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 The
Coretta Scott King
Awards
1970–2009

Fourth Edition
40th Anniversary

Edited by Henrietta M. Smith

 The
Coretta Scott King
Awards
1970–2009

Fourth Edition
40th Anniversary

Edited by Henrietta M. Smith

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee

Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table

American Library Association

Chicagoâ•… 2009
Henrietta M. Smith is professor emerita with the School of Library and Information Science,
University of South Florida, Tampa, and teaches the youth-oriented courses in the library
school’s East Coast program. Her serÂ�vice to ALA includes membership on Newbery, Caldecott,
Batchelder, Carnegie, and Notable Film committees and chairing the Wilder Award Committee.
Smith has served as chair of the Coretta Scott King Task Force, been both a member and chair of
the awards jury, and edited the three previous editions of The Coretta Scott King Awards. For her
ser�vices to youth in many arenas, Smith received the ALSC 2008 Distinguished Ser�vice Award.

Cover art © 2008 by Kadir Nelson, created to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the
Coretta Scott King Book Awards in 2009. Used with permission of the artist.

Poem “of course” (p. xiii) © 2009 by Arnold Adoff; reprinted with permission from the author.

While extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of information appearing in this
book, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy or reliability of the
information, and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or
damage caused by errors or omissions in this publication.

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National
Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI
Z39.48-1992.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

â•…â•… The Coretta Scott King awards, 1970–2009 / edited by Henrietta M. Smith. — 4th ed.
â•…â•…â•… p.â•…â•… cm.
â•…â•… Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
â•…â•… ISBN 978-0-8389-3584-2 (alk. paper)
â•…â•… 1. Coretta Scott King Award.╇ 2. American literature—African American authors—
â•… Bibliography.╇ 3. American literature—African American authors—Awards.╇ 4. African
â•… Americans—Intellectual life—Bibliography.╇ 5. Children’s literature, American—
â•… Bibliography.╇ 6. African Americans in literature—Bibliography.╇ 7. Children—Books and
â•… reading—United States.╇ 8. Children’s literature, American—Awards.â•… I. Smith, Henrietta M.
â•… Z1037.A2C67 2009
â•… [PS153.N5]
â•… 016.8108'09282'08996073—dc22 2009000628

Copyright © 2009 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except those which
may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-3584-2

Printed in the United States of America

13â•… 12â•… 11â•… 10â•… 09â•…â•… 5â•… 4â•… 3â•… 2â•… 1

 Dedicated to the memory of Basil Phillips

1930–2007

Lifelong supporter of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee

 Contents

Preface by Deborah Taylorâ•… vii

Acknowledgmentsâ•… ix
Historyâ•… xi

Author Awardsâ•… 1

Profile: A Conversation with Sharon M. Draperâ•… 45

Illustrator Awardsâ•… 47

Profile: A Conversation with Jerry Pinkneyâ•… 69

Biographiesâ•… 71

Contributorsâ•… 107

Coretta Scott King Award–Winning Authors, 1970–2009â•… 109

Coretta Scott King Author Award and Honor Books

by Titleâ•… 113

Coretta Scott King Award–Winning Illustrators,

1974–2009â•… 117

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and Honor Books

by Titleâ•… 119

Subject Indexâ•… 121

General Indexâ•… 127

Illustrations from award-winning books follow page 70.

Additional content can be found at www.ala.org/editions/extras/smith35842.

v
 Preface

This edition of The Coretta Scott King Awards is the fourth of this unique series,
which celebrates high-quality literature for young readers written and illustrated
by African Americans. The selections recognized by the Coretta Scott King Book
Awards continue to represent the best in writing and artistic expression for all
readers. Within these pages the reader will find reviews of each award title and
brief excerpts from each winning author’s book. Updated biographies, reproduc-
tions of selected award-winning illustrations, and specialized indexes make this
an important resource for use in schools, public libraries, and university courses
as well as for families to enjoy at home. As schools and educators strive to ensure
that all students are aware of the wide diversity and rich history of this literature,
this volume provides invaluable information to reach that goal.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards have made a significant contribution
to the world of children and young adult literature. Many of the writers and illus-
trators currently prominent in the field received their major recognition through
these awards and continue to create sparkling examples of the best in books for
young—and even those not so young—readers. These awards provide an invalu-
able ser�vice by bringing to the forefront outstanding talent that enriches the
entire field. Of course, many long-standing artists and writers maintain their
high standards of excellence and continue to be recognized.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee is fortunate to have many
talented reviewers and jurors, and we extend our deepest gratitude for their con-
tributions to this edition. Our highest praise and thanks go to Henrietta M.
Smith, winner of the 2008 Association for Library Ser�vice to Children Distin-
guished Ser�vice Award and editor of this and the previous editions of The Coretta
Scott King Awards.

Deborah Taylor
Chair, Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee, 2007–2009

vii
 Acknowledgments

As the ink dries on the last page of the fortieth anniversary edition of The Coretta
Scott King Awards, a word of thanks and deep appreciation must go out to many
who made this venture possible. My thanks to
the contributing writers, without whom none of these volumes would have
been possible
Satia Marshall Orange, for always asking with encouragement “What can
we do to make this book even better—even more useful?”
Bonnie Smothers, the ALA editor who shepherded the first edition into
print, who taught me so much about developing a book—including
patience
Mimi Kayden, for all her support
the authors and illustrators, without whose talent and generosity there
would be no book
Ginnie Moore Kruse, who, in the beginning years, felt that a full-fledged
book would be better than a booklet
our founders and early supporters, who believed in the award at its
inception
the publishers who accepted the challenge of publishing more Coretta
Scott King Award–eligible titles
Godspeed to the one who takes up the mantle, at least for the next five years.
Thanks for the memories. Thanks to everyone who helped to make “the rough
places plain.”

Henrietta M. Smith

ix
 History

The Coretta Scott King Book Award and its association with ALA originated
in 1969. It came as the result of a discussion between two librarians, Glyndon
Flynt Greer and Mabel McKissick, and the publisher John Carroll. The impetus
flowed from the observation that no African American author or illustrator had
ever been honored by the prestigious Newbery and Caldecott awards, estab-
lished in 1922 and 1938, respectively, and sponsored by what was then the ALA
Children’s SerÂ�vice Division. It was thought that the establishment of a special
award would bring attention to the fine work produced by African American
authors and illustrators in books for children and young people. The first award
was presented during the New Jersey Library Association meeting in May 1970.
The first winner was the late Lillie Patterson, who was honored for her young
readers edition of the life of Martin Luther King Jr., written shortly after his
assassination. Over the next twelve years, without official recognition from the
executive board of ALA, the presentations continued, and in 1974 an illustrator
award category was added. The first to receive that award was George Ford, for
the illustrations in Sharon Mathis’s biography Ray Charles.
In 1982, through the efforts of E. J. Josey, an ALA councilor, the awards
committee, chaired by Effie Lee Morris, was named the Coretta Scott King
Task Force and became a part of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table
(SRRT). This congenial union remained in place until the ALA midwinter meet-
ing in January 2004 in San Diego. Under the leadership of chairperson Fran
Ware and past chairs Carole McCollough and Barbara Jones Clark, the task
force’s affiliation was changed from the Social Responsibilities Round Table to
the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT)—
the rationale being that the goals and missions of the task force were more closely
aligned with those of EMIERT. All was done with the approval and blessings
of the action council of SRRT. The Coretta Scott King Task Force expressed
appreciation to SRRT for its twenty-four years of working together.
In a continuous process of growth and visionary expansion, the task force
functions under well-constructed bylaws. Included in this orga�nizational pattern
is the clear definition of the makeup, length of terms, and responsibilities of the
seven-member awards jury. Also included are established criteria for the selec-
tion of the award-winning titles:
Thematically the material (text or illustration) must speak to some aspect
of the African American culture, with an awareness of Martin Luther
King Jr.’s sense of the brotherhood of all cultures.
The author or illustrator must be African American.
The content (illustration or text) must be of high literary or visual quality,
with a theme that has the potential for long-term, meaningful
significance.

xi
xii History

Only books published the year preceding a the ALA Office of Library Outreach Ser�vices (OLOS) as
jury’s period of deliberation are eligible for long as the supply lasts.
consideration. As the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee
Books must be published in the United States. looks forward to the commemoration of its fortieth anni-
versary, the members celebrate the life of its last surviving
The winner of the Coretta Scott King/John
founder, Mabel McKissick, whose earthly works ended in
Steptoe New Talent Award must meet the same
2009 after her twenty-seven years as a school librarian
standards as winners of the other awards, but
in Connecticut and elsewhere. Now is also the time to
eligibility is limited to works of those who have
remember the late Basil Phillips, photographic editor for
had no more than three books published.
Ebony magazine. Phillips was instrumental in establish-
Since 1972, the awards have been presented at a gala ing the author honorarium through the largesse of John
breakfast. The breakfast, held during the ALA annual Johnson, founder of Johnson Publishing. The memory
conference, is marked by ever-increasing attendance. of our stalwart leaders will be a permanent part of the
Each winner in art and text receives an honorarium, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards history.
value of which continues to grow. The honorarium for Coretta Scott King award–winning books can be rec-
the winners has been a gift from the Johnson Publish- ognized by a seal designed in 1974 by the internationally
ing Company since the award’s inception in 1970. The known artist Lev Mills, who at the time was artist-in-
winners also receive a plaque and a set of encyclopedias, residence at Atlanta University. Mills is currently affiliated
one from Encyclopaedia Britannica and the other from with the art department of Spelman College. The ele-
World Book, Inc. In keeping with the times, the encyclo- ments of this official seal convey the principles to which
pedias are now on discs. In 1995, the first Genesis Award Martin Luther King Jr. was dedicated. Within a circle,
for new talent was presented. This award, which was later which represents continuity, sits a child reading a book.
officially renamed the Coretta Scott King/John Step- The five religious symbols below the image of the child
toe New Talent Award, recognizes a writer or illustra- represent nonsectarianism: star and crescent (Islam), om
tor whose early potential speaks of things to come. The (Hinduism), cross (Christianity), Star of David (Judaism),
first recipient, Sharon G. Draper, the author of Tears of yin-yang (Taoism). The seal also includes a dove of peace
a Tiger, went on to become a Coretta Scott King award and a superimposed pyramid, a tribute to human strength
winner in 1998 for her novel Forged by Fire. She continues and to the strength of Atlanta University, where the award
to be recognized not only for novels about contemporary was headquartered at the time the seal was designed.
young adults (November Blues received a Coretta Scott The original seals for the winners were printed in
King author honor in 2008) but also for her monumental, bronze, which represented the earth tones of Mother
thoroughly researched historical novel Copper Sun, which Africa, and the seals for the honor books were printed in
won the Coretta Scott King author award in 2007. tones of silver. In the late 1990s, without a change in the
Since 1984, among the special highlights at each design, the seals were produced in a more environmen-
breakfast is the presence of children, the ones to whom the tally friendly format—a
books are designed to speak. These young guests, spon- black background with
sored by generous donors, come from the geographical character details super-
area of ALA’s annual conference. For some of the young imposed in bronze for
people attending the breakfast there is a moment of spe- winners or in pewter for
cial individual recognition. Each year, starting in 1999, honor books. The seal
Disney/Jump at the Sun has sponsored an essay contest for the Coretta Scott
for students who live in the area of the conference. From King/John Steptoe New
papers written by elementary and middle school students, Talent Award is detailed
judges choose the best paper about a preselected book. in green, a color symbolic
The audience is always delighted with the poise with of new beginnings.
which the young winners read their essays and graciously Among the many highlights in the history of the
thank the award sponsors and the Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King Book Awards is Legends, Folklore,
Book Awards Committee for their special opportunity and Real Life Stories: The Coretta Scott King Award
and the scholarship check. Other support comes from Books, a special exhibit of illustrations from award win-
the publishing houses of the winning titles. Each young ners mounted by the Art Institute of Chicago from July
guest goes home with a selection from the winning and 2000 to February 2001. In addition, educational programs
honor books for his/her personal collection. The publish- and workshops were conducted by some of the illustra-
ers further collaborate on the design and production of tors whose works were on display.
the study guides created by each awards jury. The guides During the tenure of chair Barbara Jones Clark,
are distributed at the breakfast and are available through the task force launched a national awareness campaign
 History xiii

to acquaint a wider audience with the role the Coretta The first edition of The Coretta Scott King Awards was
Scott King Book Awards play in showcasing the valuable published in 1994. It presented the history of the award,
and informative works of African American authors and biographical sketches of winners and honor recipients,
illustrators. The late Virginia Hamilton served as hon- annotations of each title, and handsome reproductions of
orary chairperson of the committee that spearheaded illustrations from award winners published from 1974 to
this endeavor in 1998. In 2008–9, chair Deborah Taylor, 1994. Following the same format, the second edition was
working with author and editor Andrea Pinkney, wid- published in 1999, the third in 2004, and now the fourth
ened the visibility of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards edition in 2009. Each new edition is updated to make the
by launching a broad-based Fortieth Anniversary Pub- material more relevant and more useful to a wider audi-
lic Awareness Program, which showcased a handsome ence.
broadside by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson and a As editor of the first four editions of The Coretta Scott
celebratory poem by Arnold Adoff. King Awards, may I express my thanks and appreciation
to the professional, dedicated writing team whose contri-
of course: butions have made these volumes among the finest titles
true change is always too slow ever to be published through ALA.
and our best hopes rest with
Henrietta M. Smith
steady
on
beyond our own times

the true revolutions happen

within the covers of our best books
inside the noises of words with words
inside the movements of reading eyes

so:
the writers are the engines
the artists are the engines
and the women and men
and the girls and the boys
reading those noisy books
all are engines of true change

the words contain the power

and the books must have that
power and the noise of that
story and the shout of that song
must always be louder than the
silence of the bullets and the
silent deaths of grim despair

we move forward with love

the struggle continues

and
the noise of singing
must always be
 Author Awards

2009 Winner
Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. Jump at the
Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, 2008.
“Seems like we’ve been playing baseball for a mighty long time. At least as long
as we’ve been free” begins the story of a remarkable group of men dedicated to a
sport that did everything in its power to exclude them. Kadir Nelson steps into
the role of storyteller and team member in this mesmerizing narrative of the Afri-
can American community’s passion for and dedication to baseball. This treasure
is divided into nine innings, each of which is devoted to a different aspect of the
history of Negro League Baseball. The final chapter, “Extra Innings,” chronicles
the demise of the great institution. The story begins in the mid-1860s, travel-
ing forward to 1920, when Andrew “Rube” Foster, “an old-time trick pitcher,”
arrived on the scene. He came from Texas to orga�nize what became the Negro
National League. This section discusses not only well-known players like Josh
Gibson and Satchel Paige but also lesser-known players like George “Mille” Sut-
tles and Norman “Turkey” Stearns. Inning by inning, Nelson deftly recalls the
hardships of traveling through a racist South and the thrill of the crowd when
the fast-moving “bunt-and-run” play, an invention credited to Foster, proved
successful. A bibliography, endnotes, and index verify the work’s authenticity, but
it is Nelson’s talent as a wordsmith that brings this story to life for baseball lovers
and history buffs of all ages.

From We Are the Ship

People ask all the time if we are bitter because we weren’t given the chance to play
baseball in the major leagues for all of those years. Some of us are, but most of us
aren’t. Most Negroes back then had to work in factories, wash windows, or work
some man’s plantation, and they didn’t get paid much for it. We were fortunate men.
We got to play baseball for a living, something we would have done if we hadn’t
gotten paid for it. When you can do what you love to do and get paid for it, it’s a
wonderful thing.
—Kadir Nelson

1
2 Author Awards

Honor seed.” Floyd Cooper’s energetic illustrations capture the

exuberance of the young people who rejoice in their color
Smith, Hope Anita. Keeping the Night Watch. Illustrated birthright. Thomas is highly deserving of the Coretta
by E. B. Lewis. Henry Holt, 2008. Scott King honor for her tribute to the beauty of “all the
This narrative poem continues the saga begun in The Way colors of the race,” a positive message that speaks to read-
a Door Closes (2003), as family members deal with Father, ers everywhere.
who returns home as abruptly as he left. Daughter Zuri
views his return with both joy and fear, feelings that man- From The Blacker the Berry
ifest themselves when she names her pillow dog “Stay.”
Bryon joins his father in a pickup game of hoops as if he’d We are color struck
never been gone; Momma goes about the house “wearing The way an artist strikes
a painted smile on her face”; and C.J. is filled with anger, His canvas with his brush of many hues
having lost his position as man of the house: “I’m a pot
with the lid on / I keep all my mad inside.” Yet, with the Look closely at these mirrors
changing seasons, the household changes. C.J., in a frag-
these palettes of skin
ile truce with his father, experiences the pangs of young
love; readers are introduced to the quieting presence of Each color is rich
Maya: “Preacher claims I’m a thief because I steal glances in its own right . . .
at her and store them in my head.” Smith’s moving prose We come in all shades
poem about a family in turmoil does not lull readers with
an all’s-well ending, but there’s a faint light at the end––a from “Color Struck”
message of hope for young people who may be in a simi- —Joyce Carol Thomas
lar situation.

From Keeping the Night Watch

I take my Daddy’s hand and I start to dance Weatherford, Carole Boston. Becoming Billie Holiday.
with him Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Wordsong/Boyds Mills
Press, 2008.
around the room.
We laugh Born in Philadelphia in 1915 to a teenage mother, the
hard child who became Billie Holiday experienced poverty,
discrimination, heartbreak, and parental neglect. Yet by
and the water that flows from our eyes
the time she was twenty-five, she was a legend in the
flows into one big river, world of music. Billie quit school in the fifth grade, while
but we are not afraid . . . she was living in Baltimore. To earn money she took all
We keep our eyes on Him. kinds of jobs, which some have said ranged from being
We dance on our tears. a maid to being a prostitute. She felt that she had been
on her own throughout her childhood. As a teenager,
from “Dance with Me” she realized she had a good singing voice and made her
way to Harlem. She started singing in small clubs, but by
—Hope Anita Smith
the age of sixteen she had become well known enough to
sing with famous bands led by musicians such as Teddy
Wilson, Artie Shaw, and Duke Ellington. Carole Bos-
ton Weatherford, who has always thought of Holiday as
Thomas, Joyce Carol. The Blacker the Berry: Poems.
her muse, tells the singer’s story in a fictionalized verse
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins, 2008.
memoir, creatively using the titles of Holiday’s songs to
Black as a single color has been lauded in prose and head her ninety-seven poems. Holiday’s longing for love
poetry across time: “Black is the color of my true love’s and attention becomes clear, and her personality shines
hair”; “Yet do I marvel at this thing, / To make a poet through as readers learn about her troubles in school,
black and bid him sing.” Joyce Carol Thomas expands her feelings about music, her mother, her absent father,
black into a kaleidoscope of colors in poems that speak and the various places where she lived. They will also get
to children of every shade. A message of rejoicing comes a glimpse of other famous people who were important
from a “biscuit brown” child, and a salute to “raspberry in her life: she traveled with Count Basie and appeared
black” recognizes Native Americans, here “from the first in a movie with Duke Ellington and in a play with Paul
 Author Awards 3

Robeson. Through this imaginative book, written as if With each recovery from hilarious laughter, the
spoken in Holiday’s own voice, readers get a personal reader sees both the scars of slavery and the ways in which
sense of the singer, from childhood to about age twenty- the opportunity to live free are revealed in the lives and
five. The final poem, titled “Coda: Strange Fruit,” is an character of the residents of Buxton. Work ethics, sense
acknowledgment of Holiday’s signature song, “Strange of community, and the unrelenting efforts to raise the
Fruit.” funds to buy the freedom of those left in bondage are ever
present. Excitement and suspense are heightened when
Zephariah, a man who calls himself Preacher, convinces
From Becoming Billie Holiday
Mr. Leroy, Elijah’s friend and sometime employer, to let
No one taught me to sing just behind the beat, him go to Detroit to barter the freedom of Leroy’s wife
to tease listeners with my tempo, and children. Elijah’s pa tries to warn Mr. Leroy about
those rattlin-snake words, words that warn you you’re
to glide above the band, flit between
about to get bit, but Mr. Leroy will not hear of it. In a
musicians like a canary finally free. real page-turner, the reader is taken on a midnight whirl-
No one trained me to blow like a horn, wind of lies, suspense, grim examples of servitude, and
to milk a measure by bending the melody, dangerous situations. Needless to say, “fra-gile” Elijah is
to breathe a universe in a single note, right in the middle. A mixture of pain and pleasure, Elijah
and end a song in a different key . . . of Buxton is a coming-of-age historical read about a time
and place where few writers have ventured.
That came natural, baby. That all came natural.

from “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues” From Elijah of Buxton

—Carole Boston Weatherford Whenever new-free folk come to live in Buxton, we ring
the bell twenty times for each one of ’em. Ten times to ring
out their old lives and ten more to ring in their new ones,
their free lives. Then, we ask the new-free folks to, one by
one, climb the ladder of the steeple and rub the bell with
2008 Winner their left hand. Most times when you’re doing something
important you’re supposed to use your right hand, but we
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Elijah of Buxton. Scholastic,
ask ’em to use their left hand ’cause it’s closest to their
2007.
hearts.
The town of Buxton, located a few miles from the Detroit
—Christopher Paul Curtis
River in Canada, was a community founded as a destina-
tion for slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad to
freedom. Elijah was the first child born free in Buxton.
Although being the first freeborn child was significant
enough, Elijah was best known for upchucking on Fred- Honor
erick Douglass! This happened when Douglass, the aboli-
Draper, Sharon M. November Blues. Atheneum, 2007.
tionist, made one of his historic visits to Buxton. Twelve-
year-old Elijah, known in his family for his tender heart There were three things of which November was sure:
and spirit, was frequently described as “fra-gile.” In spite Josh was dead; Josh was her “baby daddy”; and she,
of this failing, Elijah was skilled at fishing without hook November, was pregnant. What she did not know was
or line, capturing his prey by beaning them with stones how she would tell her mother, what she would do with
chucked from the bank. This ability would serve him well a baby, or what would happen to her plans for college on
in a life-threatening situation. scholarship. In a normal school setting filled with dances,
With his familiar style of extracting humor from the football games, teachers with a wide range of personali-
lives of young boys, author Curtis delivers again. Eli- ties, and the vagaries of teenage friendships, Draper tells
jah and his friend Cooter are eager to participate when a poignant story of one thoughtless moment and its effect
they see their teacher’s planned lecture subject on the not only on the protagonist but also on all who are in
blackboard: “familiarity breeds contempt.” Through this circle. November’s mother moves between anger,
an innocent but unknowingly careful dissecting of each disappointment, and motherly concern. Josh’s parents
word, and all the context clues they can muster, they have designs on adopting the baby, decrying November
decide that the teacher will be speaking about a “family as an unfit mother. Jericho, Josh’s cousin, a talented musi-
breeding contest,” and they don’t want to miss a minute. cian and best friend, pledges to be November’s ardent
4 Author Awards

supporter. In addition, in his grief over the loss of his Arriving in Rome
cousin, Jericho puts down his trumpet and joins the foot- you put on a display
ball team, convincing himself that he need only “sweat of a swift and strong style
and run tackle!” that defined Cassius Clay:
With an awareness of the questions her intended lightning-quick feet
audience may want to ask, Draper uses a quietly informa- dancing in the ring
tive writing style to share the complexities of having a and flurries of fists
baby—not only the physical concerns before, during, and that swarmed like bee stings.
after but also the seemingly endless financial responsibili-
Phrases in large black print and different fonts deco-
ties, the physical care, and the effects on all concerned. Be
rate the pages and emphasize chapter titles, important
aware that Draper offers no easy answers. Still, with all of
points, Ali’s words, and descriptions: “slipping and slid-
November’s problems, the book is not without moments
ing and bobbing and hiding, left to right, right to left,
of high drama, humor, and laughable boy-girl scenarios.
dodging leathered lightning,” “Cassius Clay . . . reborn
November Blues is listed as a companion to the Battle of Jer-
as Muhammad Ali,” “burning from a faith on display
icho, but with its strength and focus it can truly stand alone.
throughout your life,” “‘Eat your words! Eat your words!
I am the king! I’m the king of the world!’” Later chapters
From November Blues cover Ali’s personal life, his four marriages and eight chil-
dren, the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, and that unfor-
“That’s some nice music you’re playing,” Olivia said as gettable moment when he carries the torch to light the
she relaxed into the sofa cushions. “I like the blues.” She cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. A lengthy,
closed her eyes. informative time line of Ali’s life through 2005 completes
November nodded, “I used to think it was dumb, old- a gripping presentation of a heroic figure.
timey music. Maybe you gotta deal with some stuff before
you can really feel the blues.” She looked at Olivia, and the From Twelve Rounds to Glory
two girls exchanged knowing glances.
Round TWELVE—Muhammad on the Mountain
—Sharon M. Draper Holding the Olympic torch
with a warrior spirit,
you reignited memories
Smith, Charles R., Jr. Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of of the champ who never quit
Muhammad Ali. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. Candlewick in the ring,
Press, 2007. in life,
In twelve chapters, lavishly illustrated with powerful and using substance and style,
moving watercolors by Bryan Collier, Smith’s epic-style now a gentle gladiator
poem, influenced by the rhythms of rap, takes the reader with a sparkling smile,
and listener into the story of Muhammad Ali’s life, his you lit the Olympic cauldron
values and public persona. These aspects are emphasized
glowing golden in the night
even as readers go to ringside at Ali’s matches with Sonny
and became a supernova
Liston, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, and
Leon Spinks. Smith’s polished poetry reflects his admira- bathed in beautiful light.
tion for his subject—not only for his prowess in boxing, —Charles R. Smith Jr.
graphically described, but also for his personal expres-
sions of black pride. We read of Ali’s fight against dis-
crimination and segregation. We see not just the pugilist
but a sincere man advocating peace, standing fast with
his pacifist credo when he refuses induction into the U.S. Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe
Army. As he faces the loss of his world championship title New Talent Award
and banishment from the ring, we hear him saying no
Frazier, Sundee T. Brendan Buckley’s Universe and
to war and reinforcing his dedication to the tenets of his
Everything in It. Delacorte, 2007.
Islamic religion and faith in Allah. Smith captures Ali’s
voice teasing and taunting his opponents, using his well- Meet Brendan Buckley, lively ten-year-old, maybe a bud-
known penchant for poetry to express himself. Smith ding scientist, striving to please the master in his tae kwon
addresses Ali, often using the word “you”: do class, sharing mischief with his buddy, Khalfani, and
 Author Awards 5

missing his late grandfather, Clem. Life seems just about tured as slaves in eighteenth-century America. Through-
okay until Brendan stops at a rock exhibit in the mall. He out the burdensome, physically and emotionally painful
is talking to the exhibitor when with sudden swiftness his life she led as a slave, Amari never lost her dream of once
grandmother Gladys pulls him abruptly away, just as the again being free.
“rock” man was about to sell him a calcite. Yet another Draper captures in often poetic prose what the hap-
strange thing—the name on the man’s card was the same less captives feel and see: there was “sorrow, raw and pal-
as his mother’s maiden name: DuBose. Could there be pable, like spoiled meat”; “huge live oak trees lined each side
a connection between Gladys’s actions, the name of the of the road, dangling with beards of Spanish moss . . . looked
gentleman who happened to be white, and his mother’s like old men, bent over and exhausted from the heat.”
reaction when Brendan arrives home? Undaunted by the
silence at home, Brendan and Khalfani do some detective From Copper Sun
work, find a way to Mr. DuBose’s home, and finally get to
the bottom of the behavior on everyone’s part. The end A large woman came and sat down next to her and
of the story is skillfully crafted. There is no sudden “hap- offered her a small piece of her own portion. Amari took it
pily ever after” in the family relationships, but the reader
gratefully.
is left knowing that things will turn out all right in this
“Crying won’t help, child,” she told her. “This place is
cross-generational, multicultural tale.
slimy with tears.”
Amari was surprised to hear the woman speak in her
From Brendan Buckley’s Universe
own Ewe language. She wiped her eyes and said in barely
and Everything in It
a whisper, “I feel like a broken drum—hollow, crushed,
I flipped back a couple of pages and found the reason unable to make a sound.”
I’d opened the book in the first place. I checked off the “You must learn to make music once more.”
question “What am I?” ...
Here is What I Found Out: I am a scientist, a mineral “So why should I endure this? Why did you not let me
collector, a sometimes Noble Tae Kwon Do warrior, a just die in there?” Amari cried out.
friend, a son, a grandson, someone who belongs to both “Because I see a power in you.” Afi lifted her shackled
black and white people, a mixture like a rock, my color, wrist and reached over to touch Amari. “You know, certain
but—much more—myself. people are chosen to survive. I don’t know why, but you
—Sundee T. Frazier are one of those who must remember the past and tell
those yet unborn. You must live.”
—Sharon M. Draper

2007 Winner
Draper, Sharon M. Copper Sun. Atheneum, 2006.
Honor
Day broke like any other day in Amari’s African village,
Grimes, Nikki. The Road to Paris. G. P. Putnam’s Sons,
but before the sun went down her life had tragically
2006.
changed forever. Slavers looted the village, killed or cap-
tured the villagers, and led others on a tormented journey Paris and her brother Malcolm have endured a tough
in the dark hold of a slave ship. Fifteen-year-old Amari childhood. Escaping from the latest in a string of abusive
is eventually sold to a plantation owner as a birthday situations, they are now living with their grandmother
present for his sixteen-year-old son Clay. In this setting, in a small apartment. They only want peace and safety.
Draper relates Amari’s story of life-threatening activities Unfortunately, security is something the grandmother
on the plantation, her degradation as Clay’s sex object, can’t provide. The caseworker separates the siblings,
the cold-blooded murder of an innocent newborn, and sending Malcolm to an unknown destination and Paris to
the often disquieting relationship between Amari and a foster family in upstate New York. The Lincolns, with
Polly, an indentured servant. The opportunity to escape two boys of their own and another foster daughter, aren’t
encourages Amari, Polly, and a little child, Tidbit, to seek perfect, but quietly they show Paris the patience and gen-
the road to freedom—promised if they can reach the safe erosity she so desperately needs. The inbred community
haven of Fort Mose, in St. Augustine, Florida. racism doesn’t dominate Paris’s life. She has already felt
Classified as fiction, this page-turner is based on the sting of racism; a biracial child, she was abandoned by
impeccable research of the lives of those who were cap- her white father. What concerns her now is whether to
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