The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continues to thrive years after he changed the world forever. Today, we remember his powerful words and the impact his teachings had on so many of us. While learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy, it is important to share the knowledge with our children so they can appreciate him as a leader and a great activist for civil rights. Here are some wonderful books about Martin Luther King Jr. to read with your children or recommend to them as we celebrate his legacy.
Books for Preschoolers
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
I am Brave: A Little Book About Martin Luther King Jr. by Brad Meltzer
I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer
My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer
My Little Golden Book About Martin Luther King Jr. by Bonnie Bader
My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart by Angela Farris Watkins
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Johnny Ray Moore
Who Was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?: A Who Was? Board Book by Lisbeth Kaiser and Stanley Chow
Books for Elementary Schoolers
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Dr. Martin Luther King Day by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood
As Good as Anybody by Richard Michelson
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein
Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo
I Am #4: Martin Luther King Jr. by Grace Norwich
I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison
Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Guiding Beliefs (as told by his niece) by Angela Farris Watkins
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
Martin’s Dream by Jane Kurtz
Martin’s Dream (Ana + Andrew) by Christine Platt and Anuki Lopez
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther, III King
My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris
Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Kitson Jazynka
The March on Washington (American Girl: Real Stories From My Time) by Bonnie Bader
The Story of Martin Luther King Jr. by Christine Platt
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Wore Roller Skates by Mark Andrew Weakland and Patrick Ballesteros
Books for Middle and High Schoolers
A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr., for Students by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Free At Last: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Angela Bull
Great Lives in Graphics: Martin Luther King by Button Books
Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank by Nancy Churnin
Martin Luther King Jr.: A Graphic History of America’s Great Civil Rights Leaders by Rachel Ruiz
Martin Rising: Requiem For a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan
Portraits of African-American Heroes by Tonya Bolden
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader
