2001
Author Award Winner
Miracle's
Boys by Jacqueline
Woodson YA Woodson, J.
Nothing
is like it used to be. If it were, Mama would still be alive. Papa wouldn't have
died. Thirteen-year-old Lafayette's older brother, Charlie wouldn't have done
time at a correctional facility. And oldest brother Ty'ree would have gone to
college instead of having to work full time to support the three of them. If
things were the same, Lafayette wouldn't be so full of questions, like why Mama
had to die, why Charlie hates him so much now, and how they're all supposed to
survive these times together when so much seems to be set against them.
This
is the story of three remarkable young men; brothers who have only each other to
rely on and who must decide whether they'll work with that or let it tear them
apart Ages
9 and up.
Honor Book
Let
It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
by
Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn YA 920.72
PIN
Ten
female freedom fighters let their lights shine in African-American history, and
the stories of those women, from Harriet Tubman to Rosa Parks, are told in this
collection. Ages 9-12
Illustrator Award Winner
Uptown
by Bryan Collier
In
this story of a boy growing up in Harlem, Collier's spare, poetic text and
intricate color illustrations evoke every aspect of the community, from the
legendary Apollo Theater to the chocolate-colored brownstones to the music of
Duke Ellington. Ages 4-8
Honor Books
Freedom
River by Bryan
Collier
Based on a true slave escape story, this picture book for older children
combines an exciting, heartrending narrative with dramatic collage and
watercolor pictures. John Parker was an ex-slave who became a successful
businessman and an active conductor on the Underground Railroad. On one of his
journeys, he helped an African American couple escape with their baby from the
slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio.
Grades
3-5
Only
Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth
illustrated by R.
Gregory Christie; text by Anne Rockwell
j 921 TRUTH, S., Roc
The inspiring story of how a woman named Sojourner Truth, born a slave with
no status or dignity, who was sold three times by the age of 13, transformed
herself into one of the most powerful voices of the abolitionist movement whose
simple yet powerful words helped people understand the hideous truth about
slavery.Ages 7-10
Virgie
Goes to School with Us Boys illustrated by E.B. Lewis; text by Elizabeth
Fitzgerald Howard
All
Virgie wants to do is go to school with her five older brothers, who think she's
too small and that girls don't need an education. Based on lives of the author's
ancestors, this story is captured in colorful artwork by 1999 Coretta Scott King
Honor artist E.B. Lewis. Ages 4-8
2000
Author Award Winner
Bud, Not
Buddy by Christopher
Paul Curtis YA NEWBERY Curtis, C.
After
his mother's death in 1936, 10-year-old Bud can't squelch a yearning to find out
his father's identity. Bud has a hunch from clues his mother left--posters of
Herman E. Calloway and his band. The fearless fellow takes off on a journey to
find his father and himself. The latest release from Newbery Honor winner
Christopher Paul Curtis promises to be a warm adventure. Ages 8 and up
Honor Book
Francie
by Karen English YA
English, K.
In rural Alabama during the Truman administration, 12-year-old Francie lives
with her mother and younger brother while her father tries to get settled in
Chicago. While working odd jobs for wealthy white folks on the other side of
town, Francie helps a framed young black man to escape arrest, which puts the
entire black community in danger. An ALA Notable Book and "School Library
Journal" Best Book of the Year. Ages 9-12
Black
Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers
by Patricia C. and
Frederick L. McKissack YA
639.2 MCK
The McKissacks tell the story of brave black sailors such as Paul Cuffe,
Lewis Temple, and Frederick Douglass, and their part in the whaling industry and
abolitionist movement during the 1800s. Ages 9-12
Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
YA Myers, W.
Young,
black, 16-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore
owner. As a way of coping, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe
his trial into a movie script. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred until
he can no longer tell who he is or what the truth is. Ages 12 and up
Illustrator Award Winner
In
the Time of the Drums
, ill. by Brian
Pinkney; text by Kim L. Siegelson j E SIE
A
Caldecott Honor medalist pairs with a master storyteller to present a
mesmerizing tale of slavery. Ages 4-8
Honor Books
My
Rows and Piles of Coins, ill. by E.
B. Lewis; text by Tololwa M.
Mollel j E
MOL
A
Tanzanian boy saves coins to buy a bicycle so he can help his parents carry
goods to market. Then he discovers in spite of all he has saved, he does not
have enough money. Glowing watercolor images capture the warmth and strength of
a young boy's giving heart. Ages 4-8
Black
Cat
by
Christopher Myers j E MYE
On
an eye-opening journey through arresting urban landscapes, a stray black cat
leaps, listens, and dances to the city's pulsating beats while searching for a
home. Ages 4-8