This is the display I put up after the new year to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We have some really great books about MLK, but I have to say that in general I’ve had trouble finding a lot of decent ones for younger kids. I love these two, and I think they are the best for very young children.

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport (2001). This is an awesome Caldecott Honor Book that features quotes from Dr. King. It is just gorgeous to look at, so elegant, and the whole design sends a powerful message to kids about this figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement.

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine King Farris (2003). I just loved this book. Kids hear a lot in school about what Dr. King accomplished as an adult, but these simple insights into what he was like as a child are accessible and real. I think they remind students that he was a real person who pulled pranks and came from a loving family, not just the mythical hero he has become.