{"id":1057,"date":"2019-05-20T12:58:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T12:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/?p=1057"},"modified":"2021-08-15T03:53:23","modified_gmt":"2021-08-15T03:53:23","slug":"csk-through-the-decades-the-2010s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/2019\/05\/20\/csk-through-the-decades-the-2010s\/","title":{"rendered":"CSK Through the Decades: The 2010s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Coretta Scott King Book Awards\ncelebrate 50 years strong, one can only imagine how proud the founders and\ncontributors are.  50 years strong!  What a platform!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot forget how the past\nwinners expanded and transformed recognition of African American Literature.\nOver the decades, award winners continued to build and raise the foundation of\nexcellence.  They challenged 2010-2019\nwinners to step their talents to the next level by sharing their stories and\nexperiences through art and words.  And,\nthat they did. These winners did not disappoint.  Like our past award winners, many moved on to\nbecome the best of the best and a permanent fixture in youth literature; many\nreceived multiple nationally distinguished awards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We have seen consistent author and illustrator name recognitions during this decade. With over 60 titles under his belt (seven Coretta Scott King honors and counting), R. Gregory Christie<\/strong> has captured three Coretta Scott King honors this decade:  The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem\u2019s Greatest Bookstore<\/em> (2016), Freedom in Congo Square <\/em>(2017) and Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop <\/em>(2019). Christie is the proud owner of a bookstore GAS ART GIFTS (Gregarious Art Statements); this store also houses an art studio. Aside from his book illustrations, Christie\u2019s work has been featured at festivals, subways, music covers, and television.  In 2013, he created the United States Post Office \u201cKwanzaa Forever\u201d stamp. What a well-deserved honor! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Likewise, Ekua Holmes<\/strong> received a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration in 2018 for Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets<\/em> and in 2019 for The Stuff of Stars<\/em>.  Like many, she was influenced by the absence of positive Black images and decided to make an impact by becoming the founder of The Great Black Art Collection – a platform for new artists and introduction to Black art for all. Museums and galleries drew Holmes into the art world.  In turn, this drew her into stories.  Before long her artwork made its way to books. Holmes\u2019 collages are full of life, color and texture as though they are ready to jump out. This year, debuted nationally on January 19th, Holmes created a Google Doodle in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s birthday – what a tribute!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Very\nfew have had books competing for the same awards during the same year yet Jason Reynolds<\/strong> managed that!  And, he had snagged the John Steptoe New\nTalent Award for When I Was the\nGreatest <\/em>the\nprevious year, 2015! In a short period he has received four Coretta Scott King\nAuthor Honor Awards: All American\nBoys <\/em>and\nThe Boy in\nthe Black Suit <\/em>(2016); As Brave as You<\/em> (2017) and Long Way Down<\/em> (2017).<\/em> What makes his novels and poetry for middle schoolers\nand teens so special?  From his personal\nwebsite, his goal is to \u201cnot write boring books\u201d; he states, \u201cHere’s what I know: I know there\nare a lot \u2014 A LOT \u2014 of young people who hate reading… I know that many of\nthese book-hating boys, don’t actually hate books, they hate boredom. If you\nare reading this, and you happen to be one of these boys, first of all, you’re\nreading this so my master plan is already working (muahahahahahaha) and second\nof all, know that I feel you. I REALLY do. Because even though I’m a writer, I\nhate reading boring books too.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Winning three Coretta Scott King Author Awards this decade for One Crazy Summer<\/em> (2011), P.S. Be Eleven (<\/em>2014), and Gone Crazy in Alabama (2016),<\/em> Rita Williams-Garcia<\/strong> shares her characters in the moment of history or place.  Recognized for her great character development and humor, Williams-Garcia focuses on the day-to-day lives of middle-class African American youth. She is subtle with her messages. Readers engage with the characters Williams-Garcia brings alive.  Her excitement for writing comes across in her 12 titles. Her readers truly feel a sense of place and imagination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Receiving a Coretta Scott King Author Award in 2015 for Brown Girl Dreaming<\/em> and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award in 2013 for Each Kindness<\/em> during this decade, Jacqueline Woodson<\/strong> has taken her writing style through many levels and has something to offer readers of all ages.  With over 30 titles under her belt, topics covered in her writing range widely in content to the point that some feel subject matters are uncomfortable.  Through her poetic writing, Woodson dares readers to look at the big picture – how do societal influences we have today compared to subject matters she writes about? Readers are challenged to address difficult topics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although they were mentioned in the CSK Blog post titled, CSK Through the Decades: The 2000s<\/em>, Bryan Collier<\/strong> and Kadir Nelson<\/strong> continued to break through as high-caliber artists during the 2010 period. Collier captured four CSK wins: 2011 Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave<\/em> (2011), I, Too, Am America <\/em>(2013)<\/em>, Knock Knock: My Dad\u2019s Dream for Me<\/em> (2014), and  Trombone Shorty<\/em> (2016). <\/em>Nelson, won Illustrator Honors in 2013 for I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr<\/em>, and in 2014 for Nelson Mandela<\/em>. He also received both a CSK Author win in 2012 for text and an Honor for illustrations for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans<\/em>.
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Through their eyes and talent, the 2010-2019 winners bring unity and diversity. These authors and illustrators have expanded our platform. Their work is appreciated by all ages; there is something for everyone. They have expanded our imagination.  They have educated us. Through their love and drive, 2010-2019 winners continue to challenge themselves with their talent. Yet there is much more space for the future to wow us, and we cannot wait to see what is to come. Together, we are 50+ years strong.
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Sandy Wee<\/em><\/strong> is Library Services Manager, Access Services, at San Mateo County (CA) Libraries. She is a member of the CSK Marketing Committee.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Coretta Scott King Book Awards celebrate 50 years strong, one can only imagine how proud the founders and contributors are.  50 years strong!  What a platform! We cannot forget how the past winners expanded and transformed recognition of African American Literature. Over the decades, award winners continued to build and raise the foundation of … Continue reading CSK Through the Decades: The 2010s<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-1057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-csk-award-history","tag-jason-reynolds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1057"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1380,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions\/1380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olos.ala.org\/csk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}