Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table to celebrate John Steptoe New Talent Award Winners with virtual program

CHICAGO — The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table (CSKBART) invites the community to celebrate and recognize the 2024 Coretta Scott King Book Awards John Steptoe New Talent author and illustrator winners.

The John Steptoe New Talent Award is established to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration which otherwise might be formally unacknowledged within a given year within the structure of the two awards given annually by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table.

Librarians, educators, parents and students are invited to celebrate John Steptoe New Talent Award winners Jade Adia and Briana Mukodiri Uchhendu. Jade Adia is the John Steptoe Author Award winner for her debut novel "There Goes the Neighborhood" published by Disney Hyperion and Briana Mukodiri Uchendu is the John Steptoe Illustrator winner for illustrations in the book "We Could Fly" by Rhiannon Giddens and published by Candlewick Press.

This is a virtual event, taking place on Thursday April 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM EST, 5:00 PM CST, and 3:00 PM PST. Participants must register to attend. Registration Link

Since 1969, such outstanding African American authors and illustrators as Toni Morrison, Walter Dean Myers, Virginia Hamilton, Jerry Pinkney and Christopher Paul Curtis have been honored by the American Library Association (ALA) as Coretta Scott King Book Award recipients.

Winners are selected by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee and announced annually to a waiting national audience at the ALA Youth Awards Press Conference, held on the Monday of the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Award recipients are selected within three categories, including the Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award, Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award and Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award.

Award founders Glyndon Flynt Greer, a school librarian in Englewood, New Jersey; Mabel McKissick, a school librarian in New London, Connecticut; and John Carroll, a book publisher; envisioned an award that would recognize the talents of outstanding African-American authors and encourage them to continue writing books for children and young adults. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

Additional information regarding the Coretta Scott King Book Awards please visit www.ala.org/rt/cskbart

Coretta Scott King Book Awards Roundtable (CSKBART)