by Danielle Ziegler

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and here are some books for you and your kids to read! But wait. Why would I write an article about books to read with your children about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and publish it the day after?  Simply put, reading diverse books and thinking about antiracism are activities that should happen all year long, not just in January.  This is one very small way that we can carry on Dr. King’s work throughout the year.

There are some adorable board books that feature Black babies and toddlers.  One of my absolute favorites is “Whose Knees are These?” by Jabari Asim, which is a sweet, gentle read starring a loveable toddler.  Another one to check out, which carries on Dr. King’s legacy in a more concrete way, is “Antiracist Baby” by Ibram X. Kendi, which teaches ways for parents to help their children become antiracist.

If you want books for slightly older kids, try a picture book. One that has Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a character in is called “Let the Children March” by Monica Clark-Robinson. This book tells the story of the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade.  Another book that shows Black American history is the beautifully written “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander. Paired with the award winning illustrator Kadir Nelson, Alexander’s poetry shows many of the tragedies and triumphs of Black life in the United States.  A wonderful book about a close knit family is “Going Down Home with Daddy” by Kelly Starling Lyons. The beautiful art and story focus on the family reunion and what each child can do to celebrate their history together.

Kids who have just started reading books on their own can find quite a few good ones as well.   Fantasy meets reality in the short chapter book “Dragons in a Bag” by Zetta Elliott, as Jax, a young boy, discovers that there is more magic in the world than he ever knew. 

There are also plenty of books for older chapter book readers.  A recent book, “A Good Kind of Trouble” by Lisa Moore Ramée is about a twelve year old girl who doesn’t like getting in trouble, but soon, inspired by her sister’s work with the Black Lives Matter movement, starts to think that there may be more than one kind of trouble.  Another book that brings the Civil War to life (with a twist) is “Dactyl Hill Squad” by Daniel José Older, which introduces us to the amazing character of Magdalys who is searching for her brother, a Union soldier, and is also missing her older sisters, who may have been sold back into slavery. The fantastic twist in this book series is that all this happens while dinosaurs are also used for beasts of burden and even in the war. Come for the dinosaurs, but end up learning a lot of history.

There’s also some fascinating children’s nonfiction available to check out for discussion and fun. I would recommend “Whoosh: Lonnie’s Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions” by Chris Barton, for a fun read about the inventor of the super soaker. Another book that introduces amazing people to learn about is “Young, Gifted, and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present” by Jamia Wilson.

I also encourage young adults to celebrate MLK Day through their reading. In “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone, a young man tries to figure out his life through letters to Martin Luther King, Jr. “We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding our Racial Divide” by Carol Anderson is a youth adaptation of an adult book about the historical moments in the United States’ past moving toward equality, and the backlash towards those events.

Don’t only read books about African Americans with your children in January. Instead, make sure your reading life is rich with diversity and keep Martin Luther King Day in your mind all year long.