Martin Luther King, Jr.: Great Civil Rights Leader

by Jennifer Fandel

Written in graphic-novel format. A biography telling the life story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his leadership in the civil rights movement to stop racism, segregation, and discrimination in the United States.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels

32 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Kim Avila · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Free at last. Free at last. Thank you God Almighty, im free at last." These were the last words Martin Luther King Jr said before he got killed. This book is a historical fiction graphic novel. Martin helped black people have to have the same rights as white people.
In the South was where everything started. Martin saw that it wasnt fair that whites got to sit in the front while blacks had to sit in the back & if there wasn't any space then a black had to guve up his seat to them. So he boycotted the Montgomery busses. It was a success. The whites didnt like that he was boycotting so they went to his house & were violent. They put a bomb in front of his house & the blacks wanted to take action but Martin said "We must meet hate with love". King was asked to speak at the March for Jobs & freedom in Washington D.C to pass a new civil rights bill. King said he was in. Nearly 250,000 people showed up & King give his speach. Martin kept going . He never gave up. But in Mempis Tennessee, April 3 1968 King was speaking .. his last words were "I want you to know tonight, that we , as a people , will get to the Promised Land & then he was gone.. a lot of people were devastated. Everyone who agreed with him marches beind his coffin. They followed him as they did when he was alive. Martin Luther King Jr was gone, but his dream has been living on.
The authors motivation is the fact that King NEVER gave up . Even though he lost his friend when he was young & didnt have good things as the whites or even the fact he couldnt buy shoes with out someone telling them an order. Having to guve up his seat on the bus for a white person to have his seat. Getting bombed at his own house or even going to JAIL for protesting. He never stopped doing what he did bc he knew what he was doing was right & the best.
Im happy with the fact Martin made a change a BIG change in this world bc EVERYONE should be treated the same. No one more than another. It hit me hard when Martin died no one left. Everyone stayed by him . They kept going on what he started. The fact his dream was still going even after he died. Its amazing how people appreciate what other people do to help them. OVER 50,000 people were there after his death. Amazing.
On a rate from 1-5 this book is a 5! I would rate this a 5 bc its a short graphic that explains a lot but in a little words. Its touchful & good written at the same time. It doesnt say nonsense it says really good information. I would recommend this book to my friend Jenny. I think she would be inderested in this book too , short but good."Free at last. Free at last. Thank you God Almighty, im free at last." These were the last words Martin Luther King Jr said before he got killed after making this world more equal.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to MLK Jr.

[Emily Isom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! MLK Jr. makes up a huge important part of history. There are also several lessons and activities you could do after reading this book to your class.

[Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Martin Luther king jr was a pastor ,civil rights activist .He got assassinated in Memphis ,Tennessee .

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel introducing young readers to Martin Luther King Jr. and his involvement in the Civil Rights movement.

Text to self:
Sadly, in my time working for OPS I have seen students being bullied based on the color or shade of their skin. I am greatful for those who worked for and continue to promote equality and acceptance. A coworker at my school does an excellent job teaching her students about the civil rights movement and work of MLK Jr. She is especially passionate about sharing this with the next generation as her uncle marched with Dr. King in Washington DC.


Text to text:
The first chapter of the book depicts a scene where Martin and his friend are told they cannot play together anymore because of the color of their skin. This reminds me of a Children's book I used for my reading intervention called "A Lesson For Martin Luther King Jr." The conflict in the book is the same as we see depicted in this one. Martin is no longer allowed to play with his white friends and he struggles to understand why.


Text to world:
This book provides great exposure to a hero of our generation. Though there are many lessons to learn from Dr. King, the power of one person and their thoughts is something I wish kids would take away from it. Dr. King's thoughts are still so relevant in today's times as we see an increased need for understanding and tolerance.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Fandel, Brian Bascle, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: Great Civil Rights Leader” (Graphic Library) (2007)

King's father didn't approve of him preaching integration in the church.
'You've got to attend to people's spiritual needs first, Martin.'
'These are their spiritual needs. People need hope.'

'Civil rights isn't a black issue anymore. It's a human issue.'

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Graphic Library series! An exciting way to promote biographies and non-fiction for kids.

[Gabriela]

I let me learn more about Martin luther king jr but just in graphic novel form!

[Stephanie E. Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick easy read and good for children to learn from. I bought this book for my grandson and had "found" it while looking for another book. It will stand out prominently on my bookshelves.