Books for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Beyond

Book Cover
introductions by Tonya Bolden

A collection of speeches that showcases the voices of those at the reins of power and of those who are not. Read the original words, sometimes abridged and sometimes in their entirety, that have shaped our cultural fabric. Introductions provide historical context and critical insights into the meaning and impact of every speech. For each speech, writer and history lover Tonya Bolden provides an introduction-- telling us what was going on at the time, who the person was, and what it all meant. And along the way, Bolden provides many fascinating insights. Understanding what a speech meant at the time can help us unlock what it means for us today.

Book Cover
King, Martin Luther, Jr.

On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King gave one of the most powerful and memorable speeches in our nation's history. His words, paired with Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson's magnificent paintings, make for a picture book certain to be treasured by children and adults alike.

Book Cover
Abdurraqib, Hanif

An empowering picture book biography of Aretha Franklin and her role in civil rights, perfect for Women's History Month and Black History Month.

Book Cover
Ades, Audrey

This is the story of two men, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rabbi Joachim Prinz, an immigrant from Nazi Germany, with a shared belief that remaining silent in the face of injustice was wrong.

Book Cover
Alko, Selina

Presents quotes on civil rights from important and influential figures, including Queen Lili'uokalani, John Lewis, Nina Simone, and Barack Obama.

Book Cover
Baptiste, Tracey

A picture book biography about Claudette Colvin, the teen whose activism launched the Montgomery bus boycott, and a celebration of collective action.

Book Cover
Bayne, Bijan C.

Thirty bite-sized biographies of black thinkers, activists, and innovators with beautiful full-color illustrations throughout. Black Trailblazers is an illustrated inspiration for children that gives these important figures their due, highlighting their work to make our world a brighter, better place. An appealing blend of history, quotes from the figures themselves, and gorgeous visuals, this book will educate, entertain, and inspire.

Book Cover
Charnaie, Gordon

Learn about the power of words and speech from historical and modern figures who have used their voices to make a difference. 

Book Cover
Chambers, Veronica

Before they were activists, they were just like you and me. From Frederick Douglass to Malala Yousafzai, Joan of Arc to John Lewis, Susan B. Anthony to Janet Mock--these thirty-five profiles of remarkable figures show us what it means to take a stand and say no to injustice. This inspiring collection profiles men and women who resisted tyranny, fought the odds, and stood up to bullies that threatened to harm their communities. Along with their portraits and most memorable quotes, their stories will inspire you--every single day--to speak out and rise up.

Book Cover
Churnin, Nancy

Reflects upon the parallels drawn between the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank, both born in 1929, and how their legacies of kindness, love, and peace have changed the world today.

Book Cover
Duncan, Alice Faye

This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who in 1968 witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice before his assassination--when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest.

Book Cover
Easton, Emily

From Samuel Adams to the supporters of Black Lives Matter, march through history with over twenty heroic leaders whose peaceful protests sparked revolution and rewrote the American story. With a foreword by Ryan Deitsch, Parkland survivor and activist, and new art honoring Black Lives Matter supporters.

Book Cover
Evans, Shane

Illustrations and brief text portray the events of the 1963 march in Washington, D.C., where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a historic speech.

Book Cover
Fitzpatrick, Insha, author.

From refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger to sparking civil rights protests across America, explore how Rosa Parks's powerful act earned her the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." A story of resistance, strength, and unwavering spirit, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the American Civil Rights leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.

Book Cover
Joy, Angela

The story of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son's death into a call to action for the civil rights movement.

Book Cover
King, Coretta Scott

This picture book adaptation of her critically acclaimed adult memoir paints a vivid portrait of the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a singular 20th-century American civil and human rights activist who fought for justice against all odds, becoming an unforgettable champion of social change.

Book Cover
Kirkwood, Kathlyn J.

This brilliant memoir-in-verse tells the moving story of how a nation learned to celebrate a hero. Through years of protests and petition, Kathlyn's story highlights the foot soldiers who fought to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.

Book Cover
Krishnaswami, Uma

A look at the lives of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and how they were led to seek revolution through peace.

Book Cover
Long, Michael G.

This powerful and triumphant picture book biography tells the story of Bayard Rustin, an openly gay civils rights leader, who, with the support of Dr. King and future congressman John Lewis, led 250,000 people to the doorstep of the U.S. government demanding change

Book Cover
Langley, Sharon

When Sharon Langley was born, amusement parks were segregated, and African American families were not allowed in. This picture book tells how a community came together--both black and white--to make a change. In the summer of 1963, because of demonstrations and public protests the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time. Sharon and her parents were the first African American family to walk into the park, and Sharon was the first African American child to ride the merry-go-round. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Sharon's ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King's dream ... The carrousel, fully functional, now resides on the National Mall, near the Air and Space Museum.

Book Cover
Miller, J. P. (Janice P.)

The act of segregation was a common thread woven throughout the world, directed at people of color. It takes great courage to stand up against racial injustice and many Black leaders sacrificed their lives to demand equality. Read about men and women who worked on behalf of all people of color including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Barack Obama, the founders of Black Lives Matter Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, and many more.

Book Cover
Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Explores the intersecting lives of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson at the historic moment when their joined voices inspired landmark changes.

Book Cover
Pinkney, Andrea Davis

When young Tybre Faw discovers Congressman John Lewis and his heroic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the fight for the right to vote -- Tybre is determined to meet him. Tybre's two grandmothers take him on the seven-hour drive to Selma, Alabama, where Lewis invites Tybre to join him in the annual memorial walk across the Bridge. And so begins a most amazing friendship! In rich, poetic language, Andrea Davis Pinkney weaves the true story of a boy with a dream-together with the story of a real-life hero (who himself had a life-altering friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. when he was young!) Keith Henry Brown's deeply affecting paintings bring this inspiring bond between a young activist and an elder Congressman vividly to life. Both John Lewis and Martin Luther King, Jr. have left indelible marks on future generations. Will Tybre be next to carry the mantle?

Book Cover
Pinkney, Andrea Davis

In a rich embroidery of visions, musical cadence, and deep emotion, Andrea and Brian Pinkney convey the final months of Martin Luther King's life -- and of his assassination -- through metaphor, spirituality, and multilayers of meaning.

Book Cover
Robinson, Sharon

In January of 1963, Sharon Robinson turned thirteen the night before George Wallace declared on national television 'segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever' in his inauguration for governor of Alabama. That was the start of a year that would become one of the most pivotal years in the history of America. As the daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon had incredible access to some of the most important events of the era, including her family hosting several fundraisers for Martin Luther King Jr. at their home in Connecticut, other Civil Rights heroes of the day calling Jackie Robinson for advice and support, and even attending the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs. But Sharon was also dealing with her own personal problems like going through puberty, being one of the only black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood, and figuring out her own role in the fight for equality. This memoir follows Sharon as she goes through that incredible year of her life.

Book Cover
Romito, Dee

Georgia decided to help the best way she knew how. She worked together with a group of women and together they purchased the supplies they needed--bread, lettuce, and chickens. And off they went to cook. The women brought food to the mass meetings that followed at the church. They sold sandwiches. They sold dinners in their neighborhoods. As the boycotters walked and walked, Georgia cooked and cooked. Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from "nowhere" to anyone who asked. When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf, and her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond.

Book Cover
Todd, Traci N.

A biography of Nina Simone, an acclaimed singer whose music gave voice to the struggle for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement.

Book Cover
Weatherford, Carole Boston

You can be a King. Stamp out hatred. Put your foot down and walk tall. You can be a King. Beat the drum for justice. March to your own conscience. Featuring a dual narrative of the key moments of Dr. King's life alongside a modern class as the students learn about him, Carole Weatherfor's poetic text encapsulates the moments that readers today can reenact in their own lives. See a class of young students as they begin a school project inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn to follow his example, as he dealt with adversity and never lost hope that a future of equality and justice would soon be a reality. As times change, Dr. King's example remains, encouraging a new generation of children to take charge and change the world ... to be a King.

Book Cover
Weatherford, Carole Boston

Presents a collage-illustrated treasury of poems and spirituals inspired by the life and work of civil rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer.

Book Cover
Wittenstein, Barry

The true story behind the writing of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Summaries provided by DPL's catalog unless otherwise noted. Click on each title to view more information.

Help us make improvements to our content! I am a(n):