20 Children’s Books about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and teachings are more relevant than ever. With MLK Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a list of my favorite picture books and chapter books to help you introduce your students to King’s life and legacy. These high-quality books are sure to capture your learners’ attention and offer a great opportunity to kick off your discussion of King’s importance in the fight for equal rights.
So if you’re looking for some good children’s books about Martin Luther King, Jr., you’ve come to the right place! Plus, I’ve shared a free interactive biography passage you can use with your students at the end of this post.
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15 Picture Books that Honor the Life of MLK
A great way to introduce your students to King’s life and teachings is through a good picture book that can engage your learners and help them visualize what life was like during segregation.
Here are some of my favorite picture books that help teach more about King’s life and legacy.
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This book is absolutely fantastic, and the illustrations are stunning.
The author, Doreen Rappaport, includes quotes from some of Martin’s most famous speeches as she tells the story of his life in a way that kids can really connect to.
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation
This book looks at the life of Dr. King through his most famous speech, which was delivered in Washington D.C., on August 28th, 1963.
The book looks at the speech itself. It also covers King’s life up to that point and how he came to be such an influential leader.
I Have a Dream
This book is a shortened version of Dr. King’s famous speech, which can be read aloud in about 15 minutes. It includes beautiful illustrations and helps students understand the meaning of the speech and the importance of its message.
Let the Children March
This book looks at the Birmingham Children’s March, which took place in 1963.
It helps kids visualize what happened during this historic event and realize how much courage it takes to stand up for your beliefs when you are young.
This is a great choice if you are looking for a book that covers the civil rights movement and shares the larger context of King’s work.
Be A King
This book is another great choice for introducing kids to the life of Martin Luther King Jr. It follows his life from childhood until after he has become a famous civil rights leader.
The author does a great job of showing how King’s faith and determination helped him overcome obstacles throughout his journey.
My Daddy: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Looking for a way to introduce King’s life through the eyes of a child? This is a great book for that.
This book is a simple, yet engaging way to introduce students to Dr. King as a father and family man. It follows his life from the day he became engaged all the way up until just before his wedding day, when he receives news that Rosa Parks has been arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama.
Martin’s Dream
This book tells the story of the March on Washington, which took place in 1963.
It includes beautiful illustrations and helps students understand the meaning of the speech and the importance of its message.
The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is a more comprehensive biography about Dr. King’s life that covers from his childhood until after he became a famous civil rights leader.
One of my favorite things about this book is that it doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges and controversies that King faced throughout his life.
We March
This picture book captures the events that took place on August 28th, 1963 in a way that is so compelling, even for young learners.
While the illustrations help the reader visualize the enormity of the crowd of 250,000 people who gathered that day, the story itself creates a sensory experience that allows the reader to imagine what it must have been like to be there.
Martin & Mahalia
This picture book tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson, who was a famous gospel singer from Chicago’s Southside.
It is told in a way that kids will really connect to its message about how two people can overcome their differences for a greater purpose.
March On: The Day My Brother Martin Change the World
This book tells the story of how Martin Luther King Jr.’s life was changed by a chance meeting with a young boy named Rodney who dared to ask him a tough question.
It is an excellent way to introduce kids to some of the challenges that Dr. King faced throughout his career.
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
With its scratchboard and oil pastel illustrations, this book is a lovely story that focuses on King’s life in a way that all readers can connect with.
The author does an excellent job showing the famous civil rights leader and pastor as both a strong supporter of equality and a gentle family man.
The Cart That Carried Martin
Unlike many of the other books on this list, Eve Bunting uses this book to focus on the funeral for Dr. King and his important legacy. It is a great way to help kids understand the significance of King’s death and how it affected many people in different ways.
Despite focusing on his death, the book offers a message of hope.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.
This book provides an accessible portrait of one of America’s most beloved civil rights leaders. It shares some details about his life and legacy while also helping readers see him through the eyes of a child, which is always a great way to help kids relate to important historical events.
I am Martin Luther King, Jr.
This book from the Ordinary People Change the World series is a favorite for engaging all students.
It tells the story of Dr. King’s life from his childhood through to his time as a civil rights leader and offers valuable context about some of the critical milestones that led him there, including Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat and Malcolm X’s message to African Americans.
The style is perfect for elementary readers.
5 Amazing Chapter Books & Biographies about Martin Luther King, Jr. for Upper Elementary Readers & Middle School Readers
Many classrooms begin incorporating novel units in the second half of the year. If you’re working with older readers, you might prefer a chapter book or biography. In that case, I’ve got some additional recommendations that are great for book clubs or as a study of literary nonfiction.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Young Man with a Dream
This book tells the story of King’s life from his childhood in Atlanta through to just before he gives his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It is an excellent way for kids to learn about how one man can make a difference and help improve society even when faced with difficult challenges along the way.
Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
This biography is a great way to introduce kids to some of the basic facts about King’s life without getting bogged down in too much detail. It includes easy-to-read text and fascinating sidebars that help explain different aspects of King’s work as a civil rights leader.
The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Biography Book for New Readers
This is a great book for young learners to use as they learn about the life of this important figure. It tells his story in an easy-to-read way that students will be able to understand. It also has a great visual timeline if you’re working on that skill as part of your social studies curriculum.
Meet Martin Luther King, Jr.
Another great option for elementary readers, this Landmark Book helps kids learn about King’s life, work with the Civil Rights Movement, and what he stood for.
While the text has been around for quite some time, there is a recently updated version that includes more photographs and has some additional information about King and his legacy.
Dear Martin
This title is a little different than the rest of the stories in this list in that it isn’t really a biography of King’s life. Instead, it is the story of a young man examining King’s message and its applicability in today’s world.
The main character, Justyce McAllister, is an honor student. He finds himself in the midst of a heated discussion about race after his encounters with the police. Geared toward older learners, this is an excellent book for helping kids think critically about how King’s legacy impacts them today.
I hope these books help you teach your students more about the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.! No matter which books you choose to use, it’s important that we continue teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy
Additional Ideas to Incorporate into your MLK Day Lessons
There is so much to cover when it comes to King’s life and legacy that it makes a great topic to incorporate across different parts of your curriculum. Here are a few of my favorite activities that incorporate Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK Editing Task Cards
Building editing skills can be a challenge, but it helps to incorporate practice opportunities throughout the curriculum. These MLK editing task cards offer details about King’s life with opportunities for students to identify and make corrections to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Learn more or grab this resource:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Fact & Opinion Sort
Biographies make a great way to teach fact and opinion, and this MLK Fact and Opinion Sort is a fun way for students to learn more about King’s life while solidifying this important concept.
Learn more or grab this resource:
MLK Interactive Biography Passage
This biography passage is an excellent way to introduce students to King’s life and offers interactive elements that allow students to engage in a multimedia study to begin to understand more about Martin Luther King and his legacy.
Grab this resource for free!
Celebrate MLK’s life and legacy
I hope these resources are helpful as you’re planning lessons that honor King’s journey and the work he did toward achieving equality.
Have another great book suggestion? Let me know!