New Books by African American Authors

Included in the awards presented annually to children's books' authors and illustrators are the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. They are given to African American authors and illustrators for "outstanding inspirational and educational contributions" which "promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society." You can find a list of past winners here, on the American Library Association website. The books below fit the qualifications and could, in 2013, be on the list of winners. If you read an additional new book that you feel is qualified for Coretta Scott King award, please email. If you have read these titles and want to comment, please do so below. We'd love to hear from you!

	The Mighty Miss Malone Christopher Paul Curtis, author	With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression.
	Ellen's Broom Kelly Starling Lyons, author; Daniel Minter, illustrator	Ellen has always known that the broom hanging on her family's cabin wall is a special symbol of her parents' wedding during slave days, so she proudly carries it to the courthouse when the marriage becomes legal.
	Freedom's A-Callin' Me Ntozake Shange, author; Rod Brown, illustrator	A collection of poems brings to life the treacherous journey of the travelers on the Underground Railroad, in a universal story about the human need to be free.
	Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass Lesa Cline-Ransome, author; James E. Ransome, illustrator	This picture book biography chronicles the youth of Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent African American figures in American history. Douglass spent his life advocating for the equality of all, and it was through reading that he was able to stand up for himself and others.