A Place to Land by Barry Wittenstein & Illus by Jerry Pinkney

Another MLK Jr. book? Yes, please! This was one of those books I wasn't sure about on the first read through. It seemed to be a non-story in some ways. It tells the back story on the famous "I have a dream speech" which is basically, Martin went off script.

But the more I read it, the more nuanced it is. There is still so much to say and learn about this man, the things he did, and the words he said. 

Pinkney is no slouch--this is before the title page, which is often left blank, but not here. 

The night before the speech, Martin didn't know what to say. 

So Martin did what great men do. 

He asked for guidance. 

Not from above.

At least not at first. 

They all had their say, including an adviser saying he had used the "I have a dream" line too often and it could not be used effectively again. 

Part of Martin's greatness--he knew 

the importance of listening. 

I love these two excerpts that show the humility of truly great men. 

After listening, he went upstairs and thought about all the people who went before him in this fight and what they would want him to say. 

Detailed view.

Seriously, Pinkney puts so much in each picture--textured and layered. 

Martin wrote late into the night. 

Words crossed out three, four times, searching for the perfect meaning and rhythm. 

Even Martin, as brilliant as he was, edited and rewrote.

I love the collage elements over in the left hand corner here. 

The next morning, people came from all over the country to Washington--to be met with soldiers in riot gear. 

Map collages are never not a wonderful addition. 

Even an hour before he was supposed to speak, Martin kept thinking about what to say, things did not feel totally settled. He hadn't found his place to land yet. 

Martin began his speech and then, paused. He wasn't feeling inspired, so his audience wasn't either. 

Mahalia Jackson, the "Queen of Gospel," told him to tell the people about the dream.

And then came some of the most inspiring words America had heard in years. 

Afterward, people joined hands and sang, "We shall overcome."

And Martin went to the White House to shake hands with JFK who had been slow to embrace the civil rights movement and tried to convince its leaders to cancel the march. 

Students are often surprised that a president would work against Martin Luther King Jr. How could any right thinking person disagree with him? Some great conversations about that. 

Martin stepped up to the lectern, 

and stepped down on the other side of history. 

And then the ones who came after.

Mini-biographies of the people pictured advising Martin.

Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson

Okay, listen. I KNOW I took too many pictures. I am fully aware of that. But I would like to see you try to narrow it down to only a handful. Kadir Nelson is INCREDIBLE. That cover? Swoony. 

This book is an "everywoman" sharing her story. While historically accurate, this is not a biography. Rather it telling the American story, adding in the parts black people played that were later left out of the history books. 

Slaves fighting for the American colonies in the Revolution. Those that fought were freed.

All the slaves could have been freed right then and there while they were writing the constitution, but as our narrator says, slavery was like mother's milk to America. The founding fathers thought they had to have slaves to keep the country going. 

I love how Nelson paints this black into the shadow, just as the founding fathers did with the slaves.

Importing slaves became illegal in the early 1800's but still happened up until the Civil War. 

Cotton picker

There are several different sections in this book, focusing on different parts of the African-American experience. 

Each one begins with several quotes and the section itself is the perfect length for reading to my fourth grade class in one half hour class. Of course, we had to stop and discuss it, so the actual reading time is shorter, but you kind of NEED to discuss it. We had some really great discussions. 

Honestly, this might be one of the greatest books to open this conversation. It really made an impact on my fourth graders. Or.... at least it did for the half hour class I had them for. After they left the library and went to the lunchroom, it may have gone completely out of their head, but I like to think it didn't. Because, otherwise, most of what I do is pointless. Sigh. 

There have been some difficult days with middle schoolers recently, which makes me question the whole school librarian thing. So I try to convince myself I AM making a difference and expanding student's minds....

I was enchanted with spanish moss covered avenues when I was young. I cut out a picture from a magazine and tacked it up to my wall when I was ten. 

Fighting in the Civil War

Freed slaves

Intimidation tactics

Teacher

On of the reasons I love Kadir Nelson's pictures so much is the dignity, love, and humanity radiating from these images. I want to be this woman's best friend. She looks like she could teach me a thing or two about handling middle schoolers effectively. 

The Great Migration north

Civil rights protests

The jazz age

Integrating schools

The march on Washington

And finally, at long last, voting rights. 

Grace for President by Kelly S. DiPucchio & Illus by LeUyen Pham

(These pictures are not spectacular.)

This is a fun book that really illustrates the voting process in the United States rather well. 

The illustrations are a fun mix of realistic and slightly cartoonish. 

One morning in September, Mrs. Barrington unrolls a large poster of the presidents. Grace studies it and then asks 

"Where are the girls?"

Grace is appalled to find there has never been a girl president. So she decides to be president. Mrs. Barrington approves of this and suggests Grace might like to run for class president. No one else wants to run against her, so Grace is pretty sure she is a shoe in. 

Except...

...here comes Thomas Cobb, from the other second grade room. And Thomas is good at everything. 

Grace starts to get a little worried. 

The teachers have each student draw a state name from the hat. Each student then has a certain number of votes for president. 

I love that the electoral college is included, but I don't think there is quite enough depth to this topic. Why does California get twice as much as almost everyone else? 

Campaigns begin. Promises are made. 

Fish stick tacos are a big ticket item on both platforms, for and against. 

Cupcakes, speeches, and rallies were held and given. 

I feel like anyone who gave me a cupcake would have my vote. 

Thomas figured out that boys have slightly more electoral votes, so he doesn't worry about winning. It is in the bag. 

The big day arrives! 

States come up in alphabetical order to cast their votes. 

The scores are tied. It all comes down to how little old Wyoming casts his vote.

Guess who he votes for!

And now, on career day, when Grace announces she is going to be president, no one laughs. 

Lillian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter & Illus by Shane W. Evans

This is an awesome book describing in kid friendly terms, the African-American struggle to vote. 

On voting day, 100 year old Lillian climbs a steep hill get get to her polling place. (Allegory!)

As she walks, she sees the history of her family. Her great-great grandparents on the block at the slave market. 

Yes, her great-great-grandfather is naked. This is a great, understandable way for kids to understand how dehumanizing slavery was. I wouldn't read this to anyone too young, but the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades seem to get the enormity of taking a person's clothes and dignity away from them and allow people to stare at them like cattle. 

Her great-grandfather picking cotton as a slave.

Then comes the Civil War and the brief interlude afterwards that allowed black people to vote. 

Within twenty years, almost no black people could vote, due to poll taxes and ridiculous questions, such as "How many bubbles in a bar of soap?" 

With my classes, I illustrated this point by asking someone something really easy, like who is our current president? and then asking the next kid, something impossible. Of course it isn't fair! 

Finally 1920 rolls around and Lillian, her mother and father go to the polls to try to vote, since her mother could vote for the first time. 

An angry mob turned them away. 

As a result of Lillian's family daring to try to vote, a cross is set on fire on their front lawn. 

Lillian meets a young man, and asks him if he is voting.

"You better!"

As she continues along, she sees the coffin of those killed in peaceful riots, protesting the voting discrimination

Lillian sees the Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King. 

She sees LBJ signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act, allowing all American citizens the right to vote.

And finally, she is at the polls. And remembers the first time she voted as a young women. 

And finally, Lillian votes. 

This is a great book showing how long the struggle to equality and voting rights was. For older kids, it is a great starting point, to discuss the unfair treatment and civil rights in general.