AFRICAN STUDIES COLLECTION
The ASA Children's Book Award honors the author and illustrator of younger children and older adolescent readers. Nominated books meet the following criteria: (1) content should be about Africa, (2) books for students in the best juvenile book about Africa published in the previous year, (3) titles copyrighted in designated year, and (4) only books published by U.S. companies are eligible (also foreign titles re-published in the U.S.). Since 1991, the Outreach Council has invited publishers to submit nominations for the authors (and illustrators) of the best children's books on Africa. The awards highlight the importance of the production of high-quality children's materials about Africa. Nominations for the Children's Book Awards are made directly by publishers, who may submit as many separate titles for a given year's competition as they desire. Each book is read and evaluated by four or five African Studies scholars. Reviews are posted on the on the Internet at H-Net, H-AfriTeach Book Reviews.
2000: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Patricia Kuntz, Sarah Manyika, John Metzler, Alexandra O'Brien]
Winner
Honor Books
1999: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Barbara Brown, Patricia Kuntz, Prosper Godonod, Sarah Manyika]
Winners
Ahiagble, G., Meyer, L., & Hernandez, N. (1998). Master weaver from Ghana. Seattle, WA: Open Hand Publishing.
Paye, W. & Lippert, M.H. (1998). Why leopard has spots: Dan stories from Liberia. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing.
(il. Ashley Bryan).
Honor Books
Wilson-Max, K. (1998). Halala means welcome: A book of Zulu words. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
McKee, T. & Blackhaw, A. (1998). No more strangers now: Young voices from a new South Africa. New York: DK Ink Book.
1998: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Barbara Brown, Prosper Godonod, Patricia Kuntz, Harriet Schiffer]
Winners
Naidoo, B. (1997). No turning back: A novel of South Africa. New York: HarperCollins.
Kurtz, Jane & Christopher. (1997). Only a pigeon. New York: Simon & Schuster. (il. E.B. Lewis)
1997: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Barbara Brown, Patricia Kuntz, Lesego Malepe, Harriet Schiffer, Jo Sullivan]
Winner
Sisulu, E. (1996). The day Gogo went to vote. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. (il. Sharon Wilson)
1996: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Maureen Eke, Lesego Malepe, Lyn
Miller-Lachmann, Harriet Schiffer, Jo Sullivan,
Gretchen Walsh]
Winners
Feelings, T. (1995). Middle passage. New York: Dial.
Rappaport, D. (1995). The new king. New York: Dial. (il. E.B. Lewis)
Honor Books
Hoffman, M. (1995). Boundless Grace New York: Dial. (il. Caroline Binch)
Mollel, T. (1995). Big boy. New York: Clarion. (il. E.B. Lewis)
1995: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Barbara Brown, Maureen Eke, Harriet Schiffer, Lesego Malepe,
Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Jo Sullivan]
Winners
Hansen, J. (1994). The captive. New York: Scholastic.
Cowen-Fletcher, J. (1994). It takes a village. New York: Scholastic.
Honor Books
McKissack, P. & F. (1994). The royal kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. New York: Henry Holt.
Ruper, J. (1994). The African mask. New York: Clarion Books.
1994: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Ndinzi Masagara, Robert Hamilton, Mareen Eke, Roberta Logan,
Nancy Schmidt, Lyn Miller-Lachmann]
No award given
1993: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Maureen Eke, Robert Hamilton, Ndinzi Masagara, Nancy Schmidt]
Winners
Wisniewski, D. (1992). Sundiata: Lion king of Mali. New York: Clarion Books.
1992: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Ruby Bell-Gam, Marueen Eke, Robert Hamilton, Ndinzi Masagara, Salah Hassan]
Winners
Anderson, D. (1991). The origin of life on earth: An African creation myth. Philadelphia: Sights Production.
(il. Kathleen Atkins)
Honor Books
Rosen Publishers (1991). Apartheid: Calibrations of Color. New York, NY: Rosen Publishers.
1991: Committee - Brenda Randolph, Ch. [Anne Adams, Maureen Eke, Marueen Ellsworth, Robert Hamilton,
Ndinzi Masagara, Razia Nanji]
No award given
* Bibliography *
Berman, M. & Dupuy, M.J. (1999). Children's book awards annual. Englewood,
CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc.
Bodart, J.R. (1998). Booktalking the award winners 4. New York, NY: H.W. Wilson.
Children's Book Council. (1985). Children's books: Awards and prizes. New York, NY:
CBC.
Khorana, M. (Ed.). (1998) African Children's Literature. Bookbird: World of Children's
Books, 36/1 (Spring -
Special issue).
Khorana, M. (Ed.). (1998). Critical perspectives on postcolonial African children's and young adult literature. Westport,
CT: Greenwood Press.
Khorana, M. (1994). Africa
in literature for children and young adults: An annotated bibliography of English-language
books
Kuntz, P.S. (1997). City children in African children's literature. (Children's Literature Association, Omaha, NB
June 1997) (ED 405 586)
Kuntz, P.S. (1991). "Sub-Saharan African" and "South Africa." In L.
Miller-Lachmann (Ed.), Our family, our friends, our world: An annotated guide to significant multicultural books for children and
teenagers
New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker Publications. (Denali Award, 1993)
Kuntz, P.S. (1979). Books about Africa for children and youth. Madison, WI: State Dept. of Public Instruction.
(ED 188 986)
Lindfors, B. (2000). "J. Children's literature." In Black African Literature in English, 1992-96, (p. ?). London:
Hans Zell.
Lindfors, B. (1995). "J. Children's literature." In Black African Literature in English, 1987-91, (p. 145-149). London:
Hans Zell.
Lindfors, B. (1989). "J. Children's literature." In Black African Literature in English, 1982-86, (p. 111-114). London:
Hans Zell.
Lindfors, B. (1986). "J. Children's literature." In Black African Literature in English, 1977-81 supplement, (p. 105-108).
New York, NY: Africana Pub. Co.
Lindfors, B. (1979). "J. Children's literature." In Black African Literature in English: A guide to information sources,
(p. 148-149). Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co.
Maddy, Y. A. (1996). "Through African Eyes: An Interview with Yulisa Amadu Maddy About Recent Picture Books."
In Y. A. Maddy and D. MacCann (Eds.), African images in juvenile literature:
Commentaries on neocolonialist
fiction. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co. (Originally published in the Wilson Library
Bulletin, June, 1995.)
Osa, O. (1995). African children's and youth literature. New York, NY: Twayne
Publishers.
[Angolphone African writers of literature with a focus on young adults.]
Randolph, B. (1996). Afrophile:
Recommended Titles on Africa for Children and Young People. (Manuscript). literature: Voices in a tradition
Randolph, B. (Ed.). (1992). African
Access: Review of children's materials. In W. L. Andrews (Ed.), African American:
Schmidt, N.J. (1987). "4th Zimbabwe International Book Fair, 1987: An overview of publishing African children's
literature." African Book Publishing Record, 13/3: 237-39.
Schmidt, N.J. (1981). Children's fiction about Africa in English. New York, NY:
Conch.
Schmidt, N.J. (1979). "Children's books by well-known African authors." World
Literature Written in English, 18/3: 114-124.
Schmidt, N.J. (1979). Supplement to children's books on Africa and their authors: An
annotated bibliography. New York,
NY: Africana Publishing.
Schmidt, N.J. (1978). "African women writers of literature for children." World
Literature Written in English, 17/1: 7-21.
Schmidt, N.J. (1975). Children's books on Africa and their authors: An annotated
bibliography. New York, NY:
Africana Publishing.
Journals:
APNET Children's Catalogue (Harare, Zimbabwe)
Bookbird. (IBBY)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. (Univ. of Illinois- Urbana/Champaign)
Choices. (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Cooperative Children's Book Center)
Journal of African Children's and Youth Literature. (Benin, Nigeria) [see also: Journal of
African Children's Literature]
Multicultural Review. (Greenwood Publishing, Westport, CT)
Web sites:
Africa Resources for Children
Organizations:
IBBY
= International Board on Books for Young People
Last updated: 04/00
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~libsalc/african/awards/childbk.html
Website originally prepared by Patricia S. Kuntz, Mellon Fellow
Comments: Marion Frank Wilson
Copyright 2000, The Trustees of Indiana University