2005 Winner:
Walter Dean Myers
The award in 2005 was presented to Walter Dean Myers for his book, Here in Harlem. The judges praised this as a "collection of diverse and outstanding poems (which) draw the reader into a community where one feels as if s/he has lived there amongst these people" and "a rich tapestry of characters that come to life on the page." A poem from this collection, "Gerry Jones, 14, Student," was also featured on a Public Poetry Project poster this year. Click here to view the poster.
Walter Dean Myers receiving his award from committee chair, Mary Napoli