American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1982) Winner
Joyce Carol Thomas
ジョイス・キャロル・トーマス
Joyce Carol Thomas
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1938-05-25 （Ponca City, Oklahoma）
- Died
- 2016-08-13 （Stanford, California） age 78
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Ponca City, Oklahoma → Tracy, California → Berkeley, California → Stanford, California
Career
- Occupations
- poet, playwright, motivational speaker, author (children's literature)
- Active Years
- 1967-2016
- Nominations
- Coretta Scott King Award (finalist, 1984) — Bright Shadow, Coretta Scott King Award (finalist, 1994) — Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, Coretta Scott King Award (finalist, 2009) — The Blacker the Berry
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose State University | — | Spanish | B.A. | — | United States |
| Stanford University | Night classes in education | Education | Master's | — | United States |
San Jose State University
Spanish
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Earned a B.A. in Spanish
Stanford University
Night classes in education
/ Education
Degree:
Master's
Year of Graduation:
1967
Country:
United States
Completed master's degree while raising children
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | National Book Award (Young People's Literature — Children's Fiction, paperback) | Marked by Fire | 児童小説（ペーパーバック） | National Book Foundation | winner |
| — | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | winner |
National Book Award (Young People's Literature — Children's Fiction, paperback)
1983
Work:
Marked by Fire
Category:
児童小説（ペーパーバック）
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
winner
American Book Award
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Marked by Fire
1982 children's novelA children's novel set in Oklahoma about a young protagonist and her family's confrontation with fire, loss, and eventual renewal.
familyloss and renewalidentity
Bright Shadow
1983 children's literatureA collection containing stories and lyrical pieces for younger readers, sensitively portraying African American experience and family bonds.
cultural experiencefamilyhope
Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea
1993 children's poetry / picture bookA poetic, image-rich children's work that celebrates cultural roots and everyday beauty, honoring the child's perspective.
culture and traditionself-esteemeveryday beauty
The Blacker the Berry
2009 young adult / children's literatureA work addressing skin color and racial self-awareness, following young characters as they confront prejudice and learn self-acceptance.
race and identityself-acceptancesocial prejudice
Bibliography
- Marked by Fire
- Bright Shadow
- Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea
- The Blacker the Berry
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- concise, poetic proserhythmic narrationchild-centered perspective
- Recurring Motifs
- family bondscultural rootsrenewal and healing
Legacy
Joyce Carol Thomas is recognized for richly portraying African American experience in children's literature. Her award-winning Marked by Fire and other works highlighted the importance of diverse voices in youth literature.
Academic Societies
- American Library Association (related programs referenced)
Archives
- Library of Congress (related catalog records)
- Various library catalogs (WorldCat, VIAF and other identifiers)
Trivia
- Born the fifth of nine children in a family of cotton pickers in Oklahoma.
- Moved with her family to Tracy, California in 1948 and learned Spanish from Mexican migrant workers.
- Raised four children while taking night classes at Stanford University and earned a master's degree in 1967.