Important Books About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For Kids & Teens

Today, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of justice, peace, and equality is more important than ever. His courageous life exemplifies what happens when ordinary people stand up for what's right. He is an inspiration that changed America for the better. And on Monday, January 18th we celebrate his legacy.

Help your kids discover more about this remarkable influential leader with these books specially selected for you by Book Passage. 

For Younger Readers

Trailblazers: Martin Luther King, Jr.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to more than 250,000 people in Washington, DC about his dream of racial equality. His message of peaceful protest inspired a generation to stand up for their rights. Find out how a boy who was not allowed to go to school or the movies with white people blazed a trail in civil rights.

Trailblazers is a biography series that celebrates the lives of amazing pioneers, past and present, from all over the world. Get inspired by more Trailblazers: Neil Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Jane Goodall, Harriet Tubman, Albert Einstein, Beyoncé, and Simone Biles. What kind of trail will you blaze?

What Was the March on Washington?

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to demand equal rights for all races. It was there that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, and it was this peaceful protest that spurred the momentous civil rights laws of the mid-1960s. With black-and-white artwork throughout and sixteen pages of photographs, the March is brought to life!

What is the Civil Rights Movement?

Even though slavery had ended in the 1860s, African Americans were still suffering under the weight of segregation a hundred years later. They couldn't go to the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, or even use the same bathrooms as white people. But by the 1950s, black people refused to remain second-class citizens and were willing to risk their lives to make a change.

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation

Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it. Find out more in this gripping book with illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney.

I am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr.

This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great—the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. In this new board book format, the very youngest readers can learn about one of America's icons in the series's signature lively, conversational way. The short text focuses on drawing inspiration from these iconic heroes, and includes an interactive element and factual tidbits that young kids will be able to connect with. This volume tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights leader.

Pocket Bios: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement, is best known for his dedication to nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in combating racial inequality and organized many notable events such as the Montgomery bus boycott and Selma-to-Montgomery marches. He posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, and is an international icon to this day.

Martin and Bobby: A Journey Toward Justice, Claire Murphy

Martin and Bobby follows the lives, words, and final days of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. Initially wary of one another, their relationship evolved from challenging and testing each other to finally “arriving in the same place” as allies fighting poverty and racism. The stories of King and Kennedy reveal how life experiences affect a leader’s ability to show empathy for all people and how great political figures don’t work in a vacuum but are influenced by events and people around them.

Be A King by Carole Boston Weatherford

You can be a King. Stamp out hatred. Put your foot down and walk tall.

You can be a King. Beat the drum for justice. March to your own conscience.

Featuring a dual narrative of the key moments of Dr. King's life alongside a modern class as the students learn about him, Carole Weatherford's poetic text encapsulates the moments that readers today can reenact in their own lives. See a class of young students as they begin a school project inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn to follow his example, as he dealt with adversity and never lost hope that a future of equality and justice would soon be a reality. As times change, Dr. King's example remains, encouraging a new generation of children to take charge and change the world.

I Am Martin Luther King Jr. by Brad Meltzer

This small format picture book with fun comic-book-style illustration and simple text concentrates on King's life as a child. There's also plenty here about the civil rights movement, but it comes late in the book. The subtitle of this whole series of kid-friendly biographies is "Ordinary People Change the World", a powerful message in itself.

I Have a Dream illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Some of the key moments from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech illustrated in vibrant detail with images of the March on Washington and of Americans of all colors working, living and playing together. The book also contains a CD of the speech itself, great for use as a teacher resource.

Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.? by Bonnie Bader

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 25 when he helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was soon organizing black people across the country in support of the right to vote, desegregation, and other basic civil rights. Maintaining nonviolent and peaceful tactics even when his life was threatened, King was also an advocate for the poor and spoke out against racial and economic injustice until his death?from an assassin's bullet?in 1968. With clearly written text that explains this tumultuous time in history and 80 black-and-white illustrations, this Who Was celebrates the vision and the legacy of a remarkable man.

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For Teens

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League--but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

March: Book 1 by John Lewis

The graphic novel biography of Congressman John Lewis, is actually a history of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. does make an appearance in this book, but the wider historical context is what makes this award-winning series of books so important.