Erica Dunlap
Monday, January 28th, was a day like any other for author Alice Faye Duncan. Much like the poet Gwendolyn Brooks used to do, she rose early to write, sunlight streaming in from her living room window.
She then headed into work as a school librarian at Middle College High School. Several hours into her school day, she received the call from her illustrator: Her book Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop had been awarded the Coretta Scott King Honor Medal for illustrations.
The Coretta Scott King Award recognizes African-American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and adults and was founded in 1969 by Mabel McKissick and Glyndon Green of the American Library Association (ALA). The award is a literary monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s work to bring peace worldwide and is one of the highest honors in children’s literature.
Duncan’s mother and father both taught school, so as a child she was surrounded by books and had no shortage of literary role models. Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Paul Lance Dunbar, and Gwendolyn Brooks were some of her earliest influences. “My father revered books,” Duncan says. “Books were like gold to him.” After learning to read, learning to write was naturally the next step. Winning the award has awakened many dreams for Duncan.
A historical fiction picture book best for ages 9-12, Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, was years in the making. Duncan’s book tells the story of Lorraine Jackson, a 9-year old girl who bears witness to her father’s participation in the sanitation workers’ strike of 1968, which ultimately resulted in Dr. King’s assassination.
Living in a city steeped in rich history from the Civil Rights Movement, Duncan felt compelled to tell this side of the story. “I found, as a school librarian, children did not understand the purpose of a labor union, why King came to Memphis, and how he came to be assassinated,” she says. “They only know that King was killed at the Lorraine Motel. They don’t understand the how and the why of it.”
The story begins two months before King’s assassination, and Duncan drew upon the memories of local Memphian and former teacher, Dr. Almella Starks-Umoja. Duncan chronicles what Starks-Umoja remembers from the time two black sanitation workers in Memphis died as a result of old, faulty machinery and poor working conditions.
“I want children to understand that freedom is not free,” says Duncan. “I want them to understand that in every generation there is some social and civic struggle to overcome, and that they are required to do their part in their generation. They don’t get a pass.”
Awarded annually by the ALA, the Youth Media Awards are bestowed upon the best writers and illustrators in children’s and young adult literature. Other prestigious awards given this year include:
Newbery Award: awarded for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature — Merci Suárez Changes Gears, written by Meg Medina. Merci, on scholarship at a private school in Florida, has to do community service to make up for her free tuition. As if being a charity case weren’t hard enough, Edna Santos targets her when the new kid is assigned to be Merci’s Sunshine Buddy and her grandfather is starting to act strange and forget things. This coming-of-age tale is perfect for grades 3-7.
Randolph Caldecott Award: awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children — Hello Lighthouse, illustrated and written by Sophie Blackall. A lone lighthouse stands against the rocky waves searching for a keeper. When one arrives, he not only brings the lighthouse back to life, he makes it his home. Illustrated in Chinese ink and watercolor, this picture book is best suited for grades K-3.
Michael L. Printz Award: for excellence in literature written for young adults —
The Poet X, written by Elizabeth Acevedo.Xiomara Barista, whose name means “ready for war,” has been fighting her whole life. After joining a spoken-word poetry club and learning to release pent-up frustrations in her poetry journal, Xiomara begins to figure out her place in the world. This novel in verse is also a National Book Award winner and belongs on bookshelves in grades 9-12.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award:
— A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, written by Claire Hartfield. This case study in one of the deadliest race riots in Chicago’s history carefully unpacks the events that led to citywide unrest. Primary sources illustrate the escalation of violence when police officers refuse to arrest a white man for throwing a rock and killing a young African-American teen. This narrative nonfiction will be revered by history buffs in grades 9-12.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
The Stuff of Stars, illustrated by Ekua Holmes. Poet Marion Dane Bauer takes readers from the second the universe was born to the moment life on Earth began. Poetic free verse tells the story of the creation of the universe and is beautifully illustrated with hand-marbled paper and collage. Carl Sagan fans in grades K-3 will gobble up this book.