These Martin Luther King Jr. books for kids are a great way to teach elementary students about one of the most influential historical figures in our country: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He dedicated his life to equality for all Americans. During his lifetime, America was a very different place than it is now. King experienced racial prejudice because black people did not have the same rights as white people. His hard work to achieve equality and justice for all Americans makes him the most important leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Check out the list of Martin Luther King Jr. books for kids below to help teach your students about him and his impact on our country.
3 Martin Luther King Jr. Books for Kids
Below is a list of some of our favorite MLK children’s books to share with elementary students. Learn all about them and scoop up the related activities below!
1. My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine King Farris
In My Brother Martin, Martin Luther King Jr’s older sister, Christine, remembers their childhood together. They lived in Atlanta during segregation so they had to face many hardships growing up, but their parents imparted lessons on them to give their children hope. During their childhood, both of Christine’s parents preached that, one day, racial injustice will come tumbling down. Students will love hearing about what kinds of things Martin Luther King Jr. liked to do when he was a child in this Martin Luther King children’s book. Check out these My Brother Martin activities!
2. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.
Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life. This is one of my favorite Martin Luther King books for kids! Check out these Martin’s Big Words activities!
3. Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Let the Children March tells the true story about children in Birmingham, Alabama that participated in a march for freedom. Dr. King met with black members of the community and told them he thought it was time for them to march. Many of the adults felt they could not march for they might lose their job and they had families to feed. The main characters in this book, a sister and brother, decided that it should be the children that march this time.
On the first day of the march, the children dressed in their best clothes. They were nervous about what would happen but knew they were fighting for their freedom. While marching, the children faced great difficulty: dogs chased them, police sprayed them with water, and many children were taken to jail.
Despite the jails being packed with children, each day more children joined the march. News about what was happening spread across the country and world. Eventually, Dr. King met with the white city leaders and they agreed to start desegregation. Check out these Let the Children March activities!
Get All of the MLK Jr. Book Activities!
Scoop up all of the activity packets based on the picture books featured in this post!
Or Get All of the Activity Packets for 600+ Picture Books!
Starts with a Story is a collection of hundreds of book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Each book companion includes:
- reading comprehension questions with sample student responses
- 30 writing prompts targeting 10 different types of writing
- SEL lesson ideas based on character and events from each story
- printable student activities
- editable teaching slides with book-based clipart
- and more.
Learn how to get unlimited access to all 600+ book companion packets below!
Teachers Love these Other MLK Day Activities for Kids
We have lots of MLK activities you can use in your classroom. Check out the blog post Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Kids to get more ideas and teaching resources!
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One Last Thing Before You Go… Grab this Free Reading Resource!
If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It includes:
- seasonal read aloud books lists for teachers
- printable reading logs to track students’ reading
- monthly reading challenges to motivate students to read more
It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
In closing, we hope you found this list of Martin Luther King Jr. books helpful! If you are a member of Starts With a Story, you have access to all of these book companion activities. Lastly, you may also be interested in these winter books for kids if you love read alouds like us!
