Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award references 58 books assigned across applicable K-12 grade levels in US schools.

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The Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award is presented annually by the American Library Association to an outstanding African American illustrator of a book for children or teens. Established in 1974, it honors picture books that demonstrate appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

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58 books referenced

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Mirandy and Brother Wind · Pat McKissack · Buy →
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom · Carole Boston Weatherford · Buy →
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters · John Steptoe · Buy →
My Daddy Is a Cowboy · Stephanie Seales · Buy →
My Mama Needs Me · Mildred Pitts Walter · Buy →
My People · Louis A Decaro Jr. · Buy →
Nelson Mandela · Kadir Nelson · Buy →
Out of Wonder · Kwame Alexander · Buy →
R-E-S-P-E-C-T · Carole Boston Weatherford · Buy →
Radiant Child · Javaka Steptoe · Buy →
Radiant Child · Javaka Steptoe · Buy →
Rap a Tap Tap · Leo Dillon · Buy →
Ray Charles · Sharon Bell Mathis · Buy →
Rosa · Nikki Giovanni · Buy →
Soul Looks Back in Wonder · Tom Feelings · Buy →
Standing in the Need of Prayer · Carole Boston Weatherford · Buy →
Swim Team · Johnnie Christmas · Buy →
Talkin' About Bessie · Nikki Grimes · Buy →
Tar Beach · Faith Ringgold · Buy →
The Bell Rang · James E. Ransome · Buy →
The Blacker the Berry · Joyce Carol Thomas · Buy →
The Creation · James Weldon Johnson · Buy →
The Middle Passage · Tom Feelings · Buy →
The Origin of Life on Earth · David A. Anderson · Buy →
The Patchwork Quilt · Valerie Flournoy · Buy →
The Undefeated · Kwame Alexander · Buy →
There Was a Party for Langston · Jason Reynolds · Buy →
Trombone Shorty · Troy Andrews · Buy →
Underground · Liv Evans · Buy →
Underground · Shane W. Evans · Buy →
Unspeakable · Carole Boston Weatherford · Buy →
Uptown · Bryan Collier · Buy →
Victory. Stand! · Tommie Smith · Buy →
We Are the Ship · Kadir Nelson · Buy →

Reading the whole Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award reading list? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

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New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

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About this curriculum framework

This curriculum is one of dozens of named English Language Arts frameworks tracked across US public-school districts. Frameworks differ in scope (district-level vs state-level vs national), in mandate (required vs recommended vs elective), and in how prescriptive their reading lists are (single fixed text list vs broad reading-pool selection).

The book list below represents titles cited as required, recommended, or commonly assigned within this framework, sourced from the framework's primary documentation (or, where the framework is administered at district level, from public district curriculum pages). Each book's detail page links the specific source document for that citation.

How to use this Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award reading list

The book list above represents titles ReadingList has confirmed as referenced by Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award— either through the framework’s own published documentation, through audited classroom syllabi citing the framework, or through US state and district curriculum guides that map their reading expectations to it. Each book’s detail page links the specific primary source so parents, teachers, and students can verify the citation and locate the official document.

Reading lists evolve. Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award citations on ReadingList are reviewed on a rolling basis as primary sources publish updates. If you teach or learn under this framework and a title on this page is no longer used (or you know of one that should appear), the ReadingList methodology page explains how to submit a correction with a citation.

Frequently asked questions

What books does Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award include?

58 books are referenced by Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award across applicable K-12 grade levels. Each book page cites the primary source assignment (the official curriculum standard, exemplar list, or syllabus where the title appears).

What grades does Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award cover?

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award is a reading-program curriculum spanning applicable K-12 grade levels via the standards framework. Browse by grade using the grade-filter links on this page or visit /grade for the full grade index across all curricula.

Where does Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award data come from?

Sourced from published curriculum documents + standards organizations. Cross-referenced with Common Core exemplars at achievethecore.org. Every book page on ReadingList.school cites the standards origin for that assignment.

Is Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award required reading?

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award provides recommended exemplars + assignments — adoption varies by district and teacher. Always check with your school's English department for the specific required vs recommended list at your grade level.

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