Multicultural Children's Literature

By Kristi Gudaitis and Nancy Vargas

Coretta Scott King Award

About the Award

This award is only given to books that portray the African American experience in the most distinguished way in children’s literature.

Who is Coretta Scott King?

Wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights activist

These awards are given to commemorate the life and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her continuing efforts in working for peace and civil rights issues.

Who is the granting party?

Ethnic and Multicultural Information Excange (EMIERT) which is a “round table” of the American Library Association (ALA)

What is the Selection Criteria?

According to the ALA Website the criteria to receive the award is:

1. Must portray some aspect of the black exerience, past, present, or future.

2. Must be written or illustrated by an African American

3. Must be published in the U.S. in the year preceding presentation of the award

4. Must be an original work

Criteria Cont.

5. Must meet established standards of quality writing for youth which include:

Clear plot Well written characters, which portray growth and

development during the course of the story Writing style is consistent and suitable to the age

intended Accuracy

Criteria Cont.

6. Must be written of a youth audience in one of three categories

Preschool-Grade 4 Grades 5-8 Grades 9-12

7. Particular attention will be paid to titles which seek to motivate readers to develop their own attitudes and behaviors as well as comprehend their personal duty and responsibility as citizens in a pluralistic society

Criteria Cont.

8. Illustrations should reflect established qualitative standards identified in the following statement:

Illustrations should “heighten and extend the readers' awareness if the world around him. They should lead him to an appreciation of beauty. The style and content of the illustrations should be neither coy nor condescending. Storytelling qualities should enlarge upon the story elements that were hinted in the text and should include details that will awaken and strengthen the imagination of the reader and permit him to interpret the words and pictures in a manner unique to him.”

--Cianciolo, Illustrations in Children's Books (p 24-25)

Eligibility

1. Author or illustrator must live in the U.S. Or maintain duel residency/citizenship

2. Book must be published in the year preceding the year the award is given, evidenced by the copyright date printed in the book

Only finished copies will be accepted. Do not send advance reader copies, galleys, etc.

Titles submitted to the Coretta Scott King Book Awards will not be returned.

Example

Seeds of Change

By: Jen Cullerton Johnson

Illustrated by: Sonia Lynn Sadler

Book Summary

The follows the story of an African-American woman named Wangari Maathai. The story starts as her as a young girl in Kenya. She loves nature, especially the Mugumu tree, which supplies food and shelter to animals. She was very lucky to get an education and eventually came to the U.S. as a student to a university. She became an environmentalist and went back to her native land. To her horror all the trees were being chopped down. To conteract this Wangari began to plant trees and soon the forest was full again.

The illustrations for this book are fabulous and full of life. Each page as a new perspective to an interesting story. The clothing was very vivid and eye catching. Even that of the boring borad room members.

About the Author

Jen Cullerton Johnson is a writer, teacher, and environmentalist. She has taught all over the world, including Japan and Ecuador. She now resides in Chicago teaching inner-city kids.

About the Illustrator

Sonia Lynn Sadler has worked as a painter and fashion designer. Being a child of the Army she has traveled to many countries and has lived in five different states. She has created her own company that creates fine art, book illustrations, and greeting cards.

Resources

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/emiert/cskbookawards/slction.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coretta_Scott_King_Award

http://www.authorsnow.com/author/jencullertonjohnson/

http://www.picture-that.com/featuredartists/bios/sonia_lynn_sadler.html