Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?

I bought this book for my son's homeschool education, and read aloud it to him in conjunction with lessons about the American Civil Rights Movement. I found this book extremely informative, and learned a good deal more about Martin Luther King, Jr. myself, even after having watched a very good PBS documentary on his life on DVD a decade ago. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did accomplish a great deal of good, and it is worthwhile to read this brief yet very informative biography of his life. If you wish a more detailed and nuanced account of his life, including his flaws, I recommend reading a longer biography; otherwise, this brief biography is an excellent introduction to his life and contributions.

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr? is a 116-page biography of America’s greatest civil rights leaders. It is of one 250 Who Was? Titles, a series started in 2002, by Penguin Workshop. This particular biography is an excellent book for students in grades 4-6 studying their American Civil Rights Movement. The book shows the good deeds Dr. King performed during his life, but neglects to illustrate the man’s flaws.There are illustrations throughout the book showing Martin Luther King, Jr, his family, and the times he lived in. Students will read about Jim Crow Laws that legally separated the races in the American South making African-Americans second class citizens unable to eat in most restaurants, attend separate schools from their white peers, and drink from separate water fountains. They will also learn about Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian spiritual leader who led peaceful non-violent protests in India to free his homeland from British rule. King crafted his response to racism following Gandhi’s example.Key outcomes to the American Civil War are touched upon in this King biography as well as other civil rights leaders such as Rosa Parks and Jesse Jackson. They will also learn about the Freedom Riders, the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott, and the Civil Rights Bill signed into law by President Johnson on July 2, 1964, almost one hundred years after slavery was abolished in America.For teachers teaching on Zoom or in a classroom, or parents home schooling their youngsters activity sheets are available on the WHOHQ website (whowasbookseries.com) that will add to your lesson and spark classroom discussions. Finally, NetFlix offers a program, “The Who Was? Show”making history fun through the lives of two famous people in history in each episode. For example, in their first season opener we get a glimpse into the lives of Ghandi and Ben Franklin.

This book is a great read. My special needs 11 year old son, really enjoyed reading it and he has a better understanding of who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is. The book is very informative. I just ordered him the Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Einstein book. I will be ordering more from this series as well.

Excellent series of books we plan on trying to buy as many of this collection as possible. It is perfect for children readers who are looking to learn about historical people, places or events. It breaks it down in an informative but digestible amount for the young reader.

My son chose Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as his influential American for a class project. That said, he wanted to read additional books outside of class to learn more about his life. He’s 9 years old, a 3rd grader and this book was the perfect pace and vocabulary for his age that he finished the book the same day! Easy to read, full of facts—which also led to more questions open to discussion. Loved how he got engaged. This book wasn’t hard for him to understand and in fact, made him want to know more.