African and African American Images in Newbery Award Winning Titles: Progress in Portrayals

Wilkin, a library services consultant, professional storyteller, and former librarian specializing in children's materials, provides an analysis of depictions of African Americans in books that won the Newberry Award and honor awards. Through a chronological examination of individual children’s literature titles from the beginning of the award in 1922 to 2009, she considers elements like aesthetic descriptions, overall portrayals, racial stereotypes, sensitivity, historical accuracy, and language usage to see how portrayals of African Americans have become more positive, while also noting deficiencies and problems. Titles with tangential reference or no reference to African Americans are given separate sections. Title and author lists are included, as are guidelines for the award. The book is aimed at individuals in African American studies and children’s literature. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Binnie Tate Wilkin currently serves as a library services consultant and professional storyteller. A former public library specialist in children's services and library school lecturer, she is the author of Survival Themes in Fiction for Children and Young People, Second Edition (1993) and African American Librarians in the Far West (2006), both published by Scarecrow Press.