Here it comes again, Martin Luther King Jr. Day! We love celebrating this day in our classrooms and telling the stories of Martin Luther King Jr. every year. I always love to find some random facts to throw in while we’re reading Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books. This year, we learned that Martin Luther King Jr. was the first non-president to have their birthday celebrated as a national holiday. Something else we learned in our hunt for Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books was that he was just fifteen years old when he went to college. He skipped the end of his time in high school and went straight to college! We also learned that there are a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books. And I really mean a lot. Here are 3 Martin Luther King Jr. books for Primary Students.
* Each book title links to Amazon just to make it easy – you can read reviews, a summary, and order should you choose! (This post contains affiliate links.)
Martin Luther King Jr From a Young Age
I am Martin Luther King Jr (Ordinary People Change the World), written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, is a colorful book that explains who Martin Luther King Jr. was. This book is part of the Ordinary People Change the World series. If you enjoy this one, definitely check out some others! This one starts by talking about when he was little. It tells us about his family and the first time he was treated differently because of his race. It goes on to explain how he took the world by storm, peacefully. This book is powerful and it shows so much about a powerful young man who changed the world for the better. There are a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books out there. Many of them are great reads. But this is one of the best.
Martin Luther King Jr’s Powerful Words
Martin Luther King Jr. was different from a lot of revolutionaries because he let his words speak rather than his actions. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier, is an amazing book that truly shows what powerful words can do. Many Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books focus on the biggest things that he did, which, don’t get me wrong, are so important. But something that they seem to skim over sometimes is just how powerful his words were. Using quotes from some of his biggest speeches, this book shows who Martin Luther King Jr. was. It shows his true nature as a peaceful man who just wanted equality and fairness. Read all of the Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books that you can find, but make sure you give special attention to this one. Teach your students that sometimes, powerful words can mean a whole lot more than powerful actions.
The March on Washington
Perhaps one of the most well-known things that Martin Luther King Jr. was involved with was the March on Washington. Students can learn all about it in Martin Luther King Jr and the March on Washington, written by Frances E Ruffin and illustrated by Stephen Marchesi. There are a lot of Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books that talk about this historic event, but this book is one of the best ones. As a level three reader, this book helps young students to understand the importance of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Using colorful illustrations and real-life photographs from the March on Washington, this book is sure to draw in your kiddos and keep them entertained while learning about this amazing man who did so much for this country. The book tells how many thousands of people came from far and wide to be a part of this historic event and hear him speak. Some people flew on airplanes while others drove and rode buses. Still others roller-skated hundreds of miles! As far as Martin Luther King Jr. children’s books go, this is one that you don’t want to miss!
Make sure you check out these 3 Martin Luther King Jr. Books for Primary Students for your classroom!
Activities on Martin Luther King Jr for Your Classroom
If your students can’t get enough of Martin Luther King Jr, be sure to check out these Martin Luther King Jr. coloring pages! You’ll find all kinds of options that focus on helping your students learn! There are color-by-numbers, color-by-letters, and even color-by-sight words! These coloring pages are great for keeping your students entertained while helping them learn! These packages contain 28-46 pages, depending on which one you select.
Are you still looking for more ideas? Check out the FREE Reading Graphic Organizer today! This tool helps students identify the main idea, story elements, and beginning, middle, and end of stories. It can be used with any story you want to introduce in your classroom, and best of all, it’s FREE!
