The SLJ reviews editors rounded up our reviews of the books lauded at the 2025 Youth Media Awards. Here, the reviews of the Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors winners.
Coretta Scott King Author Award
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…: A LOVE Story by Jason Reynolds. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy. Oct. 2024. 256p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781665961271.
Gr 9 Up–Reynolds is back with his first romance novel, a heartwarming story about first loves and first times, told in reverse. Twenty-four months ago, Neon Benton first laid eyes on Aria Wright, looking fine in her sweatpants, T-shirt, and ponytail, after being chased away from his grandpa’s funeral by her dog. Fast forward two years and Neon finds himself locked in Aria’s bathroom, stressing about the correct way to open a condom and the intricacies of how to unhook a bra, because 24 seconds from now, they are going to, you know. In between, their relationship unfolds in a series of moments and important conversations. Neon seeks advice from all the important people in his life: his energetic friend Dodie, his older sister Nat, and his caring and up-front parents. The romance of these two Black teenagers is told openly and honestly. Neon takes such care in wanting to do right by Aria. The conversations with his parents are stand-out moments in the story, as Neon navigates his own feelings and the fervor of wanting to do things right. Reynolds has single-handedly set the standard for all young women on the type of guy they deserve. VERDICT A present-day Judy Blume’s Forever, this novel has been set up by its author to become a modern classic.-Reviewed by Amanda Harding
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books
Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson. illus. by Ekua Holmes. Penguin/Kokila. Feb. 2024. 96p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593461709.
Gr 7 Up–Drawing from her past memories, Watson encourages Black girls to celebrate themselves with love in this semi-autobiographical collection of poetry. In “Resurrection” she explains, “Renée, the name that means rebirth, to bring new life.” Renée is a sense of resilience after the sorrows of her ancestors and the traumas of Rodney King, Anita Hill, Breonna Taylor, and teachers blind to the brilliance of a young Black girl. Joyful childhood recollections include double Dutch, Werther’s Original and peppermint candies on Sundays, reggae, dreadlocks, and white sand. Bob Marley, The Jackson 5, and New Edition write a fresh diagram for feet to follow with their songs. The combination of poetry and collage art is exceptionally powerful and dynamic. The imagery provided by the reflective verse is encapsulated exquisitely in tandem with the illustrations. Although pain is present at the intersection of race, gender, and class, it is balanced by the many ways love shows up. Soulful haiku, free verse, and tanka poetry paired with dazzling designs propel the sense of sisterhood that jumps off the page with pride and jubilance. VERDICT Brimming with vibrant, layered poetry and stunningly textured collage art, this ballad for Black girls is a must for all collections.-Reviewed by Lisa Krok
Black Star by Kwame Alexander. Little, Brown. (The Door of No Return: Bk. 2). Sept. 2024. 384p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780316442596.
Gr 5 Up–This sequel to The Door of No Return follows the childhood of Kofi’s granddaughter and is set in the time of Marcus Garvey, the Harlem Renaissance, Negro League baseball, and the Great Migration. Charley has a close relationship with her grandfather and loves hearing stories about his past in Africa. She also loves baseball and plays with her friends. A young Black girl, she dreams of being a pitcher at a time when there were no women playing professional baseball. As in the first novel, readers are presented with a main character with a rich and joyful life. One day, Charley and her friends decide to play baseball at the park on the “other side” of their segregated town. This decision has consequences for Charley, her family, and her neighbors. As with the first volume, the ending comes quickly and does not explore the aftermath, which will clearly be a Great Migration story. It seems likely the culmination of this trilogy might be a Civil Rights–era story featuring Charley’s descendants accompanied by her accounting of her experiences during the Great Migration. The multigenerational nature of these stories makes them unique, the verse format is accessible, and the references to historical events of the time provides a wealth of opportunities for classroom use. VERDICT A first-rate historical verse novel with opportunities for classroom extension activities.-Reviewed by Kristin L. Anderson
One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Holiday House. Mar. 2024. 304p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780823450169.
Gr 5 Up–It is 1879 and pioneers are pouring across the country, seeking free land in the West. Lettie, her parents, and her brothers leave everything she has ever known in Mississippi to chase the dreamland and prosperity in Nebraska. Sylvia follows her husband’s dream out West, but struggles with all she has lost. Philomena seeks independence and freedom as she heads to Nebraska to take up her new job as a schoolteacher. Each of these Black women fights for their dreams and their future along the wagon trail in this emotional novel in verse. Will the travails of the trail overtake them, or will they find the new home and hope they so desperately long for? Set in the rarely told history of Black homesteaders during the Westward Expansion, this novel shines in its depiction of life on the trail and with its in-depth focus on relationship dynamics and self-realization. The varying viewpoints of the multigenerational narrators add depth and breadth to the storyline and character growth. Readers will find themselves cheering for and crying with these pioneering women as their expedition unfolds. VERDICT This emotional look into an untold part of the Westward Expansion dives deep into Black self-emancipation and the strength of Black women. Recommended for purchase for both historical fiction and interpersonal growth collections.-Reviewed by Emily Beasley
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales. illus. by C.G. Esperanza. Abrams. Jun. 2024. 48p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781419760815.
PreS-Gr 3–An early morning wake-up call is an exciting adventure for the young narrator here, who goes with Father on a horseback ride through the usually busy city where they live. After greeting and caring for their horses, the pair saddle up and ride, relishing the quiet and each other’s company, especially Daddy’s stories about riding when he was little. The beautiful sunrise reveals other people out, who smile and wave at the pair. It’s a wonderful example of a narrative about a family doing interesting things together in their community. The Afro-Panamanian community ties are evident and will provide opportunities for some readers to compare and contrast this experience to their own. It would also make an excellent mentor text for narrative writing. Vividly hued oil paintings are a perfect accompaniment to the text, adding visual details and cultural elements to the story. The pictures also reflect a deep love between the father and child as well as for the horses. VERDICT This is a lovely depiction of a parent sharing their culture with their child in a way that will feel refreshingly new and happily familiar.-Reviewed by Debbie Tanner
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books
Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King. illus. by Ekua Holmes. Macmillan/Godwin. Jan. 2024. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781250167101.
Gr 3-5–This abridged illustrated version of Coretta Scott King’s autobiography is both powerful and beautiful. Multimedia collages dominate the pages: layered portraits, straightforward portrayals of the text, and mosaics incorporating newspaper print and photographs. Bright colors counteract the sepia and black-and-white tones of the newspaper pictures. The use of collage allows readers to feel the different waves of emotions, especially as the text turns to the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King’s life afterward. The motif of flowers ties the book together, showing grace in a time of tragedy. VERDICT A gorgeous book to introduce children to the triumphs and tragedies of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most avid champions.-Reviewed by Jessica Durham
Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava by Gary Golio. illus. by E. B. Lewis. Astra/Calkins Creek. Jan. 2024. 48p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781662680557.
K-Gr 3–Veteran creators and collaborators Golio and Lewis (Dark Was the Night) spotlight the experience and perspective of Harlem artist Roy DeCarava. Known for his black-and-white photographs of scenes of everyday life, DeCarava said he showed “the strength, the wisdom, the dignity of the Negro people.” Lewis’s watercolors play with light in an ode to that work, though where DeCarava is known for deep blacks and complex greys, Lewis’s watercolor illustrations are soft and light. Golio’s prose is swift, providing a single snapshot of words on each page, devoid of excess. While each element of this book is beautiful and skillfully executed, there is a disconnect between DeCarava’s work and this interpretation. Only three photographs grace the pages, all in the back matter: a portrait of DeCarava, a photo of his first camera, and a photo outside a Harlem apartment by an unknown photographer. The intensity—in emotion, tonality, and composition—of DeCarava’s work is absent here and a disservice to readers. Ultimately, this love letter to an incredible artist needs the scaffolding of an extended biography. VERDICT Consider only for larger libraries and robust art/biography collections.-Reviewed by Taylor Worley
Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J McDaniel. illus. by April Harrison. Dial. Feb. 2024. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593324202.
K-Gr 4–This is a blissful walk around the imagination for anyone who has ever been told, or has listened to, a transporting piece of storytelling. Baker had a grandmother who told tales from across the ages and of all genres, but what they had in common, other than Baker’s alert, listening ears, were characters that looked defeated but who in the end were victorious. A young librarian in Harlem, Baker was still at home in the world of books, but what she found in the way of authentic Black representation was missing; she created a collection including the works of writers and illustrators who would give Harlem’s children the books in which they would see themselves conquering the world. This is a wall-to-wall poetry-filled biography, with scenes of Baker hugging the buildings and cityscapes of her surroundings, towering over the classrooms, and demonstrating her immoveable presence in all of Harrison’s quilt-colored, patched-together, joyfully two-dimensional illustrations. Of course the book is catnip for librarians and storytellers, but for children, too; the colors, books, titles, typeface, faces, people, streets, and words that overflow these pages work in tandem with the text to celebrate a life in stories and a life in service to others. VERDICT An essential purchase not to be missed—what a wonderful person, and what a worthy life.-Reviewed by Ginnie Abbott
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer. Roaring Brook. Sept. 2024. 352p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250900265.
Gr 3-7–North Carolinian Kwame Powell, 12, travels to Ghana for a funeral, then gets sucked into the Ghanaian mythological underworld. After chasing a monkey spirit who has stolen the dashiki sewn for him by his late grandmother, Kwame finds himself in the Realms of Asamando, just in time for an election. Asase Yaa (Mother Earth) has died, leaving behind ecological instability; now Asase’s sons Tano and Nansi are fighting for power. Can Kwame process his grief, find Asase’s widower (the Sky god Nyame), stop Tano and Nansi, and save the planet from environmental catastrophe? This debut novel has the breezy voice of the “Tristan Strong” and “Serwa Boateng” series, but it also innovates with humor and detail: Kwame faces immortals who order pizza and fufu from AsamandoEats. Kwame’s friendships are endearing and unique as he reunites with the teenaged spirit of his grandmother and brings along his best friend, Autumn, who identifies as Afro-Korean and has post-lingual hearing loss in both ears. The novel welcomes an ASL-signing duo into the supernatural realm and opens up a conversation about navigating intersectional identity, where all characters are fully realized. As an Obayifo—a supernatural being who just wants to eat pasta and watch theater—reminds Kwame, “We’re all three-dimensional. Look at yourself—a piece of a Ghanaian goddess inside you, and yet you feel disconnected from your culture. Go figure.” VERDICT This swashbuckling, supernatural adventure into the land of Ghanian mythology will have all readers (and especially fans of Rick Riordan Presents titles) craving more. Highly recommended.-Reviewed by Katherine Magyarody
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award
Jimmy’s Rhythm & Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin by Michelle Meadows. illus. by Jamiel Law. HarperCollins. Jan. 2024. 48p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780063273474.
Gr 4-6–Despite the title’s suggestion of a musical subject, this book takes on legendary writer James Baldwin. It covers his life from his childhood in Harlem during the Great Depression, to his early beginnings as a writer and expat, to his involvement in the Civil Rights movement, relationship with Lucien Happersberger, and the final years of his career. Meadows gets into enough detail for readers to understand the nuances of Baldwin’s life without totally overwhelming them, but the level of detail and concepts discussed make this biography appropriate for older elementary or middle grade readers. Sentences are simple and direct, lending an atmosphere of seriousness that matches the book’s iconic subject. Back matter includes a time line and list of sources. Readers across a wide range of grade levels will be mesmerized by Law’s masterful illustrations, which employ an expressive use of color and perspective. VERDICT This stunning picture book biography is highly recommended.-Reviewed by Maria Bohan
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime AchievementCarolyn L. Garnes |
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderfully personal and honest stories from these great authors.
These compelling stories of writers is so touching and insightful. Thank you for sharing this.
Wow! Grateful to read these moving speeches and thank you so much for sharing them!
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