Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander (born August 21, 1968) is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.

For the basketball player, see Kwame Alexander (basketball).
Kwame Alexander
Alexander at the 2019 Texas Book Festival
Alexander at the 2019 Texas Book Festival
BornEdward Curtis Kwame Alexander II
(1968-08-21) August 21, 1968
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
OccupationChildren's Book Author
Alma materVirginia Tech
GenreChildren's literature
Notable awards
SpouseStephanie Stanley
RelativesSia Alexander (sister), Nataki Alexander (sister) and Ade’ Alexander (brother)
Website
kwamealexander.com

Personal life and education

Alexander was born in Manhattan, New York, and grew up in Virginia.[1] His father was a scholar and book publisher and his mother was an educator so he was always surrounded by books.

Alexander attended Virginia Tech, where he began premedical studies before taking a writing class with award-winning poet[2] Nikki Giovanni.[3]

Books

Alexander's picture book Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band was selected for the 2014 "Michigan Reads! One State, One Children's Book" program.[4] He won a 2020 Newbery Honor for his illustrated poem The Undefeated.[5]

Alexander runs the Bookinaday program to introduce children to writing and publishing.[6] He is a regular contributor to National Public Radio's Morning Edition program.[1]

The Door of No Return, a historical verse novel set in Ghana in 1861, told from the perspective of 11-year-old Koffi, was inspired by Alexander's visits to Ghana.[7]

Awards and honors

Alexander has received many awards as a writer, among them the 2017 Pat Conroy Legacy Award (an award that honors the example of acclaimed author Pat Conroy and recognizes writers who have achieved a lasting impact on their literary community),[8] and his verse novel The Crossover won the 2015 Newbery Medal and was selected as an Honor book for the Coretta Scott King Award.[9]

The Crossover,[10] Booked,[11] Out of Wonder,[12] Solo,[13] Becoming Mohammed Ali,[14] The Undefeated,[15] and The Door of No Return[16] are New York Times bestselling books. The Undefeated is also an IndieBound bestseller.[15]

In 2014, The Crossover was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[10] and Shelf Awareness.[17]

In 2016, Booked was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[11]

In 2017, Out of Wonder was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[12]

The same year, Solo was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[13]

In 2018, Rebound was named one of the best books of the year by The Horn Book Magazine.[18]

In 2019, The Undefeated was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews[15] and The Horn Book Magazine.[18]

In 2020, Becoming Mohammed Ali was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.[14]

In 2022, The Door of No Return was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews,[16] The Horn Book Magazine,[18] and Shelf Awareness.[19]

Awards for Alexander's books
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2014 The Crossover Cybil Award for Middle Grade Fiction Finalist [20]
Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's Nominee [21]
2015 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [22]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [23]
Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor [24][25]
Newbery Medal Winner [26][10][27]
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Top 10 [28]
2016 Booked Cybil Award for Poetry Finalist [29]
Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry Nominee [30]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist [26][31]
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee
2017 The Crossover ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [32]
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Winner [33]
Solo Goodreads Choice Awards for Poetry Nominee [34]
2017 Out of Wonder Cybil Award for Poetry Finalist [35]
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Selection [36]
2018 Rebound Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry Nominee [37]
Solo NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens Finalist [38]
Out of Wonder ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [39]
Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Winner [24][40]
2019 How to Read a Book Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Picture Books Nominee [41]
Rebound ALSC Notable Children's Recordings Selection [42]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [43]
Carnegie Medal Shortlist [44]
Swing Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [45]
The Undefeated Cybil Award for Fiction Picture Book Finalist [46]
Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Picture Books Nominee [47]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist [26]
2020 How to Read a Book ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [48]
The Undefeated Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrator Winner [24]
Golden Kite Award Honor [49]
Kirkus Prize Finalist [15]
Newbery Medal Honor [27]
2021 Becoming Muhammad Ali ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [50]
2023 The Door of No Return ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [51]
ALSC Notable Children's Books Selection [52]
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top 10 [53]

Publications
  • Tough Love: Cultural Criticism and Familial Observations on the Life and Death of Tupac Shakur, ed. (1996)
  • Do the Write Thing (2002) (with Nina Foxx)
  • Kwame Alexander's Page-to-Stage Writing Workshop (2016)

Novels
  • He Said, She Said: A Novel (2013)
  • The Crossover (2015)
  • Booked (2016)[54][55][56]
  • Solo (2017) (with Mary Rand Hess)
  • Rebound (2018) (prequel to The Crossover)
  • Swing (2018) (with Mary Rand Hess)
  • The Door of No Return (2022)
  • ”Why Fathers Cry At Night” (2023)

Picture books
  • Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band (2011)
  • Indigo Blume and the Garden City (2012)
  • Little Boys Soar (2014)
  • Surf's Up (2016)
  • How to Read a Book (2019), illustrated by Melissa Sweet
  • The Undefeated (2019), illustrated by Kadir Nelson
  • An American Story (2023). Published in the UK as Unspoken (2023)

Poems
  • The Flow: New Black Poets in Motion, ed. (1994)
  • Just Us: Poems & Counterpoems, 1986–1995 (1995)
  • 360°: A Revolution of Black Poets, ed. (1998)
  • Kupenda: Love Poems (2000)
  • Dancing Naked on the Floor: poems and essays (2005)
  • The Way I Walk: short stories and poems for Young Adults, ed. (2006)
  • Crush: Love Poems (2007)
  • Family Pictures: Poems and Photographs Celebrating Our Loved Ones, ed. (2007)
  • An American Poem (2008)
  • And Then You Know: New and Selected Poems (2008)
  • The Book Party (2016)
  • The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score into in This Game Called Life (2017)

References
  1. "Kwame Alexander | Biography, Books, Poems, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  2. "Kwame Alexander · Virginia Changemakers". edu.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. Italie, Hillel (February 3, 2015), "Alexander, Santat win top children's book prizes", US News. Archived 2015-06-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. "Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band Chosen as 2014 Michigan Reads! Book" Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, Michigan.gov, September 5, 2014.
  5. de León, Concepción (January 27, 2020). "Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  6. Barron, Christina (November 18, 2015). "Kwame Alexander aims to win readers who are at the age he hated books". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  7. "an interview with Kwame Alexander". Just Imagine. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  8. "Conroy Legacy Award Winner - Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance". sibaweb.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  9. The best children's books: Newbery, Caldecott winners announced Archived 2015-02-04 at the Wayback Machine, Ashley Strickland, CNN, February 2, 2015
  10. "The Crossover". Kirkus Reviews. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. "Booked". Kirkus Reviews. January 9, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  12. "Out of Wonder". Kirkus Reviews. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  13. "Solo". Kirkus Reviews. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  14. "Becoming Mohammed Ali". Kirkus Reviews. August 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  15. "The Undefeated". Kirkus Reviews. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  16. "The Door of No Return". Kirkus Reviews. June 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  17. "Our 2014 Best Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  18. "Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present". The Horn Book. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  19. "Shelf Awareness's Best Children's & YA Books of 2022". Shelf Awareness. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  20. "2014 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  21. "The Crossover". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  22. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2015". Booklist. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  23. "Notable Children's Books: 2015". Booklist. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  24. "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present". American Library Association. April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  25. "Coretta Scott King Honor Books: 2015". Booklist. February 2, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  26. "Kwame Alexander". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  27. "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). November 30, 1999. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  28. "Top 10 Quick Picks: 2015". Booklist. March 11, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  29. "2016 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  30. "Booked". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  31. "Awards: Man Booker Shortlist; NBA Young People's Literature Longlist". Shelf Awareness. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  32. Schulte-Cooper, Laura (February 3, 2017). "ALSC names 2017 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  33. "Past Awards". Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  34. "Solo". Goodreads. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  35. "2017 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  36. "2018-01-01". Booklist. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  37. "Rebound". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  38. "NAACP Image Awards: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  39. Schulte-Cooper, Laura (April 12, 2018). "ALSC names 2018 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  40. "Coretta Scott King Award Winners: 2018". Booklist. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  41. "How to Read a Book". Goodreads. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  42. "Notable Children's Recordings: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  43. "Notable Children's Books: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  44. "Awards: J. Anthony Lukas Winners; CILIP Carnegie, Kate Greenaway Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  45. "Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults: 2019". Booklist. March 15, 2019. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  46. "2019 Cybils Finalists". Children's and Young Adult Book Lover's Literary Awards. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  47. "The Undefeated". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  48. Schulte-Cooper, Laura (February 25, 2020). "ALSC names 2020 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  49. "Awards: Golden Kite Winners". Shelf Awareness. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  50. Schulte-Cooper, Laura (March 30, 2021). "ALSC names 2021 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  51. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  52. "Notable Children's Books: 2023". Booklist. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  53. "2023 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). February 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  54. Schoenberg, Nara (March 8, 2016). "Children's book roundup: Kwame Alexander's 'Booked,' more". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  55. "Starred reviews, March/April 2016". Horn Book Magazine. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  56. "Children's Book Review: Booked by Kwame Alexander". Publishers Weekly. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
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