Observed on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day recognizes the life and work of one America's best known civil rights activists.  Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15th, 1929, and would go on to become one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement, overseeing the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, organizing nonviolent protests across the south, and helping lead the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.  King received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom nine years after his assassination in 1968.

During his lifetime and beyond, Martin Luther King, Jr. has become a symbol of civil rights and nonviolent activism.  His work, along with the work of many other incredible activists, helped usher in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 — as contemporary activists are still pushing for change today.

One essential piece of the passing down of these generational civil rights projects is education.  We must pass on the stories, the struggles, the legacies, of those who came before us.  We must open conversations with younger generations to share tales of the past and empower growing children to fight for the future they believe in.

There are many ways to pass on these stories & begin these conversations, but if you're interested in introducing your kids to these topics through literature, we're including some of our civil rights book recommendations below.  These are stories about activists and anti-racists; resilience and hope.  And as always, these books are just the beginning.

Picture Books

Our featured picks.  Find even more at the bottom of the page

Chapter Books & Early Readers

For ages 6-9

Middle Grade Books

For ages 9-12

For Parents:

Resources for raising antiracist kids

Even more great picture books: