Books to Read with Kids on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Books to Read with Kids on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

A great way to discuss new topics with your children is through books. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here are a few kid-friendly titles to introduce children to Dr. King and topics like civil rights, activism and equality.

I am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Brad Meltzer

This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. In this new board book format, the very youngest readers can learn about one of America’s icons in the series’s signature lively, conversational way. The short text focuses on drawing inspiration from these iconic heroes, and includes an interactive element and factual tidbits that young kids will be able to connect with.

All Are Welcome

By Alexandra Penfold

Readers will follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students from all backgrounds learn from and celebrate each other’s traditions. A school that shows the world as we will make it to be.

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

By Lisbeth Kaiser

The chronology and themes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s meaningful life are presented in a masterfully succinct text, with just a few sentences per page. The fresh, stylized illustrations are sure to captivate young readers and adults alike. This age-appropriate introduction honors and shares the life and work of one of the most influential civil rights activists of our time.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

By Margaret McNamara

When Mrs. Conner’s class learns about a great man, they discover their own dreams and hopes for a better world.

 

We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders

By Harry Belafonte

Sixteen award-winning children’s book artists illustrate the civil rights quotations that inspire them in this stirring and beautiful book. Featuring an introduction by Harry Belafonte, words from Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. among others, this inspirational collection sets a powerful example for generations of young leaders to come.

Let the Children March

by Monica Clark-Robinson 

This powerful picture book introduces young readers to a key event in the struggle for Civil Rights. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world.

 

Check out these local Martin Luther King Jr. events happening around Northeast Ohio.

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