. Orchard Books Cecilia, her cat Gorilla and poetry!

If you have a moment, visit the websites of Nikki Grimes and Shane Evans.

African American Picture Books - April 2007

Next up in my quest to list 2007 Children's Picture Books by African American authors or illustrators - books released in April 2007:

1. Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me by Ann Grialconi, Jerry Pinkney (illustrator). Pub. Jump At The Sun.


2. Cherish Today: A Celebration of Life's Moments by Kristina Evans, Bryan Collier (illustrator). Pub. Jump At The Sun

African American Picture Books - March 2007

Here's the next post in my quest to list 2007 Children's Picture Books by African American authors or illustrators.

African American Picture Books - Black Authors or Illustrators - March 2007 release

1. The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington, Shelley Jackson (illustrator). Pub - Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2. Sweet Land of Liberty by Deborah Hopkinson, Leonard Jenkins (illustrator). Pub. Peachtree Publishers
3. Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman, Cbabi Bayoc (illustrator) Pub. Children's Book Press
4. Serene by Ethel Carter Ross and Cbabi Bayoc (illustrator). Pub. Trafford. “… fairytale that promotes good manners, kindness, and respect towards others.”

African American Picture Books - February 2007

As you may have read, I'm on a quest to list - by month - the children's picture books written or illustrated by an African American and copyrighted in 2007. My methods aren't scientific. I don't work for a publisher, literary magazine, or newspaper with access to advanced books. So, I can use some help. Guess how many I located (so far?) for February 2007?
African American Picture Books - Black Authors or Illustrators - February 2007

1. Mee-An and the Magic Serpent by West African Baba Wagué Diakité

Yep. Could only find one title so far. One. Uno. Though I'm glad for this one cover. I love the folk art quality. I want to turn the page to learn more about Mee-An. I can tell already that this list-making business is going to be expense! Do send a note if you know of any other Feb titles. Enjoy!

African American Picture Books - January 2007

Earlier this year I learned about this phenomenon to anticipate the annual winners of various children's book awards, such as the Newbery or Caldecott Awards. These Mock award committees try to guess what the actual award committees will (or should) select (Click to link to one site.)

Rarely did I see blog sites conduct mock awards for the Coretta Scott King Author or Illustrator Awards. The awards, given annually by the American Library Association Social Responsibilities Round Table and the Coretta Scott King Task Force, to "African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions ... [to] promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream." The first author award was presented in 1970. In 1995, the John Steptoe Award for New Talent was added to "affirm new talent and offer visibility to excellence in writing or illustration at the beginning of a career as a published book creator."

To assist with 2008 Mock award discussions, I'll create a list of new picture books by African American authors or illustrators - by month with 2007 copyrights. The list will include traditionally published as well as self-published titles. Do feel free to recommend suggestions for the list!

African American Picture Books - Black Authors or Illustrators - January 2007

1. Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, Kadir Nelson (illustrator)
2. King for a Day by Leon III Goss, Chris Nichols (illustrator)
3. Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals by Ashley Bryan
4. Lily Brown’s Paintings by Angela Johnson, E.B. Lewis (illustrator)
5. Martha Ann’s Quilt for Queen Victoria by Kyra E. Hicks, Lee Edward Födi (illustrator)
6. Michael’s Golden Rule by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan, Kadir Nelson (illustrator)
7. Selfus Esteemus Personalitus Low by Leon III Goss, Ken Tunell (illustrator)
8. Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson, Loren Long (illustrator)
9. God, Can You Hear Me? by Justine Simmons, Robert Papp (illustrator). Pub – Amistad.
10. I Dream For You a World: A Covenant for Our Children by Charisse Carney-Nunes (and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member), Ann Marie Williams (illustrator). Pub - Brand Nu Words.
11. Shouting! by Joyce Carol Thomas, Annie Lee (illustrator). Pub – Jump at the Sun.