Check out the archives and read about those children literature’s jewels and hidden gems chosen in 2008.
Vanguard authors are in bold
Illustrators are in italics
PICTURE BOOKS/CHAPTER BOOKS
Michelle Meadows – The Way The Storm Stops
Sean Qualls – Phillis’s Big Test
Janice N. Harrington – The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
Patricia McKissack – The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll
Jabari Asim – Daddy Goes To Work
Nina Crews – The Neighborhood Mother Goose &
Leonard Jenkins – Sweet Land of Liberty
John Holyfield – Bessie Smith & the Night Riders
Carole Boston Weatherford – I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer
Irene Smalls – My Pop Pop and Me
Kyra E. Hicks, Martha Ann’s Quilt for Queen Victoria
Shane Evans- When Harriet Met Sojourner
Karen English – Nikki & Deja
MIDDLE GRADE
Christopher Paul Curtis - Elijah of Buxton
G. Neri – Chess Rumble
Eleanora E. Tate – Celeste’s Harlem Renaissance
Allison Whittenberg – Sweet Thang
Tonya Bolden – George Washington Carver
Troy CLE – The Marvelous Effect
Eloise Greenfield – The Friendly Four
Sundee T. Frazier – Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It
Valerie Wilson Wesley – Willimena Rules!: 23 Ways to mess up Valentine’s Day
YOUNG ADULT
Dana Davidson – Played
Rita Williams-Garcia – No Laughter Here
Mildred D. Taylor – The Road To Memphis
M. Sindy Felin – Touching Snow
Walter Dean Myers - Game
Coe Booth – Tyrell
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu – The Shadow Speaker
Stephanie Perry Moore – Prayed Up: Perry Skky Jr. #4
Celise Downs – Dance Jam Productions
Sherri L. Smith – Sparrow
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers. Our flagship initiative of is 
