Coretta Scott King Analysis

The Coretta Scott King Book Award is a book award that revolves around the black experience. The awards are given yearly to black authors and illustrators of books that portrays admiration for African American culture. The award is in honor of Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr., whom were both civil rights activists. The award was founded in 1969 by Mabel McKissick and Glyndon Greer,( The History of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. (n.d.). Retrieved June 07, 2016, from http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards/about). For my previous assignment I chose, How It Went Down, a book about a community after a sixteen-year-old African American teenaged boy who was shot and killed by a white shooter. For the one before that, I chose Gone
Gone Crazy in Alabama shows the rural experience for the most part, and at times the black experience, but it’s still a small portion. Although, How it Went Down shows the black experience more than the urban experience. It’s easy to see why having an aspect of the black experience for this specific book award, the Coretta Scott King award is literally named after an important figure for the Civil Rights Movement. So, books that win this award should show whom and why she fought for what she believed in. That’s also the same reason why the author and the illustrator have to be african american. Back to what was being said, once again we see How it Went Down having something in the criteria for the Coretta Scott King award, that Gone Crazy in Alabama isn’t as strong in. The age group of the readers who can read these books is also an important factor along with with fitting criteria to win the
For Gone Crazy in Alabama it was targeted more to the younger kids who aren’t in high school, and most boys would most likely get bored from reading it, so the intended audience is adolescent girls and even girls in their early teens. But, How it Went Down can be read by high school students and middle school students , it’s also more gender neutral but that’s beside the point. For the Coretta Scott King award, the books must have at least one age group, Gone Crazy in Alabama isn’t really serious so older teens probably wouldn’t read, but with How it Went Down teenagers in general (middle and high school) can read it because even though it’s very serious, it’s still interesting.For the third time, we have learned a way in which, How it Went Down has something that’s in the criteria for the King award, that Gone Crazy in Alabama lacks or doesn’t have enough