Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day

I hope everyone is enjoying our day off for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. Even though we are doing our own things, don't forget to give a thought to the man did so much for our country.  There are so many great books written about Martin Luther King's life.  I've got a few listed below that I really like.

The first one is a National Geographic Reader:  Martin Luther King by Kitson Jazynka.  Click her for a summary on Goodreads.  This is a great one for the younger readers.  There is even a fact check quiz at the back of the book.

This next book is great for more independent readers, 3rd Grade and above. It is Who Was Martin Luther King Jr. by Bonnie Bader.  Click here for a summary on Goodreads.  This is part of the series I call the bobble head series.  This series is a full of all kinds of neat facts and great information.  I really like this series and the What Was series.  This series takes historical events and make them accessible to kids.  One in this series that has Martin Luther King Jr. in it, is What Was the March on Washington by Kathleen Krull.  Click here for a summary on Goodreads.

These next two are great books to share as a family.  The first is Martin's Big Words:  The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier.  Click here for a summary on Goodreads.  This text in this book incredible. Rappaport doesn't just write about Martin Luther King Jr, she also incorporated quotes from Dr. King.  This illustrations in the is book are just as incredible.  Collier uses a college technique to make truly unique illustrations.  This book won a Caldecott Honor award in 2002.  The Caldecott and Caldecott Honor Awards are given for the illustrations.  It was also given a Coretta Scott King Honor Award.  "The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are gien annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values." ("The Coretta Scott King Book Awards." ALA.org. American Library Association, 2013. Web. 20 Jan.2014.)

The second book that is great to share as a family is I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.  Click here for a summary on Goodreads.  This book takes his famous I Have a Dream speech and adds illustrations to it.  The illustrations in this book take my breath away.  Kadir Nelson is such a gifted illustrator.  His illustrations always make me feel like I am right there witnessing in person whatever scene he has painted.  If you haven't seen his illustrations, please find a book that he has illustrated and you will be amazed.  The illustrations that he did in this book did not go unnoticed, Nelson won a Coretta Scott King Award in 2013.




Happy Reading!!

Miss Hazuda (@HESMediaCenter)