Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Christine Hatt
c2004, 64p.
RL: 9+
IL: Grades 6-9
While
there are many books for tweens on Martin Luther King, Jr. this one
stands out from the rest due to its format. The first half of the book
is like many others, following him from childhood to the day he was
assassinated. It discusses his motivations to becoming a preacher as
well as those that shaped him into an activist in the black civil rights
movement. It features many photos making it visually appealing as well
as sidebars which discuss “bigger picture” items, allowing the reader to
place King’s life in the context of the times.
The
true strength of this book, however, lies in the second half. This
section is entitled “Judge for yourself” and asks a series of questions
such as, “Nonviolence- effective or naive” and then takes two pages to
argue each side. Each argument is backed up by sources, which are listed
with pertinent quotes in side columns. As noted in the introduction to
the book, “facts and statistics can be used to support completely
different views.” The “Judge for yourself” section effectively allows
the reader to see that in action.
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