MLK | Joshua Neudel

This past Friday during dinner we asked our Kindergartner the same question we do every night, “What is something you learned today at school?” Usually he hems and haws on the question, but he quickly told us that he learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks. We did not hesitate and told him we would love to hear what he learned about them.

Our son then took the next ten minutes to tell us the stories he learned about King and Parks, sharing stories about their childhood, what inspired them, what they did, and how they wanted everyone to be treated equal. I have to admit, we were proud parents. The conversation then shifted to why. He wanted to know why people would not treat everyone nicely or why some people are not treated the same as others. Our five year old was clearly upset by some of the ideas.

We left our dinner feeling inspired that our child had the opportunity to learn about King and Parks, bus boycotts, and Freedom Riders and the importance of the their stories.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day, I wanted to share a few resources that may be helpful for children of different ages:

Grades PK-5

I am Martin Luther King, Jr by Brad Meltzer

I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by Doreen Rappaport

Grades 6-8

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

Generation Fix: Young Ideas for a Better World by Elizabeth Rusch

We are Immigrants: Voices of The Immigrant Experience by Thomas Hoobler

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Elspeth Leacock

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Grades 9-12