Let's Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

February 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-These basic titles provide simple explanations of the featured holidays and include informative photos and illustrations. The first book includes important events from the civil rights hero's life, starting with his youth and continuing through his years as a preacher and leader striving for equality among all races. A mixture of informative, archival, photos and chalky illustrations appear throughout the pages. Thanksgiving Day introduces important people, such as Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag, Samoset, Squanto, William Bradford, and many others, explaining their roles in building peace between the settlers and Native Americans. The early hardships of the Pilgrims are stressed. By the spring, nearly half of them had died, and those who survived were able to build houses, grow crops, and start new lives with the assistance of the Native Americans. Stock photos, reproductions, and colored illustrations enhance the text. Unfortunately, there aren't any indexes, bibliographies, or back matter that would make these titles useful to report writers.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.