Kadir Nelson won the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award as the illustrator of Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Given to African-American authors and illustrators for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizes books that promote understanding and appreciation of the cultures of all peoples. The award is designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood. Author -- Sharon Draper In Sharon Draper's Copper Sun, 15-year-old Amari's struggle with the evils of slavery will resonate with today's teens. Amari is brutally dragged from her home in Africa, forced onto a slave ship and eventually sold as a gift for a plantation owner's son. Amari forms an unlikely alliance with an indentured servant and a young slave boy. The threesome escape, setting off on a treacherous journey of hope and survival. "You can't help but be drawn into Amari's life as you turn the pages," said Coretta Scott King Book Award Jury Chair Darwin L. Henderson. "Amari's spirit and determination will leave readers breathless, even as they gain a deeper understanding of the history of slavery in our country." Honorable mention: Nikki Grimes for The Road to Paris. Illustrator -- Kadir Nelson In Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the strong emotional impact of Nelson's illustrations combine with rich sensory language to make this book a work of art. Nelson's bold and expressively detailed paintings capture the essence of Harriet Tubman's treacherous journey toward freedom. Double-page spreads use shades of blues, browns and golds to portray Tubman as a larger-than-life African historical figure while maintaining her full humanity. Honorable mentions: Christopher Myers, illustrator of Jazz, written by Walter Dean Myers; and Benny Andrews, illustrator of Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes edited by David Roessel and Arnold Rampersad. New Talent -- Traci Jones The Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award affirms new talent and offers visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustrations at the beginning of a person's career as a published children's book creator. Jones' Standing Against the Wind introduces readers to 13-year-old Patrice as she is uprooted from her comfortable home in Georgia just before her mother goes to jail. In her debut novel, Jones captures Patrice's sense of alienation and strong self-determination. Patrice learns to dodge the cruel bullying of streetwise boys, reach her goals, and succeed "against the wind."