Coretta Scott King Book Awards honor Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes and R. Gregory Christie in 2026

The American Library Association announced on Feb. 3 that Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes won for authoring Will's Race for Home and R. Gregory Christie won for illustrating The Library in the Woods as the 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Award winners.

The American Library Association announced the 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Award winners on Feb. 3 during its Youth Media Awards in Chicago. Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes received the author award for Will's Race for Home. R. Gregory Christie received the illustrator award for The Library in the Woods. Arriel Vinson won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for Under the Neon Lights. The awards recognize African American authors and illustrators and honor the legacy of Coretta Scott King. Selected details: - Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes won the 2026 Coretta Scott King author award for Will's Race for Home, published by Little, Brown and Company. - R. Gregory Christie won the 2026 Coretta Scott King illustrator award for The Library in the Woods, published by Carolrhoda Books. - Arriel Vinson received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award for Under the Neon Lights, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons. - Three author Honor books named were The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes; The Library in the Woods by Calvin Alexander Ramsey (illustrated by R. Gregory Christie); and Split the Sky by Marie Arnold. - Two illustrator Honor books named were André: André Leon Talley—A Fabulously Fashionable Fairy Tale (illustrated by Lamont O'Neal) and City Summer, Country Summer (illustrated by Alexis Franklin). - The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are presented annually by the ALA's Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table to encourage artistic expression of the African American experience and commemorate Coretta Scott King's legacy. Summary: The 2026 awards highlighted books and creators focused on African American stories, literacy, and community. The announcement names the winners and honor books for this year. Undetermined at this time.