Features
- Reading level: Ages 9-12
- Cover Type: Paperback
- Published by: Aladdin January 1, 1994
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 067187523X
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0671875237
-
Book Dimensions:
9.2 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
- Weighs: 3.8 ounces
From Booklist
Ages 5-8. Fourth-grader Jamal Wilson has two assignments at the end of school. He must think about a plan for the Martin Luther King Jr. assembly, and he must take home a pink slip from the principal for fighting with another boy to sit on the bus' backseat. Bristling at Jamal's failure to understand the irony of an African American boy fighting to sit at the back of the bus, Grandpa Joe explains about the Montgomery bus boycott and its leaders
Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and helps Jamal to turn his two assignments into one. With gorgeous pastel illustrations aglow in tones of honey gold, this is a lovely picture book with a warm and simple story that will help young children understand the importance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. And since the story is told mainly through dialogue, it is easily converted into a skit appropriate for celebrating the holiday--just as Jamal decides to do. Pair this holiday story with Jean Marzollo's picture-book biography
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King (1992). The book includes a thematic five-word glossary and some historical photographs. This is part of the Multicultural Celebrations series created under the auspices of the Children's Museum, Boston.
Annie Ayres
Product Description
When Jamal gets in trouble for fighting over the back seat of a bus, his father and grandfather engage him in a spirited discussion about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reader ReviewsI read this book to my kindergartners and they fell in love with Dr. King. I saw the boys deeply engrossed in the story almost imagining themselves in Dr. King's position. I doubt they had ever heard of an African American man, in their young lives, who had such an enormous effect on the lives of people. They understood that Dr. King was a powerful man and the only person they could equate his power to was George Bush. I think they will forever remember the accomplishments of Dr. King because of the engaging way this author presented his life. At the mention of Dr. King's name my students say, "he's the greatest."
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