Curtis, C. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. Ten-year-old Buddy Caldwell is an orphan and runaway from foster homes and Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. He's on a quest to find his real father, who he believes is a bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression. The novel addresses poverty, racism and cruelty and, therefore, is for upper level readers. Won Coretta Scott King Award for 2000. Would be great for fifth graders when they study Civil Rights Movement.
Grimes, N. (2002). Talkin' about Bessie. New York, NY: Orchard Books. A fictionalized biography of Bessie Coleman's life takes us to her funeral where 20 of her mourners speak of her life. Brilliant illustrations by E.B. Lewis and B. Moser are watercolors with sepia-toned outlines bring the character to life. Readers from middle and upper grades will enjoy this interesting biography about the first registered African-American pilot. This book won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award as well as the Illustrator Award for 2003. Would be a good choice when students select African-Americans for their research projects.
Johnson, A. (1998). Heaven. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. What makes a family? Is it the people you grow up with? What happens if the people you believe are your parents turn out not to be. This is the problem Marley must face when she finds out that the beautiful letters her uncle write to her are really letters from her father. This book is for upper level readers as it deals with more mature subject matter. A Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner from 1999. Great choice for a novel study in upper grades.To learn more about the Coretta Scott King Awards, click here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/emiert/corettascottkingbookaward/corettascott.cfm
