Every third Monday in January, the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is observed and celebrated. It was a life of spirituality, service, and sacrifice. His legacy will live on forever in monuments, schools, foundations, streets, movies, and books. The children’s and YA titles listed are stories about King’s life, family, and inspirational words.
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1. Sharing the Dream
Shelia P. Moses | Keith Mallett | Nancy Paulsen Books | January 7, 2025 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
2. Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King | Barbara Reynolds | Ekua Holmes | Godwin Books | January 2, 2024 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
3. We Dream a World: Carrying the Light From My Grandparents Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King
Yolanda Renee King | Nicole Tadgell | Orchard Books | January 2, 2024 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
4. Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King
Alice Faye Duncan | R. Gregory Christie | Calkins Creek | September 26, 2023 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
5. Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968
Alice Faye Duncan | R. Gregory Christie | Calkins Creek | August 28, 2018 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
6. Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You
Carole Boston Weatherford | James E. Ransome | Bloomsbury | January 2, 2018 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
7. My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King III | A. G. Ford | Amistad | August 6, 2013 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
8. Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song
Andrea Davis Pinkney | Brian Pinkney | Little, Brown BYR | July 30, 2013 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
9. I Have a Dream
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Kadir Nelson | Schwartz & Wade | October 9, 2012 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
10. Coretta Scott
Ntozake Shange | Kadir Nelson | Katherine Tegen Books | January 6, 2009 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
11. March On!: The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World
Christine King Farris | London Ladd | Scholastic Press | August 1, 2008 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop
12. Dream March: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Washington
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson | Sally Wern Comport | Random House BYR | December 26, 2017 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop
13. She Persisted: Coretta Scott King
Kelly Starling Lyons | Gillian Flint | Philomel Books | January 4, 2022 | Chp Bk | Amazon | Bookshop
14. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Christine Taylor-Butler | Children’s Press | February 1, 2019 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop
15. The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.
Christine Platt | Rockridge Press | September 7, 2021 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop
16. Martin Rising: Requiem for a King
Andrea Davis Pinkney | Brian Pinkney | Scholastic Press | January 2, 2018 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop
17. Trailblazers: Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighting for Civil Rights
Christine Platt | Random House BYR | December 8, 2020 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop
18. Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship (A Young Readers Adaptation of Blood Brothers)
Randy Roberts | Johnny Smith | Margeaux Weston | Christy Ottaviano Books | October 3, 2023 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop
19. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day
Kathlyn J. Kirkwood | Steffi Walthall | Versify | January 4, 2022 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop
20. King: A Life (Young Adult Edition)
Yohuru Williams | Michael G. Long | Jonathan Eig | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | January 7, 2025 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop
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