CRP's Blog

Looking for some additional reading in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? We’ve compiled nine titles to help kids and adults learn more about Dr. King, the era he lived in, and the impact of his life.

The Civil Rights Movement for Kids by Mary C. Turck

Children discover how students and religious leaders worked together to demand the protection of civil rights for black Americans.

“This is a much-needed work that should be in every school and public library, as well as in the home. It is imperative that our youth of today know the history of those who made civil rights their life work and, more importantly, those whose lives were sacrificed so all of mankind could someday enjoy ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . .’ for which this country stands.” —Myrlie Evers-Williams, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP

[Get it now, $17]

Freedom Song by Mary C. Turck 

Includes the CD Songs on the Road to Freedom, a Chicago Children’s Choir CD

Melding memorable music and inspiring history, Freedom Song presents a fresh perspective on the civil rights movement by showing how songs of hope, faith, and freedom strengthened the movement and served as its voice.

“The Civil Rights movement was the singingest movement I’ve ever known. . . . I’m not the only one who believes that songs may save this human race.”  —Pete Seeger

“It’s hard to describe, in a few short paragraphs, all the goodness in Freedom Song . . . this book is music to [the] eyes.”  —Bookworm Sez

[Get it now $19]

Simeon’s Story by Simeon Wright with Herb Boyd

At age 12, author Simeon Wright saw and heard his cousin Emmett whistle at a white woman at a grocery store; he was sleeping in the same bed with him when Emmett was taken; and he was at the sensational trial. This is his gripping coming-of-age memoir.

“Fascinating. . . . Simeon Wright is just the latest in a long line of writers who find the Emmett Till story compelling, but his perspective and proximity are critical to a full understanding.” —Chicago Tribune

“Simeon’s Story is one that must be heard and never forgotten. In simple, plain language, Wright describes an event that shocked the conscience of the nation and gave birth to the modern-day Civil Rights Movement in America.” —John Lewis, U.S. congressman

[Get it now, $13]

And the Walls Come Tumbling Down by Ralph Abernathy

Originally published in 1989, this beautifully written autobiography of the Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy—Martin Luther King Jr.’s partner and eventual successor—not only tells his own story but also expounds on the leaders he knew intimately, including King, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, and Lyndon Johnson, among others.

“Colorful details bring alive the history of the civil rights era. . . . Abernathy’s storytelling is gripping, even moving.” —New York Times

[Get it now, $20]

Chidren of the Movement by John Blake

Profiling 24 of the adult children of the most recognizable figures in the civil rights movement, this book collects the intimate, moving stories of families who were pulled apart by the horrors of the struggle or brought together by their efforts to change America.

“[An] insightful study of civil rights figures through the eyes and lives of their children.” —Publishers Weekly

[Get it now, $25]

Fighting the Devil in Dixie by Wayne Greenhaw

Fighting the Devil in Dixie is an essential document for understanding twentieth-century racial strife in the South and the struggle to end it.

“Wayne Greenhaw writes about civil rights with a journalist’s skills, the ease of a natural-born storyteller, an insider’s perspective, and a sensitive Southerner’s understanding. He was there during the quintessential events of the modern movement, and now you can be too. I recommend it.” —Julian Bond, civil rights leader and former chairman of the NAACP

[Get it now, $30]

Klandestine by Pate McMichaels

“This is a compelling book, a detailed and well-documented story about a killer, a racist lawyer, and an avaricious journalist… A worthwhile contribution to most civil rights collections.” —Booklist

“Because such true stories about government smoke screens and unanswered cries for justice have echoes in the 21st-century American criminal justice system, the author’s narrative remains topical and relevant. McMichael ably leads readers to the conclusion that, in this case, no one’s hands were clean.” —Kirkus Reviews

[Get it now, $30]

The People’s Place by Dave Hoekstra

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. loved the fried catfish and lemon icebox pie at Memphis’s Four Way restaurant. Beloved nonagenarian chef Leah Chase introduced George W. Bush to baked cheese grits and scolded Barack Obama for putting Tabasco sauce on her gumbo at New Orleans’s Dooky Chase’s. When SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael asked Ben’s Chili Bowl owners Ben and Virginia Ali to keep the restaurant open during the 1968 Washington, DC, riots, they obliged, feeding police, firefighters, and student activists as they worked together to quell the violence.

Celebrated former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Dave Hoekstra unearths these stories and hundreds more as he travels, tastes, and talks his way through twenty of America’s best, liveliest, and most historically significant soul food restau­rants.

“Choose this book for its valuable history lessons, culinary history of a people and the value of a good meal creating community.” —Louisiana Book News

[Get it now, $30]

The Thunder of Angels by Wayne Greenhaw and Donnie Williams

This fast-moving story reads like a legal thriller but is based solely on documented facts and firsthand accounts, presenting the compelling and never-before-told stories of the beginning of the end of segregation.

“The Thunder of Angels tells the real story of the people involved in the Montgomery bus boycott..” —Vernon Jordan

“An essential book for more fully understanding how the walls came tumblin’ down.” —Studs Terkel

[Get it now, $16]