Blackboard Book of the Year Award
Children's
1996 Her Stories by Virginia Hamilton
This is an anthology of 17 illustrated stories ranging from the historical to classic fairy tales, American tall tales to ghost stories, and each of them featuring an African American girl or woman as the main character.
1999 I Love My Hair! by Natasha Tarpley
A young African American girl named Keyana complains to her mother about how difficult it is to care for her hair. Keyana hates the nighttime ritual when her mother combs the knots out of her hair because, no matter how gentle her mother tries to be, it still hurts. Keyana's mother explains to her how lucky she is to have the kind of hair that she has, and as they speak, Keyana finds reasons to be proud of her hair. Color illustrations accompany the text.
Fiction
1995 Ugly Ways by Tina McElroy Ansa
Upon their mother's death, the three Lovejoy sisters gather in their home town and discover that her troublesome, lovable, exasperating spirit will not die.
1996 Just As I Am by E. Lynn Harris
Raymond, a young black lawyer, must come to terms with his homosexuality and with the threat of AIDS; Nicole, an aspiring actress, is searching for love; along with their eclectic group of friends, Raymond and Nicole reflect the reality of contemporary black life and its pressures.
1998 Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Virginia Deberry, Donna Grant
A novel written by two friends about two friends: strong black women trying to fulfill their dreams, each in her own way.
2002 Any Way the Wind Blows by E. Lynn Harris
Bisexual ladies' (and men's) man John Basil Henderson returns in this sequel to NOT A DAY GOES BY. Someone is doing everything possible to ruin Basil's life--but who is it? Suspects include colorful characters from NOT A DAY GOES BY along with new denizens of E. Lynn Harris's wacky fictional world.
Nonfiction
1995 Makes Me Wanna Holler by Nathan McCall
An eloquent memoir, by a "Washington Post" reporter, that tells of his passage from the prison yards and streets to one of the most prestigious newspapers in the country.
1998 Don't Block the Blessings by Patti Labelle
In this New York Times bestselling autobiography, Patti LaBelle explains how she overcame the devastating and violent loss over her parents and the deaths of her three sisters to become the glamorous, adored, and outrageous star with the five-inch pumps and the five-octave range.
2002 Q by Quincy Jones
Multi-talented composer/arranger/producer Quincy Jones's noteworthy career encompasses scores for movies such as IN COLD BLOOD and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and production credits on Michael Jackson's classic '80s album THRILLER. Born into poverty in Chicago in 1933, one of Jones's earliest memories, recounted in his riveting autobiography, Q, is of seeing his schizophrenic mother being taken away to an Illinois mental hospital. Raised mainly by his adored father, and relocated to Seattle, Jones discovers a facility for music, specifically the trumpet, in which he is lucky to be schooled by none other than Clark Terry (who retells the story in his own contributory chapter), who is in town with Count Basie's band. Jones's subsequent history is a fortuitous combination of extraordinary talent, perseverance, and astounding energy. He performs with Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, and makes a name for himself as a producer and musical arranger for jazz greats like Frank Sinatra and Dinah Washington, both of whom he recalls in vivid detail. Jones also recounts his numerous affairs with women both Hollywood-famous (such as Mod Squad star Peggy Lipton, with whom he had two children, and who also contributes a chapter here), and European-glamorous. Reflecting its dynamic subject, Q (he was given the nickname by Frank Sinatra) is an energy-packed whirlwind tour through Jones's remarkable life.