2019 Jefferson Cup Award Winners and Honors Announced

Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind and Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin win the 2019 Jefferson Cup

The Jefferson Cup Committee is pleased to announce their selections for the 2019 winning and honor titles. The 2019 Jefferson Cup Award winner for Young Readers is Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind by Cynthia Grady, Illustrated by Amiko Hirao. The 2019 Jefferson Cup Award winner for Young Adult Readersis Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin by James L Swanson.

Write to Me (Charlesbridge) portrays Ms. Breed’s devotion to kindness and compassion in the midst of one of the most troubling times in American history. During World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans were forced to live in internment camps. At the time, Clara Breed was a children’s librarian in San Diego and was close to many Japanese American children who were sent off to the camps. She kept in contact with her young customers, sending them letters of encouragement, books to read, and most importantly, hope. Cynthia Grady’s well researched book features real letters that the children wrote to Ms. Breed, along with photographs, suggested further reading, and a bibliography. Grady' soft illustrations and simple storytelling bring life to the characters and the story, making it accessible to readers of all ages.  

Chasing King’s Killer (Scholastic)is a riveting narrative of the final days of Martin Luther King Jr. and the international manhunt that resulted in the capture of his assassin, James Earl Ray. Swanson traces the history of both King and Ray from the beginning of both of their lives, sharing interesting details of King’s life and his rise to prominence and his focus later in life on poverty in America. Swanson includes many photos and primary sources to bring these tragic events to vibrant life. True crime enthusiasts will find the appeal of this book as well as those with an interest in more recent American history.

Honor Titles

Betty Before X by Illyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson  (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and Lord of the mountain by Ronald Kidd (Albert Whitman & Company) were chosen as honor books for young readers.

Fly Girls: The Daring American Women Pilots Who Helped Win WWII  by P. O’Connell Pearson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)and Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice by Lawrence Goldstone (Scholastic Nonfiction) were chosen as honor books for young adult readers.

Series Worth of Note

Native American Oral Histories (Abdo) was chosen as a series worthy of note for young readers and Defining Images (Abdo) was chosen as a series worthy of note for young adult readers.

Would you like to serve on the 2020 Jefferson Cup Committee? Apply before August 14, 2019!