Martin Luther King Jr. Day Books

Author Nick Kotz brings out the personalities of the heavy hitters of the 1960's, especially President Lyndon Johnson and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. The book begins with the assassination of President Kennedy as Lyndon Johnson is then thrust into the presidency. Determined to carry out Kennedy's programs Johnson achieves initial success with his Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The author does a wonderful job characterizing Johnson's ability to give others the "Johnson treatment" in convincing them to go along with his programs. He has to deal with, not only conservative Democratic politicians determined to keep segregation permanent, but with diverse personalities such as Bobby Kennedy who felt Johnson was trying to "take over" too fast following his brother's assassination, F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover who kept voluminous files on those he may need to blackmail at some time in the future, and Martin Luther King, Jr. who wanted to achieve equal rights through nonviolence. King realized, however, that he needed to wake up the country by having them see the physical violence his marchers were subjected to in the South. Vietnam put the kibosh on Johnson's Great Society program and War on Poverty to such an extent that he chose not to run for a second term in that horrendous year of 1968 which saw both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated, the Vietnam was spiraled out of control, cities continued to burn in rioting as they had in 1967, and Richard Nixon went on to become the next president. Whether you lived through these years or not they were historic times and this book is required reading for those wanting to learn about this period in history.

A few more pieces to the civil rights movement,very well written. there was new stuff here along with insight and some behind the story things I really liked. You should enjoy this one.

Before reading this book my interest in the Civil Rights Era was probably at best a 4 on a scale of 1-10. After reading a few pages, I was instantly hooked. "Judgment Days" is easily one of the best-written books I've read in the last year (possibly only surpassed by "John Adams"). Nick Kotz does a wonderful job at making history read like a novel and despite the fact that someone completely unfamiliar with American history would still possess some basic knowledge of the subject matter: most Civil Rights legislation is passed, Vietnam is a quagmire, MLK is shot - I found myself unable to put this book down. Upon reading this book, I have a new-found respect for LBJ, view MLK in a different light, and my disdain for J. Edgar Hoover is even greater. This book should be a mandatory read for most US History and Civics classes. The struggle of the Civil Rights Era is only a generation removed for most of America's youth - yet is viewed as distant history. What MLK and others endured to ensure that the American Dream is possible for anyone provided that they want it, is eye opening (to say the least). The author does a great job of revealing how in the "land of the free" you were only truly free as long as your skin wasn't black. Nick Kotz deserves the Pulitzer for this book and it's also an excellent tie in to "The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate" by Robert A. Caro.

No need to be interested in Civil Rights to enjoy this book. If you aren't hooked after the first chapter, no need to continue.

Though Kotz is writing about oft-covered material, this book comes across as a fresh and vital examination of the relationship of two of the most important figures of the previous century. He spends a lot of time going over well known facts but also highlights the personalities of these two men. The portraits that emerge are quite interesting. MLK comes across as a man committed to change and--despite minor flaws--as the hero he was.

More surprising is Kotz take on LBJ, who comes across as equally committed to change and righting wrongs. Kotz argues that LBJ always displayed a commitment to improving the lot of the poor. Though he does not explain LBJ's early votes against civil rights, he argues that his eventual support of major civil rights legislation had its roots in his desire to help the disadvantaged, like those he grew up with in the Hill Country of Texas.

While stressing that both men were brilliant leaders, Kotz does not shy away from their flaws--of which LBJ had many. Most interesting is his take that both hoped to accomplish significantly more in the realm of abolishing poverty when their efforts were cut short--LBJ's by the morass of Vietnam and MLK's by a bullet. Ultimately this was a great read and should serve to hold those readers over who are eagerly awaiting the years-away release of Robert Caro's next LBJ volume.

Hi Reader! I wrote 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History because our children need to know so much about the past in order to move forward into the future. This book not only teaches children about the lives of Frederick Douglass, Phillis Wheatley, Dr. Charles Drew, Benjamin Banneker or Buffalo Soldiers, but it also allows seasoned readers and Black historians to reflect on the lives of Black people in America in "Reflections Eternal," "After Katrina," "Fredom Without Revelation," and "The Sounds of Blackness."

This book also includes poems paying tribute to the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. Rosa Parks, and Mr. Ossie Davis. In addition, this book displays the best of Black life, and it will encourage children and adults to press on. "We Shall Because We Must." This book brings to life reflections on Black history from the Middle Passage through the Civil Rights Movementand brings us all into the present.

I hope that you will get a copy of this book for your collection. Better yet, pick up a few copies for the young readers in your life no matter what the age, race, ethnicity, or gender. We all need to learn, appreciate, understand, and embrace the history of America. Purchase this book because it's motivating, educating, and liberating! Thanks for reading 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating "Our" History. Be on the lookout for Volume II in 2008.

We all know the familiar names: Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, all readily recognizable for the high profiles of their lives, as well as their contributions to the rich legacy of African-American culture. But, who can really say they know much about Charles Drew or Ossie Davis? Or just how much the Buffalo Soldiers really accomplished during their years of service?

28 Days Of Poetry is an impressive mosaic of the kaleidoscopic African-American experience. In it, Latorial Faison has breathed new life into the usual retellings of Black history that have often been reduced to quaint clichés and trite sound bites. The breadth and depth of her compositions are so comprehensive that 28 Days can - and probably should - replace most of the textbooks and other outdated materials currently serving as ersatz representations of the American Black experience.

The broad-based appeal of 28 Days will certainly endear it to individuals from all walks of life, but the focus of most of Faison's offerings is clearly on the young. She repeatedly implores the leaders of tomorrow not only to remember the struggles of their forebears that forged the freedoms they currently enjoy, but also to continue the fight to preserve those freedoms for posterity's sake. Witness the second half of the poem "B.L.A.C.K. H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.":

"Hope ran through their veins
In search of rights and freedom trains
Sons and daughters still dying a million deaths
Trying to be free of the chains
Others pressed their way across the
Racial divide of prejudice and hate
Yesterday"

And this moving section of "Slave Questions":

"Why use the whip
And change my name,
Tell all the world
That I've been tamed?

Why teach me words
And give me things
But give me not
What freedom brings?"

Passages such as these should strike today's youth with the same conscientious impact that Alex Haley's ROOTS had on a generation of young viewers in the `70s.

Faison's opus is not just a treatise on cries in the night and cracks of the whip, though. She provides refreshing insight on the lesser known names of some our culture's greatest contributors, such as Phillis Wheatley and Charles Drew. Even the unsung inventor Benjamin Banneker gets the star treatment in "Who Was Benjamin Banneker?":

"If you visit the nation's capital
Or hold a watch in your hand
Think of Benjamin Banneker
Another great African American"

Such tributes serve as reassuring reminders of the towering giants on whose shoulders we stand.

But make no mistake: just as easily as Faison seeks to soothe, she also seeks to stir. Many of her pieces are brashly unapologetic, like this passage from "After Katrina":

"Horrific, embarrassing,
A travesty it is...
When a government waits
To aid its own citizens.

And where was America's
'Great White Hope'
Securing the Middle East
From dictatorship's scope"

Or this one from "Irreconcilable Differences":

With their played out and pimped out politics
Washington is filled with a sad lot of lunatics
So I speak to and preach to my fellowmen
About the need to politically be "born again"

Polemic stances such as these, of course, won't surprise anyone familiar with Faison's other works - namely her contributions to the anti-war (Iraq) movement, "Poets Against The War." In fact, many of the pieces in 28 Days can easily serve as revolutionary fodder in their own right. Consider this passage from "A Slave's Revolt," detailing Nat Turner's insurrection of 1831:

"they bled a dark people of life running through
their veins, mocked them with husbands, wives, and
mulatto baby cries until it was, to no surprise,
a justified rebellion, a righteous revolt, a song
of silent amen's."

At its heart, 28 Days Of Poetry bravely continues the ongoing task of reminding us all that African-American history and American history are one and the same, conveyed most effectively in these lines taken from the opening poem, "Celebrate":

"Acknowledge Black history on any day.
Allow freedom to ring in the noblest way."

While she may only have intended for it to be celebrated during Black History Month, Faison's collection is a treasure that MUST be hailed every day of the year.

28 DAYS OF POETRY CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY, reminds me of a Reader's Digest version of a stirring novel. It houses an eclectic collection of poems celebrating the legacy of gifted, charismatic, African-Americans. With added accounts of slavery and the civil rights movement, Ms. Faison paints vivid pictures of the south during a time when America was split in half. Readers will be able to lose themselves in biographical poems that highlight Black inventors, innovators, and leaders. The poems are varied in how they inspire; 'B.L.A.C.K. H.I.S.T.O.R.Y.' fills the heart, 'S.L.A.V.E. Q.U.A.R.T.E.R.S. fuels the mind, while 'Buffalo Soldiers' gives a prideful account of some of the first men of color to fight for America's freedom.

Ms. Faison uses the short biographies to capture the attention of young readers. From noted celebrities of yester-year: Benjamin Banneker, Charles Drew, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Phyllis Wheatley to more current names: Dr. M.L. King and Rosa Parks, readers are given a treat. This is an empowering collection that adds value to the endurance and stamina of a people who have transcended and continue to rise.

Kudos to Ms. Faison for such inspiring poems that give honor to whom honor is due. Persons desiring a succinct accountability of African-American history will regret not having a copy.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I too am an author who likes to write poetry about Black History and I could not put this book down. It even taught me a few things. This book should be distributed amoungst schools, especially during Black History Month (February) and Poetry Month (April).

As you read each poem, you can feel Faison's pride as an African American come through. In this book, she cover's topics like Hurricane Katrina, and The Million Man March. She also teaches us about the accomplishments and achievements of people like Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, and Charles Richard Drew just to name a few. If you don't know who these people are, I suggest you pick up a copy of "28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History", and prepare to be enlightened.

My favorite poems were, "Slave Questions", "Buffalo Soldiers", "Riding the Bus with Rosa Parks" and "I Thought I Was Free". Here are a couple of stanzas from my favorite of all, "Reflections Eternal".

"We built our hope on nothing less
Than God-given rights and His justice
Now we can stand proud and free
As we vividly reflect on our history

We've come so far, yet the road is long
As the struggle continues, we must stay strong
For each reflection etched in our minds
Is hope and power to survive these times"

Many times we try to find a way to remember important things that happened in the past; what better way than in verse? Latorial Faison's 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History, helps to remind us of the important people that contributed to the African American history.

Each verse carried a piece of history, whether it was centuries ago, or a few years ago. Can you say that you know about Fatou, Benjamin Banneker, or Fredrick Douglass? After you read Faison, you can say that you do. The great thing about this selection of poetry is that it can be equally appreciated by children of all ages.

Faison's 28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History will give families something to enjoy together. I recommend this to anyone that really has a passion for poetry, and to parents that want to expose their children to new things and the people of African American history and poetry.


Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

I read this book to my kindergartners and they fell in love with Dr. King. I saw the boys deeply engrossed in the story almost imagining themselves in Dr. King's position. I doubt they had ever heard of an African American man, in their young lives, who had such an enormous effect on the lives of people. They understood that Dr. King was a powerful man and the only person they could equate his power to was George Bush. I think they will forever remember the accomplishments of Dr. King because of the engaging way this author presented his life. At the mention of Dr. King's name my students say, "he's the greatest."

Martin Luther King Day provides children with a wonderful introduction to the life and times of Martin Luther King. This small book covers a lot of ground, by providing an overview of the history of how the holiday came to be and suggestions on how to celebrate it. More importantly, it sheds life on the man behind the holiday; a brief overview of King's life. Children will read about King's childhood, education, his exposure to Ghandi, his participation in the Civil Rights Movement, his assassination and much more. While the illustrations are not particularly elaborate, they mesh well with the story and add to the overall experience of the book. Reading this book as a family on Martin Luther King Day could be a fantastic new tradition and will help children learn that the holiday is more than a day off from school.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is a great simple book to use with beginning readers. It is great of ESOL students! I highly recommend the Rookie Reader series.

I discovered this book at a local library 10 years ago. As a First grade teaher it is inspiring to see how this talented Kindergarten teacher helped her students learn about this special man in our history. She also helped them share their understanding through their own words and pictures. I have been trying to locate a copy of my own now for 5 years. Please bring it back into print! The best thing about this book is that even the youngest child can learn about greatness by reading this story.

"Thank you, Dr. King" is one of the rare books I like that is spun off from a tv show. It's from the Little Bill series and I think it's the best book out there for Preschoolers dealing with celebrating Dr King day. Racism is hard to talk about with a child. It's not impossible, but hard. The importance of Dr King is especially hard to teach since a lot of what he fought against is gone and young children like concrete things. Basically, this book says that we celebrate Dr King day because he helped make it so everyone can be friends. I am very sad to see the Nick Jr has canceled Little Bill. It was our favorite for a long time and helped me in not only raising a thoughtful child, but it also set the example of why multiculturalism is important and what it's like to be a little kid in a big city!

This book was fantastic. My first graders got more info from than any historic book that I have shared with them. They remembered more details. It was great the way the author related the past with the future on their level. This is a most have book.

This book was kind of good. In areas it laged a bit but aver all it was good. It told the history of martin luthers legacy and the effectn he had on everybody in the civil rights era. It overall was a good book.

I really liked this book because I didn't know where, who, how and when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. But when I read this book it told me everything about him and about all the black slaves back then. I think that we should all read this book because it tells you everything you need to know of how Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. The best story element for this book is suspense because it has a lot of that in this book. Because you never know what they are going to tell you next. This was an awesome book and the author was incredible. Way to go!! Thanks for listening and I hope that it was helpful.

I felt that this book did a really awesome job describing the people of the civil rights movement, I also felt that Jim Haskins wrote this book with very good sense of what had happened in the past. This book had wonderful characterzation by describing MLK, Malcom X, Philip A. Rhandolph ect. This book started with the slaves coming over forcfully from Africa, it descriptivly described the horribal time the slaves had to go through. It did a great time all the way up to the point where MLK was assasinated. I highly reccomend this book.

This bookk was about Black History. It tells about black history as well as Martin Luther King and some of his protests. It also tells about slaves being brought over to america and sold like animals. I learned that everyone thought seperate but equal was okay. But it doesn't mean that it was equal. THis is some of the things in the book.

This book was interesting because I had no idea of how or why Dr. King was shot. I also think that Jim Haskins is a really great author! Way to go Jim and a big thanks from me!