This week marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we at the Butler Center are observing the holiday by digging into our Effie Lee Morris Collection. To honor the legacy of Dr. King, we’re looking at selections from the collection that cover the Civil Rights Movement and the past, present, and future of the fight for equality in America. Across fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, these books offer a variety of ways for young readers to engage with the issues they grapple with. Our feature pick is Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by 2018 Butler Lecturer Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. This collection of poetry, accompanied by vivid watercolor paintings, covers the final months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and the immediate aftermath of his death. Beginning with his birth and then fast-forwarding to his 39th birthday, just under four months before the end of his life, the poems within explore both the highs and lows of King’s life and the impact of his assassination.

Check out more books for MLK Day below:

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King
Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
Scholastic Inc
Available now!

Martin Rising: Requiem for a King
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Scholastic Inc/Scholastic Press
Available now!

Through My Eyes
Ruby Bridges
Scholastic Inc/Scholastic Press
Available now!

We Shall Overcome
Bryan Collier
Scholastic Inc/Orchard Books
Available now!

When We Say Black Lives Matter
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Candlewick Press
Available now!