2021 Coretta Scott King Award Winners

 

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that "demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values."  The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood. 

The 2021 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

ZJ’s dad has always been a hero. As a beloved pro football star, he has been a source of pride and inspiration to his neighborhood and adoring fans — but now he is having trouble remembering it all. As old head injuries start to change the man, and father he has always known, ZJ grapples to hold on to the past and what it means for the future. A heartfelt story of loss and longing, award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson’s captivating novel-in-verse explores the consequences and true cost of injury on Black bodies.

The 2021 Coretta Scott King Author Award Honorees 

All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor   

King and the Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender

Lifting as we Climb: Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box by Evette Dionne

The 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner

RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Carole Boston Weatherford

A tribute fit for the Queen of Soul, the story of Aretha Franklin’s remarkable life is shared in a unique and gorgeously impressionable way that only the award-winning duo of Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison could create. As inspirational as it is educational, this Coretta Scott King award-winning book honors a legend in American culture.

The 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honorees

Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, written by Samara Cole Doyon

Me & Mama, illustrated and written by Cozbi A. Cabrera

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, written by Suzanne Slade

The 2021 Coretta Scott King and John Steptoe New Talent Award Winner 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and Southern Black Girl Magic, Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend. This is an explosive fantasy debut that's perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas and Cinderella is Dead! After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants to escape. A residential programme for bright high-schoolers seems like the perfect opportunity – until she witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus . . .