Happy Tuesday, friends! Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is next week, so this week’s picture book guide is all about books you can use to share the inspiring work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s important for kids to understand why there’s a national holiday dedicated to this important Civil Rights leader. It’s the perfect time to share his life and how his leadership influenced change in different ways. I’m sharing some of my favorite books with y’all today.
My favorite picture book biography to introduce MLKjr is A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. I love this biographical picture book series by David Adler. It’s written in a way that provides information that students can comprehend, but it doesn’t overwhelm them with numerous facts and dates. This series is the perfect biography series for upper elementary. The length also makes it a good read aloud.
I always made an anchor chart and used the top portion for facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. After we read the picture book, students would add their facts to the chart and we would share what stuck with us.
I also think that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the perfect time to share other books that might not necessarily be about Dr. King, but are about people who were influenced and inspired by his work. Here are a few of my favorites:
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down
Written by Andrea Davis-Pinkney; Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
This is one of my favorite literary nonfiction picture books of all time. The story starts off with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and shares how the four friends made a difference in Greensboro, North Carolina.
This story is so moving. Every year after we finished reading this one, I had kids running to google more information about this true story. It’s a must-have for your classroom library. I highly recommend using it as a read aloud.
Pies From Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Written by Dee Romito; Illustrated by Laura Freeman
One of my students found this book on Epic and absolutely loved it. She wanted everyone to read it and insisted that it would make the perfect read aloud. And she was right! This is a great story about helping out in different ways-any way you can- in order to make a difference. I also like this one because the work of Georgia Gilmore is one of the lesser-known stories from the Civil Rights movement, but so important!
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Fayne Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
Written by Cynthia Levinson; Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
The Youngest Marcher tells the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest known to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. It even features a cameo from Dr. King when he comes over to have supper with Audrey and her family at the beginning of the book.
**This one is a little lengthy, so I would divide it into two parts if you’re using it as a read aloud.
After reading each book, students can add their thoughts under each book or answer the question “How were the events/characters in this book inspired and influenced by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work?
Have you ever read any of these books? I’d love to hear your favorite books to use for MLKjr Day!
Check out my other picture book guides:
