Carter G. Woodson Book Award
かーたー・じー・うっどそん としょしょう
American literary award aimed at promoting depictions of race/ethnicity and cultural literacy for children and young adults. Established in 1973, first awarded in 1974.
Children's literatureYoung adult literatureMulticultural educationHistoryBiography
- Established
- 1973
- Organizer
- National Council for the Social Studies (Racism and Social Justice Committee)
- Category
- Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
- Selection Method
- Selection
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Status
- Active
Description
The Carter G. Woodson Book Award was established in 1973 by the Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies to promote cultural literacy in children and young adults. First presented in 1974, the award currently recognizes books at three levels—elementary, middle, and secondary—and designates honor books. A likeness seal of Woodson was introduced in 1999 (gold seals for winning books and silver seals for honor books).
Prize
- Main Prize
- Recognition and an accompanying seal (gold for winners, silver for honor books); no monetary prize noted in the source.
- Gold seal for winning books (introduced 1999)
- Silver seal for honor books (introduced 1999)
- Recognition by the National Council for the Social Studies
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committee selection | Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies | — | Winners and honor books are announced annually (per level). |
| Honor-book designation | Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies | — | Honor books (historically described as having "outstanding merit" from 1980–1996) are recognized; seals applied since 1999 (gold for winners, silver for honors). |
Committee selection
Judges
Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies
Announcement
Winners and honor books are announced annually (per level).
Honor-book designation
Judges
Racism and Social Justice Committee of the National Council for the Social Studies
Announcement
Honor books (historically described as having "outstanding merit" from 1980–1996) are recognized; seals applied since 1999 (gold for winners, silver for honors).
Criteria
- Promotes cultural literacy for children and young adults
- Depicts race/ethnicity and social justice topics accurately
- Educational and historical value
- Suitability for the intended grade level and general literary/illustrative quality
Related Awards
- Coretta Scott King Book Awards
- Newbery Medal
- Pura Belpré Award
- National Council for the Social Studies — other awards
Official Resources
https://www.socialstudies.org/get-involved/carter-g-woodson-book-award-and-honor-winnersPast Winners
Lawrence Goldstone
Winner
Candacy Taylor
Winner
Diane Wilson
Winner
Sun Yung Shin
Winner
Shannon Gibney
Winner
John Richard Coy
Winner
Sandra Neil Wallace
Winner
Rich Wallace
Winner
Carole Boston Weatherford
Winner
Martha Brockenbrough
Winner
Grace Lin
Winner
Ashley Bryan
Winner
Kwame Alexander
Winner
Tonya K. Bolden
Winner
Anne Rockwell
Winner
Elaine M. Alphin
Winner
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Winner
Jeri Chase Ferris
Winner
Fay Stanley
Winner
Mary E. Lyons
Winner
Catherine Scheader
Winner
Charles W. Patterson
Winner
Jeri Chase Ferris
Winner
E.B. Fincher
Winner