1. 2010 Honor Winner, Beverley Naidoo's audio acceptance speech for Burn My Heart

  • History

In 1991 the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association accepted a proposal from Africa Access to establish awards for outstanding K-12 books on Africa published in the U.S. The awards are designed to encourage the publication of accurate, balanced children’s materials on Africa, to recognize literary excellence and to acknowledge the research achievements of outstanding authors and illustrators. Collectively CABA winners show that Africa is indeed a varied and multifaceted continent. CABA titles expand and enrich our perspectives of Africa beyond the stereotypical , ahistorical and exotic images that are emphasized in the West.

Award Seals

Children's Africana Book Award seals are available for Best Books (gold seals) and Honor Books (silver seals). The cost for adhesive seals depends on the quantity ordered.  Over 50, the seals cost $0.20 each; 50 or fewer seals cost $0.50 each. An electronic version of the seal is available to award-winning publishers:

Contact publicity director, Harriet McGuire
Africa Access
harrietmcguire@earthlink.net

 

 

 

Best Book 2012

Stones for My Father
(Tundra Books)

In Stones for my Father novelist Trilby Kent reveals the way South African Boers were targets for large-scale extermination during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), and how Africans were maligned and oppressed by the Boers. Through the eyes of twelve-year-old Corlie Roux, the narrator, we trace the suffering of Boer farmers; for example, the "scorched earth" strategy that allowed British troops to seize livestock, poison wells, destroy reservoirs, bury salt in the soil, and burn homes. The horrifying conditions in a British concentration camp make up the second half of the novel. Read Review

Author Trilby Kent was born in Toronto and grew up in London, Miami and Boston. Currently she lives in London. Stones for My Father is her second novel for young people.   

 

 

 

Honor Book 2012


Street Level: A collection of drawings and creative writing inspired by Dar es Salaam
(Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers / African Books Collective

Street Level  takes the reader on a tour of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the country's largest city located on the Indian Ocean coastline.  The book is illustrated by Markes and includes prose and poetry by various Dar residents. The book is organized along eight themes that highlight the city's architecture, multi-cultural influences and daily activities. Street Level is a unique and excellent resource for middle and high school students. The creative prose and appropriate illustrations will be helpful in teaching about urban life in East Africa. Read Review   

Author Sarah Markes uses her knowledge and love for Dar to pay homage to the city's cultural and architectural elements while effectively capturing Dar's movement and energy.