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It’s never too early to teach children about civil rights, race, and equality, and Martin Luther King Day, which falls on January 16, is the perfect opportunity to do that.
The best way to start a conversation with young children? Buy books that honor the life of the iconic minister who led the civil rights movement before his death in 1968 and have age-appropriate conversations about race and equality with your kids. You’ll be comforted to know that children, even those in preschool, can understand such concepts — according to the American Psychological Association, although most parents believe that children should be at least five years old before discussing racism, it’s possible that preschoolers have already developed their own beliefs about the topic.
“Children are capable of thinking about all sorts of complex topics at a very young age,” study author Dr. Jessica Sullivan, an associate professor in the psychology department of Skidmore College, told the organization. “Even if adults don’t talk to kids about race, children will work to make sense of their world and will come up with their own ideas, which may be inaccurate or detrimental.”
Many American kids learn about Martin Luther King Jr. through a school lesson on his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. and subsequently enjoy a day off from school, however racism should be an ongoing topic of conversation at home, not just once a year. And the true purpose of MLK Day to contribute acts of service and educate oneself on how to be anti-racist.
Fortunately, many children’s book authors and illustrators have masterfully found ways to balance age-appropriateness with honesty; you just have to know where to look.
One source for parents looking for fantastic stories is Goodreads, the social networking site for book lovers where readers can learn what others have already enjoyed and why. In honor of the upcoming MLK Day, we asked Goodreads’ editors to share with us some of the most popular books on the website about Dr. King and civil rights (and there are a few recommendations from us!)
None of these books offer simple, feel-good stories. Instead, they all are wonderful jumping-off points for parents and children to talk and learn together on MLK Day — and throughout the year.
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My Little Golden Book About Martin Luther King Jr.
Image Credit: Little Golden Books For even the youngest readers, this Little Golden Book captures the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, spirit, and mission in a way that’s easy to understand.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Nifty biography – it focuses more on Dr. King’s early life than many other biographies do. And I like that the book resisted the temptation to end on the ‘and the Civil Rights Act passed and now racism is over’ that many children’s books do. It sticks with the fact that segregation was no longer legally enforced, and mentioned that the fight continues in many places.”
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Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Image Credit: Rise x Penguin Workshop The New York Times bestelling Who Was? series is now available in board books, because you’re never too young to start learning about the people who shaped the lives we lead today! With just a few sentences per page and captivating illustrations, this book has been described as “simple but not simplistic” — the perfect introduction to Dr. King for kids ages 2-4.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.? is the resource I wish I’d had back then. It’s a picture book biography that would have been perfect for my young students at circle time, and for my own kids at home. It’s a story that speaks to the sensibilities and comprehension of preschoolers. It includes an expression of feelings and examination of principles to which young children can relate.”
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Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round
This brilliant middle-grade novel is a memoir in verse, telling the story of how Memphis-native author Kathlyn Kirkwood went from attending protests to lobbying for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to be considered a holiday, all starting from adolescence.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “This is a quick, digestible, powerful middle grade memoir in verse about the power of freedom fighters who are not household names to effect change, told through the lens of Kathlyn Kirkwood’s real-life advocacy to establish a federal holiday honoring Dr. King.”
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Trailblazers: Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighting for Civil Rights
Image Credit: Random House Books for Young Readers Trailblazers: Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighting for Civil Rights provides a comprehensive overview of the origins of MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Jim Crow laws (which made segregation legal), the Underground Railroad, and post-slavery America. The book is one of many in the Trailblazers series, with previous works dedicated to greats like Harriet Tubman, Albert Einstein, and Simone Biles.
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This Is Your Time
Image Credit: Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House In 1961, Ruby Bridges was the first child to integrate into the all-white public school system in Louisiana, escorted by federal marshalls amid an angry crowd of protestors. “I saw barricades and police officers and just people everywhere,” Bridges reflected in adulthood. “And when I saw all of that, I immediately thought that it was Mardi Gras. I had no idea that they were here to keep me out of the school.”
In May 2021, Bridges published This Is Your Time as a letter to “the young peacemakers of the world” about racial equality.
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My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Image Credit: Amistad; Illustrated edition Most children like to imagine that their parents are heroes, but what if the rest of the world actually agrees with you? In this book, Martin Luther King III tells what it was like to grow up as one of the four children about whom King made that “I Have a Dream” speech.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Many of us know the life and mission of Dr. King’s life to bring equality to all Americans. However, this wonderful book gives us an inside look into the King household to see how this hero acted as a warm, devoted, and loving of a father.”
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Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Image Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers An excellent overview of King’s life and legacy, Martin’s Big Words also acts as an introduction to some of King’s most well-known speeches and writings as they are interwoven with the narrative. The collage illustrations are also sure to capture children’s attention.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Of the three books that we read this year about Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of his birthday, this one was by far my favorite.”
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The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
Image Credit: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Many picture books about the civil rights movement center the narrative around kids. This book both allows young readers to identify with the main character and to see the ways that even young ones can make a difference. The story of Audrey Fay Hendricks, the youngest child known to have been arrested in the fight for civil rights, does both masterfully. Readers join young Audrey as she chooses to march with other children — and faces physical violence and arrest.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “My kids had lots of questions about this book — which is always a good sign.” “If I’d been introduced to history this way, I may actually have enjoyed it and wanted to learn more.”
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Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You
Image Credit: Bloomsbury USA Childrens With a focus on everyday actions kids can take to honor King’s legacy, this book goes beyond just basic invectives to be kind. Children are told to stand up to bullies and learn as much as they can, but are also told that stamping out hatred and recognizing bigotry are key ways to “be a King” as well. The book also offers a great jumping off point for discussion around ways children can learn to recognize discrimitation and injustice in their own world.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “This picture book is a fabulous testament to Dr. King’s character and legacy, giving examples of how children can ‘Be a King’ through different actions that spread kindness and build a better world.”
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Let the Children March
Image Credit: Clarion Books Another account of Birmingham Children’s Crusade, Let the Children March won the 2018 Corretta Scott King award for illustration. Both the illustrations and words help bring the story to life to engage kids of all ages.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Stunning illustrations with accessible, engaging text for young readers. Don’t miss the timeline in the endpapers and additional resources in the back.”
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March
Image Credit: Top Shelf Productions; Slp edition For older kids and adults, consider John Lewis’s autiobiographical graphic novel March. The trilogy covers the late Congressman early life and involvement in the civil rights movement in the ’50s and ’60s in Nashville and beyond. The engaging illustrations bring the story to life, and since it’s a graphic novel, it’s a perfect book for parents and older kids to read over the long weekend.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “The story of John Lewis is a story embedded in the best of what America has always aspired to be – and that aspiration is needed (now more than ever) if we hope to march forward towards a peaceful future.”
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Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968
Image Credit: Calkins Creek Few books, especially ones for children, focus on King’s assassination — or his work with unions in advocating for better conditions for Black workers. This book deals with both; King was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers when he was killed. Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop is inspired by these events and is told through the eyes of a daughter of one of the strikers.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “This isn’t just another Martin Luther King book. For the first time, an author has (vividly) written the story of the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968. The uniqueness of this piece of work is not the introduction of this particular event in civil rights history via picturebook format, but the powerful young voice of a child through which it’s told.”
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Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hammer
Image Credit: Candlewick Fannie Lou Hammer’s life and work are brought to life in 22 stunning free-verse poems. Suitable for older elementary schoolers and up, the poems are matched with quilt-like illustrations that capture the spirit of the poems. The book is a wonderful introduction of a civil rights icon who rarely appears in the small list of Black Americans covered over Black History Month and MLK Day.
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I Have a Dream
Image Credit: Schwartz & Wade Even young children can quote parts of King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It’s also played so often during MLK Day that we can all become inured to the power of the words. Kadir Nelson’s stunning illustrations also help bring the speech back into focus. The book comes with a CD parents can play after reading the book to hear King’s original speech.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Honestly, I get lost in Kadir Nelson’s work. It’s luminous and powerful and the perfect complement to one of the most luminous and powerful speeches of the 20th century.”
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Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights that Changed America
Image Credit: Holiday House A book suitable for kids in middle school, this story brings the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to life with archival photographs. Written for the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, it also includes what has been done in more recent years to erode voting rights.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “Russell Freedman has become my go-to-guy for high quality expository text for all readers, but especially for middle grades. This book, like his others that I have read, presents information in a clear and concise way while engaging the reader.”
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I am Rosa Parks
Image Credit: Dial Books Part of the Ordinary People Change the World series, this book is a great introduction to Rosa Parks’ legacy and the comics-style illustration is especially engaging for young readers.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “The mixture of text and graphic-novel-like speech clouds has been a surefire hit for all the kids I’ve shared these books with. It’s a wonderful overview and starting place for young kids on the roots of the civil right movement!”
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A Sweet Smell of Roses
Image Credit: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers A Sweet Smell of Roses tells of two young girls sneaking out to join a march. The black-and-white charcoal drawings are only colored with hints of red — and they will stay with both kids and adults long after they finish the book.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “The realistic charcoal illustrations, with an occasional splash of red, are what really make this story come to life. They effectively capture the excitement, fear, perseverance and determination of the demonstrators.”
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We March
Image Credit: Square Fish Author and illustrator Shane W. Evans uses bold, bright colors and simple, impactful words to tell the story of the March on Washington through the eyes of one family. It acts as a great introduction to the march for young readers, many of whom may be able to read it themselves.
What Goodreads Fans Say: “This is a great introduction to the March On Washington, suitable for very young children on up. The illustrations are vibrant, and Evans keeps the text super simple.”
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