Coretta Scott King Awards - Statistics 1970 to 2011

The 42nd Annual Coretta Scott King Book Awards were announced this week. The awards are for outstanding books for children and young adults by an African American author. The annual illustrator award was added in 1974. A Lifetime Achievement award was added in 2010. Congratulations to all nine 2011 recipients!

Since 2008, I've kept a spreadsheet on each year's winners. Simple items: year, what award won, name of recipient, title of the book, publisher, and whether winner was male, female or part of a team. I wish I had other insights to add: retail sales data, number of libraries which have the book in their collection, number of books published for children and young adults by African American authors or illustrators (what was the total universe of potential books), or number of books submitted that year for CSK Book Award consideration (how big was the pool from which winners selected). Or, I wish I could categorize the celebrity status of each author or illustrator (Berry Gordy and Pearl Bailey have won; but not Whoopi or Jada Pinkett-Smith). Is there such a thing as a "Walter Dean Myers brand"? I also wish I could categorize each book by mutually exclusive themes (e.g., historical, contemporary, picture book vs chapter) to see if there is any change in winning themes over time.

I'm not a statistician. I am a quilter and author of a children's book, Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria (True story!) and a couple other books about African American quilting history. I am also curious and enjoy pivot tables!

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are an institution - a much needed one. Each year there is an Author and Illustrator award winner. Additionally, there might be one or more Honorable Mentions. Some years there are awards for newly published authors or illustrators. There is also now an award for lifetime contributions to the area of African American children's and young adult literature. Here are the latest statistics about the CSK Book Awards.

• There have been 255 total awards presented since 1970. 61% of the awards have gone to Authors, 38% to Illustrators and 1% to two individuals for lifetime achievement.

Are Women More Likely To Win a CSK Book Award?
I used to think that women were more likely to win a Coretta Scott King Book Award. And, on the face of things, it seems so. But, let's look more closely into the numbers!

• Putting all the recipients in the mix since 1970, African American women have received 49% of all Coretta Scott King Book awards; followed by 44% to Black men and 7% to teams or couple writers or illustrators.
• Black women tend to be the recipients of more Author awards and Black men tend to be the recipients of more Illustrator awards.

Let's look at only the WINNERS and not the Honors or Lifetime Achievers.

• There have been 93 Winners since 1970. 48% have been Black men and 47% have been Black women. So, women are not really more likely to WIN an award - just to be the recipient of an award.
• While not shown in the table, 80% of the New Talent Author Awards have been awarded to women. Five of the seven New Talent Illustrator Awards have been bestowed to men.

Which are the Winning Publishing Houses or Imprints?












The publishing world has changed considerably since 1970, which the first CSK Book Awards were given. My spreadsheet does not distinguish between publishers and imprints. The top five publishers since 1970 are: Scholastic (23 books), Dial (20 titles), Atheneum (14), Hyperion (12), and Harper Collins, Lothrop, and Simon & Schuster (each has 10 titles).

• Looking only at data from 2000 to 2011, there have been 86 CSK Book Awards given to works published by 35 publishers.
  
• 57% of the awards since 2000 have gone to books published by 10 children's book publishers. The top six publishers awarded a CSK Book Award are: Hyperion (9 titles or 10% of the 86 titles awarded), Scholastic (7 titles), Atheneum (6 titles), Henry Holt (6 titles), Simon and Schuster (5 titles), and Lee and Low (4 titles).
• While not shown here in the table, there have been 13 New Talent Awards (author and illustrators combined) since 2000. Farrar Straus Giroux and Lee and Low are the only two publishers to have won twice each.

Past CSK Book Award Recipients Likely to Win Again! If one has won a Coretta Scott King Book Award before, one is likely to win again.













Let's have a look at the table above. This shows the number of people or recipients who have received two or more author or illustrator awards, whether as the winner or honors, since 1970. The Lifetime Achievement Awards are not included.

• 41 recipients (male, female and couples) have received 175 awards or 69% of ALL CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARDS since 1970.
• 24 Authors (or 31% or all authors) have received 102 awards or 65% of all the Author awards given.
• 17 Illustrators (or 41% of all illustrators) have received 73 awards or 75% of all Illustrator awards given since 1970.
• While not shown on this table, no New Talent Award for Illustrators have gone on to win another CSK Book Award yet. There have been three New Talent Awards for Authors to go on to win another CSK Book Award: Hope Anita Smith, Sharon Flake, and Sharon Draper.
  

Let's look at the 2011 Coretta Scott King Awards.

• Author Book Award - One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. This is her second CSK Award; the first was in 1996 for Like Sisters on the Homefront.
  
• Author Honor Award - Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers. This is his tenth CSK Book Award. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
  
• Author Honor Award - Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
  
• Author Honor Award - Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri
  
• Illustrator Book Award - Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier. He has won five previous CSK illustrator awards/honors, including two in one year!
  
• Illustrator Honor Award - Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. This is his second CSK Book Award.
  

That's it. I've squeezed the last out of my Excel spreadsheet! My opinion on these stats? I am grateful for the exposure to African American kids literature provided by the CSK Book Awards. I celebrate those so honored. I still wish there were more authors and illustrators celebrated. There has to be more African American authors and illustrators of kids lit who are published AND who have sent their works into the CSK committee for review. I am not suggesting that awarding-winning level work not be rewarded. Nor am I asking previous multiple, multiple winners to simply not enter new works as awards lead to exposure and to potential sales... and we all have to feed our families. How is the pool of potential winners expanded? Is it really futile for a new or emerging author or illustrator to hope they can compete for a CSK Book Award? Given the emergence of self-publishing as a viable, profitable tool for authors - is it possible for a self-published book to compete for a CSK Book Award? Will there be innovations in the CSK Book Awards as eBooks and book apps gain in popularity? Only time will tell.

I'd love to hear what past CSK Book Award Judges say about the process. What is it like from their perspective? Does anyone know of any published article or video that shares a CSK judge's thoughts? Do share!

Again, congratulations to all the winners. I hope this summary is useful to the larger discourse. Thoughts?

Update: If you have a moment, visit the Reading in Color blog for the "My Issues with the Coretta Scott King Awards" for a great argument for separating picture books, middle grade school and young adult books. I wholeheartedly agree with her suggestions!

Who wins the Coretta Scott King Book Awards - a look at stats from 1970 to 2010

This year marks the 41st annual Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding books for children and young adults by an African American author. The annual illustrator award was added in 1974. Congratulations to the 2010 winners!

For the last three or so years, I've been updating an Excel spreadsheet about the past winners. Why? As a self-published children's book author, I've wondered if the CSK judging committee will ever be open to self-published authors or illustrators. I've not noticed any among the CSK winners list. I've also noticed that many CSK winners and honor recipients are in fact ... repeat winners. It's actually become fun to predict who the current year's winners may be based on which past winner has a new book out. Fifty percent (3 out of 6) of this year's recipients, including the Lifetime Achievement award, went to past CSK winners.

Are there so few talented and marketable African American authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature that one award committee must dip into the well repeatedly? The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked U.S. children's books by and about people of color since 1994. In 2008, the CCBC said there were 83 African American authors or illustrators published (or at least in the books they tracked). This was an increase of 7.8% over 2007. There are a host of African American children's book authors and illustrators - many not counted in traditional studies or reviewed in traditional kid's lit literature.

So - who wins a Coretta Scott King Book Award? I've categorized each winner since 1970: what year won, male/female/couple, author or illustrator, which award, publisher, birth year, age when prize won. Variables that I do not have: who was on the judging committee, genre of the winners, retail or wholesale sales, whether Publishers Weekly reviewed the book, or Accelerated Reader points for the various books. I also don't have an indicator if the winner of a picture book was paired with a past CSK winner. An example of this includes when an author of a picture book wins for the first time with a book that was illustrated by a previous CSK winner.

Here's what I've learned about the CSK Book Awards 1970 - 2010

• Black women are slightly more likely to win ... 122 or 49.6% of all CSK award recipients have been female.
  
• 43% of all CSK award recipients have been African American female authors
  
• 66% of the Black male winners/honorees have been Illustrators
• 7% of all CSK award recipients have been teams or couples

On the subject of repeat winners ....

• 52% of the 246 total Coretta Scott King awards given since 1970 have gone to recipients who have receive four or more awards!
• 23 folks have won more than four Coretta Scott King awards: 12 authors and 11 illustrators
• 71 out of the 152 author awards have gone to the same 12 African American authors. This is no disrespect to these fine folks or their body of literature - but put another way - nearly 1 in 2 Coretta Scott King author awards (46.7%) have gone to the same twelve folks. Does the United States of America really publish such few potential award-winning Black kid's lit authors?!
  
• On the illustrator front, 57 out of 94 illustrator awards have gone to the same 11 Black illustrators. Put another way... 60.6% of all Coretta Scott King awards for illustration have gone to the same 11 folks.
  
• Painting a more detailed picture.... 23 illustration awards have gone to the same talented four illustrators: Jerry Pinkney, Ashley Bryan, and the team of Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon. That's 1 in 4 CSK illustrator awards!
  

Getting a Coretta Scott King Book Award undoubtedly has a positive influence on sales and library placements. Today the winners were announced. At this moment, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson's CSK winning "Bad News for Outlaws" is 1,465 on Amazon sales rank. Just don't look for the CSK Book Award to be one to showcase many new authors or illustrators ... to venture beyond traditional publishing houses to self-published creators or small presses.

I doubt the CSK Book Awards will innovate the children's book category by embracing new publishing technologies .... who are the award-winning African American kid's lit authors and illustrators of eBooks or graphic novels or series. To be honest, I look to sources like the Brown Bookshelf for innovations and variety - can't wait to see what the 2010 28 Days Later campaign will bring to the world of African American children's and young adult literature.

I am grateful for the Coretta Scott King Book awards for its forty plus years of showcasing Black authors and illustrators. I just wish there were more!

Black Kid's Lit Authors/Illustrators - Up 7.8% in 2008

The Cooperative Children's Book Center has posted its annual statistics on the number of authors of color in the field of children's literature. The numbers are based on the books the CCBC receives each year. They received about 3,000 children's books last year.

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked children's books by and about people of color in the US since 1994. Its study of African American children's book authors goes back further to 1985.

In 2008, there was a 7.8% increase in black children's book authors or illustrators... 83 in 2008, up from 77 in 2007. Seems like the number of children's book authors or illustrators of color are up all around, according to the CCBC:

• 48 Latino Children's Book Authors/Illustrators in 2008, up from 42 in 2007
  
• 77 Asian American Children's Book Authors/Illustrators in 2008, up from 56 in 2007
• 9 American Indian Children's Book Authors/Illustrators in 2008, up from 6 in 2007

You can read more about the CCBC's thoughts on the 2008 publishing season and these statistics by clicking here. Special thanks to Megan Schliesman, CCBC Librarian, for answering my questions on these stats. So, what are your thoughts on the stats?

Black Kid's Lit Authors - Down 12% in 2007

The number of African American Children's Book authors published in 2007 has declined nearly 12% since 2006!

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked children's books by and about people of color in the US since 1994. Its study of African American children's book authors goes back further to 1985 (based on the books received by the CCBC). Recently the CCBC released the 2007 stats - an estimated 77 children's books by African American authors were published in 2007 out of an estimated 5,000 children's books published!

Seventy-seven Black Children's Book Authors - only? Indeed all kid lit authors of color are the same or down in 2007, according to the CCBC:

• 42 Latino Children's Book Authors in 2007, just as 2006
• 56 Asian American Children's Book Authors in 2007, down from 72 in 2006
• 6 American Indian Children's Book Authors in 2007, down from 14 in 2006

What's happening? Is there anyone talking about this decline in publishing circles or on the Internet? Have you read these CCBC statistics in the news? Did the CCBC send out a press release on these stats? Are authors of color just producing less? Or, does it just not matter?

There are several self-published children's book authors. Heck, I'm one! As part of the marketing of my book, Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria, I donated a copy to the CCBC to ensure that I was counted... and to ensure that an organization that promotes and studies children's literature has my book in its catalog for future readers. Ensuring that institutions that teach children's literature have your book, especially books about kids of color, in their libraries is important.

Is there a sense that the number of African American children's book authors published in 2008 will increase? What say you?

Getting a Seat at the Coretta Scott King Book Award Table

The first Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding book for children and young adults by an African American author was presented in 1970. The award for illustrators was added in 1974. The 2008 CSK Awards were presented this week - congratulations to all winners!

Looking into my database on past CSK selections for winner, honor, and new talent awards, the following stats appear:

• 36.8% of ALL (winner, honor, and new talent) awards have been presented to 13 recipients, who have been recognized with a CSK distinction five or more times over the years. The total number of awards is 85 for these 13 recipients. In my database an award to co-authors or co-illustrators is counted only once.
  
• 38 total recipients have received 162 of all Coretta Scott King Awards since 1970. These recipients have received two or more CSK distinctions. Believe it or not, that's 70.1% of all 231 CSK awards given over the last 38 years!
  

Looking more closely at Author awardees:

• 9 African American authors have received 40.3% of the total CSK author-related awards. These nine authors have received at least 5 or more CSK distinctions since 1970.
• 22 Black authors received 66.7% or 96 of the total CSK author-related awards. These 22 authors received at least two or more CSK distinctions over the years.

Looking more closely at Illustrator awardees:

• 4 African American illustrators have received 31.0% of the total CSK illustrator-related awards. These four illustrators have received at least 5 or more CSK distinctions since 1974.
• 16 Black illustrators received 75.9% or 66 of the total CSK illustrator-related awards. These 16 illustrators have received at least two or more CSK distinctions over the years.

To read more about the history of the Coretta Scott King Award, you might check out:

• Visit the ALA website for the CSK Award page or submission info.
• The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970 - 2004 by Henrietta M. Smith 3rd Ed., 163 pages

Coretta Scott King Awards 1970 - 2008 Statistics

Since 1970 the CSK Award winner and honor awards have been presented to 231 persons. (Note, where two or more won an award, I've classified as Couple.)

• 62% total author awards, 38% illustrator awards
• Women represent 69% of the author awards presented and 50% of ALL awards presented
  
• Men represent 75% of the illustrator awards presented and 43% of ALL awards presented
• Working in teams - or the Couples - represent 8% of ALL awards presented, primarily in the Author category.
• While not shown in this table, 4 times the Illustrator Award, 4 times the New Talent Author Award, and 8 times the New Talent Illustrator Award were NOT presented.
  

What other statistics would you like to know about relative to the CSK awards? Share in the Comments area - and we'll look in the CSK Database! Enjoy!

Only 87 Black Children's Book Authors in 2006!

Quick! How many children's books were published by African American authors in 2006?

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked children's books by and about people of color in the US since 1994. It's study of African American children's book authors goes back further to 1985 (based on the books received by the CCBC). Recently the CCBC released the 2006 stats - an estimated 87 children's books by African American authors were published in 2006 out of an estimated 5,000 children's books published! The 2006 figure is 16% more than 2005. Since the CCBC has collected this data, the landmark year for African American children's book authors was 1995 - when an estimated 100 black authors were published.

With the increase in self-publishing options, self-published children's book authors should consider sending copies of your books to the CCBC to be included in it's study of the children's books. Send your donated book to:

Kathleen T. Horning, Director
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
600 North Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Phone: 608-263-3720

Who are the 75?

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison has tracked children's books by and about people of color in the US since 1994. Their study of African American children's book authors goes back further to 1985 (based on the books received by the CCBC).

Take a guess ... how many children's books by African Americans were published in 2005? According to the CCBC, seventy-five (75) out of an estimated 5,000 total children's books published. Seventy-five! This is down from 99 in 2004. The highest year was twelve years ago in 1995, when an estimated 100 children's books were published by black authors.

This multi-cultural annual tracking study also covers books by Latinos, Asian-Pacific Americans, and American Indian.