2020 Winners and Honors

2020 Author Winner

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91´«Ã½

"New Kid,” written by Jerry Craft, and published by HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

2020 Illustrator Winner

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91´«Ã½

"The Undefeated,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Kwame Alexander and published by Versity, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

2020 Author Honor Titles

In between blue stripes, there are figures scattered on a grey background, some walking, running, on skateboards, with dogs, mailboxes, and cars scattered through. The bodies are headless and the accessories are the only colorful images on the cover.

91´«Ã½

“Look Both Ways,” written by Jason Reynolds and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book.

With a black starry night background, two black girls lay on a purple celestial planet, with florals sprouting out. The girls are wearing black tops and denim jeans.

91´«Ã½

“The Stars and the Blackness Between Them,” written by Junauda Petrus, and published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

With a purple and blue background, a Black man and child are poised for action. The boy faces the front cover, wearing orange pants and a grey hoodie, his hands in fists. The man has his back to us wearing a white short sleeve shirt and a large hammer like device.

91´«Ã½

“Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky,” written by Kwame Mbalia and published by Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

2020 Illustrator Honor Titles

With a blue, orange, and pink sky background, two black children are running on a hill. They're shaded in darkness. The boy is wearing a button up long sleeve top and dress pants, and the girl is wearing a dress and a bandana in her hair.

91´«Ã½

“The Bell Rang,” written and illustrated by James E. Ransome, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book.

A realistic illustration of a black and white photograph is displayed with a black man smiling into the distance, with battleships behind him in a sea. There's a yellow outline of him in a helmet and uniform overlapping with him.

91´«Ã½

“Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book.

With a blue and black starry night background, a young Black girl peers upward with her arm outreached towards us. She's wearing a light blue tank top, a delicate necklace with a star charm, and a skinny silver headband.

91´«Ã½

“Sulwe,” illustrated by Vashti Harrison, written by Lupita Nyong'o and published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.

John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner

With an orange graphic floral background, there's the profile of a young Black woman. She's wearing a pink top and an orange and purple headband with her hair up. There are three lines of lighter shades of Brown across her face and neck.

91´«Ã½

“Genesis Begins Again,” written by Alicia D. Williams and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book.

John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner

With a colorful light blue, white, and tan background, there is an illustration of an older Black mother and her son standing in front of a row of houses. The woman is wearing a dress in the same color scheme, with her hands around her son and peering down at him. The son is wearing a blue long sleeve top that's mostly shaded in blue.

91´«Ã½

“What Is Given from the Heart,” illustrated by April Harrison and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

2020 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

A black and white photo displays a young Black woman smiling into the distance. She's wearing a white sweater, large reading glasses, and has volumized curly hair.

91´«Ã½

Mildred D. Taylor (Author/Illustrator)

Born in Mississippi in 1943 and raised in Ohio, Mildred D. Taylor resides in Colorado. “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,” won the 1977 Newbery Award and a Coretta Scott King Book Award honor. Taylor received the international 2003 inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. Her books earned national recognition including four CSK author awards and two author honors. Her 2020 Logan family series conclusion “All the Days Past, All the Days to Come” continues addressing systemic injustice, entrenched inequality and the roots of racism.