I've Seen the Promised Land : The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rating:
Summary: great balck history month read
Review: This is a book about Martin Luther King Jr. We learn that he stood for peace not violence. He wanted everyone to be treated equally no matter what color their skin was. Some people did not like the way Dr King went about things. They sent him mean letters and he even ended up in jail. Dr King never gave up or gave in to violence. He always stood strong in his beliefs.

I learned a lot from this book. I knew a little about Martain Luther King Jr but this story taught he much more.

This book would be helpful to elementary students when writing reports Martin Luther King Jr. There is a helpful time line with dates of important events listed in the back of the book. This is a great book to read during black history month.

Rating:
Summary: Learning about One Man's Dream
Review: Walter Dean Myers has created a good introduction to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his book I'VE SEEN THE PROMISED LAND. Through the story, children are presented with his basic biographical information beginning with his birth in 1929 and ending with his assassination in 1968. In addition, children are briefly introduced to the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Myers also shares some of the highlights of Dr. King's work in the movement and some of the personal sacrifices he made to do the work.

Overall, this book serves as a pleasant introduction to the life of Dr. King. The illustrations were enjoyable and really enhance the story. My biggest criticism is that it seems to define the Civil Rights Movement as a whole and Dr. King's life as synonymous. While Dr. King did have a major impact on the Civil Rights Movement, it was much bigger than King alone and included countless other heroes and sheroes throughout the nation. This book is by no means comprehensive, but as an introduction the author doesn't do a bad job presenting the information in a way that very young (his target audience) children will be able to grasp.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers