Chesterfield's Husband-Wife Authors Honored By City

Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, two award-winning nationally-acclaimed book authors from Chesterfield, were honored by the City for their body of work— which includes over 100 books. 

Chesterfield Mayor Bruce Geiger named Feb. 22, 2012 Patricia and Fredrick McKissack Day before the city council at a regular meeting Wednesday.

Patricia C. McKissack was named a 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books winner for her children's book Never Forgotten in January by the American Library Association (ALA.) It's an annual award.

Patricia McKissack won the award twice before in 1990 and 1993 for her books: 

• A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter (with Fredrick McKissack)
• Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman

According to Wikipedia, the McKissack husband and wife team work together with Fredrick researching and Patricia writing.

The couple accepted a framed proclamation from the Chesterfield mayor, Wednesday.

"I'm speechless," Patricia McKissack said. "It's very special."

"I didn't have to go to Chicago or New York for this," she said. "I've lived here for 16 years, in a city I've come to love."

Her recent award-winning book Never Forgotten was illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published in 2011 by a division of Random House, Inc. It's the story of a boy taken from his blacksmith father and sold into slavery in the 1700s, but never forgotten.

The Coretta Scott King awards were established by the American Library Association and named after the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. According to the ALA: 

"The award is given to an African American author and an African American illustrator for an outstandingly inspirational and educational contribution. The books promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream."