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Martin Luther King Jr. Books for Kids in Elementary School

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.

kids listening to a MLK read aloud

3 Martin Luther King Jr. Books for Kids

Below are 3 Martin Luther King Jr. books for kids. Your students are going to love listening to these read alouds!

This post highlights the following MLK books:

MLK book companions

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!

My Brother Martin book and activities
My Brother Martin book companion

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!

Martin's Big Words activities
Martin's Big Words book companion

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!

Let the Children March activity
Let the Children March book companion

Other MLK Day Activities

Check out these other Martin Luther King Jr. activities!

MLK non-fiction unitMLK activity packetMLK Would You Rather activitiesMartin Luther King Jr. Color by Code activityMartin Luther King Jr. Resource
printable picture book comprehension activities

Grab the Free Reading Resources!

In closing, we hope you found this list of Martin Luther King Jr. books helpful! They are great winter read alouds, but can be used any time of year! Next, we’d love for you to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students. The reading freebie below includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

free monthly reading logs

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