Author Award Winner

The Land
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by Mildred D. Taylor

The Land is a poignantly crafted story that chronicles the triumphs and struggles of life for Paul-Edward Logan, son of a white slave owner and an enslaved African-Indian woman. Set in Mississippi during the late 1800s, the book introduces readers to the grandfather of Cassie Logan, the impassioned hero of Taylor's 1977 Newbery Award winner "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry."

"Taylor offers an ingenious prequel to 'Roll of Thunder,'" said Award Committee Chair Fran Ware. "'The Land' unveils the precarious world of Paul-Edward Logan, a black boy who could pass for white and invites readers into his remarkable and painful journey to manhood. Taylor makes an exemplary contribution to chronicling the African-American experience with her finely developed characters and well-rounded storyline."

Honor Books

Money-Hungry
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by Sharon G. Flake

ISBN: 078680548X
Format: Hardcover, 192pp
Pub. Date: May 2001
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Edition Description: 1 ED

Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is starved for money and who will do anything legal to get her hands on the dollar. She is obsessed, driven and afraid of being homeless, so she keeps her eyes on the prize: the cold, hard cash. When the green stuff greases her palm, she gets comfort from feeling its crinkly paper power. Raspberry kisses her cash. She smells it. She loves it. But even money can not answer the questions that keep Raspberry awake at night.

Carver: a Life in Poems
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by Marilyn Nelson

ISBN: 1886910537
Format: Hardcover, 96pp
Pub. Date: March 2001
Publisher: Front Street, Inc.
Edition Description: 1 ED

This collection of poems assembled by award-winning writer Marilyn Nelson provides young readers with a compelling, lyrical account of the life of revered African-American botanist and inventor George Washington Carver. Born in 1864 and raised by white slave owners, Carver left home in search of an education and eventually earned a master�s degree in agriculture. In 1896, he was invited by Booker T. Washington to head the agricultural department at the all-black-staffed Tuskegee Institute. There he conducted innovative research to find uses for crops such as cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and peanuts, while seeking solutions to the plight of landless black farmers. Through 44 poems, told from the point of view of Carver and the people who knew him, Nelson celebrates his character and accomplishments. She includes prose summaries of events and archival photographs.
 

Illustrator Award Winner

Goin' Someplace Special
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illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; text by Patricia McKissack

ISBN: 0689818858
Format: Paperback, 40pp
Pub. Date: August 2001
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Edition Description: 1ST

Here is McKissack's own story of growing up in Nashville. As 'Tricia Ann makes her first trip alone to the public library, she confronts the humiliation of a segregated society. Members of her own community and a kind white woman help her rely on her own sense of self-worth to complete the journey to her 'someplace special.'

"With wonderful detail and colors, Pinkney brings us right along with 'Tricia Ann as she travels to the one place she can open the door to freedom," said Award Committee Chair Fran Ware. "His expressive paintings portray the essence of 'Tricia Ann's emotions as she experiences both the reassurance of her community and the indignities of segregation."

Honor Books

Martin's Big Words
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illustrated by Bryan Collier; text by Doreen Rappoport

ISBN: 0786807148
Format: Hardcover, 40pp
Pub. Date: October 2001
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Edition Description: 1 ED

A brief biography of Dr. Martin Luther King uses memorable words from his speeches to highlight important moments in his life. Large type and arresting collages draw the reader's attention to Dr. King's powerful statements. Bryan Collier grabs the reader's emotional attention with collages made from watercolor, torn paper, and photographic images. each illustration powerfully and passionately interprets the big words spoken by Dr. King. Beginning with the strong, striking cover portrait and stained glass end papers, he conveys a reverential feeling in his art, which causes the reader to pause and think about the meaning of Dr. king's important words.