Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington

by Frances Ruffin, Stephen Marchesi (Illustrator)

All Aboard Reading! On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people came to the nation's capital. They came by plane, by bus, by car--even on roller-skates--to speak out against segregation and to demand equal rights for everyone. They also came to hear the words of a very special leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Told with a wonderful immediacy, this book captures the spirit of this landmark day in American history and brings Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech to vivid life for young children.

Genres: History, Biography, Childrens, African American, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2000

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the main reason I decided to read this book was because it's being challenged by self-proclaimed "parental rights" groups on the grounds of its being, umm, anti-American. Actually reading it tells another story. It's all about collective action, between people of different races, in the face of oppression.

Cynically, though, it's all about the fact nothing changes unless you get it codified into law, and no matter when you try to get it done, it's going to be a while longer after that before there actually is a law.

It's appropriately written for the age level and imparts the history swiftly and with little stress on the young reader. A concern raised is that it suggests that all problems aren't solved in the end. Well, that's true. Children with that lived experience might take that for granted, and others rightly might need their eyes opened. Nothing more American than realizing there's always more work to do.

[Stephanie Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This beginning reader tells the story of the March on Washington during which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Evaluation: For being a beginning reader, the book tells the story of the March on Washington beautifully. The illustrations add to the beauty of the story. The book tells the story beyond the speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. to tell a more well-rounded picture of the day. There were several other speakers at the march who also spoke about equality. The book ends with the changes made to the law through the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Teaching Idea: Even though this book is a beginning reader, it could be used at any grade level to introduce the topic of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr, or the inequalities faced by African Americans.

[Kalonda Mcknight]

Text-to-World

With this been Black history month this a good book to read to your own personal children. This book explains about the way the people of color were treated during the Civil Rights Movement. It talks about how and why people of color marched and protested. This book will give children of color a better understanding why and how things were made possible for them as of today. It helps them understand why Martin Luther King, Jr. and others fought so hard for equal rights and social justice for all mankind. After reading this book to children I feel that they will have a better understanding why Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote and gave his speech.

[Dawn Laws · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is based on a real life event of Martin Luther King Jr and the March on Washington. It is based during on Civil Rights and a famous speech give by King.

I gave this book 5/5 because it is full of information and has great illustrations to go along with it.

[Kinley Coplin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington I would read this to my class to teach them about important people in history. Martin Luther King could be read in January when celebrating the holiday in honor of his name.

[RichelleBaisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to teach young students about Civil Rights.

[Taylor Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr, and civil rights over all. It uses illustrations that match with what the text is saying on each page. It also offers real images from this time period and events. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and is a very good beginning reader book.
I liked this book because it had very good text to image relation that will not cause young readers to feel overwhelmed. It is very informative but not overwhelming to the young readers that the book is directed to. I would totally use this book in my classroom.
The grade level is best for K-2 but can also be used to students who have a hard time reading/ are on a lower reading level. This book would also be useful for ELL students. ELL students can use this book to learn about this time period, a big civil rights influencer, and still be able to understand what they are reading (even if they need a little assistance).
The subject I would use this book to teach would be history.The lesson would start by either reading the book to the students or having them read it (deepening on grade level). It would be good to use when talking to students about who Martian Luther King Jr is and why he has a holiday named after him as well. Have students make a list of things they have learned about the civil rights movement and have them use information they learned prior to this book and new information they learned after reading this book.

[Melba Deoleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than 250,000 people are coming into Washington D.C in a hot summer day to hear Martin Luther King Jr give a speech. This people traveled by plane, train, car or by bus to hear this speech, one man arrived there by roller skating 11 days from Chicago. The speech took place near the Lincoln Memorial where the famous Abraham Lincoln statue is found. Lincoln was the president who ended slavery, but even though slavery had ended there was still no equality and that was what Martin Luther King Jr wanted to achieve. There he delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech, where he let people know that they were free at last. This book would be a great addition to my classroom as it would teach my students about a great moment in history, one that still holds a great value in today's society. I would read this book during a read aloud and then have my students write down how they would have felt if they were one of the people in the crowd.

[Bernice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical fiction book speaks of the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr's role during this time. I loved how the book uses not only illustrations, but pictures from the time so children are able to really visualize the segregation between blacks and whites. The book is written so that younger readers understand what it means to be unequal. You can tell that the research to write the book is very thorough and looks at all sides of those involved. I feel that children will be able to see the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. and what he did to change the segregation laws in the United States.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frances Rufin did a wonderful job capturing the spirit of August 28th, 1963 when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial to more than 250,000 people. This book is a perfect read aloud to share with elementary age students when covering Civil Rights, Black History Month, or just to be inspired by the actions of a determined group of people hungry for change.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not like the way some white did not like black people. Things are pretty better now that it is 2009.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a combination of illustrations and photographs. I learned a few new facts with this book which is a level three transitional reader text.

[Andreia]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12718401

Plan on releasing at a Little Free Library