Coretta Scott King Award Book Club discussion

This is a thread to talk about what CSK books you are reading or authors you are interested in. What books do you think should be CSK award or honors books this year? What books should have been but weren't?

The Goodreads CSK list is located here:
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...

Kids: Talisha Snow White
Adult: Medical Apartheid

Aphrodyi wrote: "Kids: Talisha Snow White
Adult: Medical Apartheid"

Added to my to-reads. Thanks

I'm reading Somewhere in the Darkness. A group of my 8th grade boys have discovered Walter Dean Myers this year, and I'm reading this one to keep up with them a little bit.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper. I am excited to read her newest book.

"From School Library Journal
Gr 4–8—Coretta Scott King Award winner Draper draws inspiration from her grandmother's journal to tell the absorbing story of a young girl growing up in Depression-era, segregated North Carolina. One frightening night Stella and her brother Jojo witness a meeting of the Ku Klux Klan, practically in their own backyard. This meeting is the signal of trouble to come to the black community of Bumblebee. The townspeople must come together to find strength and protection to face the injustices all around them. This is an engrossing historical fiction novel with an amiable and humble heroine who does not recognize her own bravery or the power of her words. She provides inspiration not only to her fellow characters but also to readers who will relate to her and her situation. Storytelling at its finest.—Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY"
Age Range: 9 - 13 years
Grade Level: 4 - 8

Ms. Draper's Out of My Mind was on the summer reading list for the local school and also highighted at the town library. I read that along with many of the young oeople in our little town.

I have a question:

Most of us have a sense for which are the classic "must-read" Newberys that everyone has to read if they want to be literate in that area- The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, etc.

What are the "must-read" CSK winners? What are the first books someone should read if they want to be literate in this area?

I haven't read enough of them myself to know if I've got it covered or not.

Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen Levine published by Penguin Puffin Books for Young Readers (New York: 1993).

"In this inspiring collection of true stories, thirty African-Americans who were children or teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s talk about what it was like for them to fight segregation in the South-to sit in an all-white restaurant and demand to be served, to refuse to give up a seat at the front of the bus, to be among the first to integrate the public schools, and to face violence, arrest, and even death for the cause of freedom." From back cover.

Phil wrote: "I have a question:

Most of us have a sense for which are the classic "must-read" Newberys that everyone has to read if they want to be literate in that area- [book:The Witch of Blackbird Pond|7032..."

Phil, The CSK, Steptoe and Lifetime Awards look at a different spectrum of books than Newbery or Caldecott, although sometimes they overlap. This award recognizes outstanding African American authors and illustrators, and is awarded for books about the African-American experience that are written for a youth audience high school or below.

Do you have a target age group or preference for illustration or author subsets? I have not read all of the CSK books but can suggest from those I have read. - regards to all, Jack

I work with grades 6-8, so I would definitely be looking at the CSK Author's award rather than the Illustrator's award.

My students have learning disabilities, and their reading levels vary from grades 4-9. They are sensitive about reading lower level books, so I would want things that look plausibly middle-schoolish even if they're at a lower reading level.

Phil, I am researching this. A friend and professor of Children and African American Literature has recommended Walter Dean Myers and especially the book Monster . However, this may be a stretch for your intended audience. There are links to Mr. Deans' books in the authors thread in this group. I will look into the Lexile measures for his books and post more information this weekend.

I will be providing additional recommendations.
Thanks for the question,
Jack

Jack wrote: "Phil, I am researching this. A friend and professor of Children and African American Literature has recommended Walter Dean Myers and especially the book Monster. Howeve..."

Thanks, Jack. Myers is very popular among my 8th grade boys, especially Monster and his Ali bio. I am exploring CSK partly to get some 6th/7th grade picks, and partly to get beyond the top writers- Myers, Curtis and Woodson. I'd like to identify more than three really strong African American writers. I'm not looking for a fight here, but I have to say off the bat that Sharon Draper and Mildred Taylor don't do much for me. I want to give Virginia Hamilton another chance, because I've only read M.C. Higgins, the Great by her, and she has such a great reputation.

Phil, some Virginia Hamilton notes:
Coretta Scott King 1986 author winner, Virginia Hamilton for The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales

If you can play the audio CD, I recommend the title track as read by James Earl Jones(Read by). I have used this selection for multiple ages.

I loved this book. It came with a CD where Virginia Hamilton and James Earl Jones read half the stories. I have listened to the title story multiple times. It is happy/sad and ma-gic.

I always like to hear the author read their own works and James Earl Jones is just, just great. I am working through both the CSK Awards/Honors and Newbery Awards/Honors works by her.

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 12
Lexile Measure: 660L
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards text Exemplar (Grade 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.

---
"The well-known author retells 24 black American folk tales in sure storytelling voice: animal tales, supernatural tales, fanciful and cautionary tales, and slave tales of freedom. All are beautifully readable. With the added attraction of 40 wonderfully expressive paintings by the Dillons, this collection should be snapped up."--(starred) School Library Journal.

I have a few more Hamilton suggestions and will post here.

Virgin1a Hamilton fiction books I particularly liked:

The Planet of Junior Brown . There is also a CBC TV drama version of this but I have not seen it yet.

The House of Dies Drear . Interesting when tied to history parallel lessons. The movie of this is a little dated but I liked it anyway.

I am partial to Ms. Hamilton's retelling of folk tales. Specific stories may be suitable for your audience:
When Birds Could Talk And Bats Could Sing
Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales
and the stunningly illustrated
The Girl Who Spun Gold , an African version of the Rumpelstiltskin type fairy tale.

Jack wrote: "Virgin1a Hamilton fiction books I particularly liked:

The Planet of Junior Brown. There is also a CBC TV drama version of this but I have not seen it yet.

[book:The House of Dies Dr..."

Thanks for the thoughts on Hamilton. I have a student this year who's pretty passionate about The People Could Fly, so I should probably start with that one. I am interested in reading some more of her fiction, too.

I finished Somewhere in the Darkness. I'm not sure which CSK book I'll read next. Probably either People Could Fly by Hamilton or One Crazy Summer. I have some other books to clear off my shelf, first.

I saw this recommendation from the School Library Journal:
Edim, Glory, ed. Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves. Ballantine. ISBN 9780525619772.
In this awe-inspiring yet deeply personal collection, African American women describe their complex relationships with literature: the yearning to recognize themselves in books and the joy of seeing black girls on the page.
It is my to-read list now.