Synopsis
A biography of the civil rights leader whose philosophy and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience helped American blacks win many battles for equal rights.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-- Darby covers the major events of King's life and describes his efforts to make the American dream a reality for countless numbers of disenfrancised blacks and poor people. She begins with the civil rights leader's comfortable childhood in Atlanta and relates King's rise to power and influence, including the obstacles that he had to overcome. Her portrayal is one of a dedicated and determined individual whose tactics for equality propelled the movement to the forefront of national and international news. King's frustrations and problems are briefly discussed; readers are told that near the end of his life the course of the movement was being questioned by various factions. The writing is brisk, and includes incidental facts, background information, and numerous black-and-white photographs, all of which aid readers' understanding and provide a larger context for the marches, demonstrations, and strikes. The bibliography includes some titles that are inappropriate for this age group, such as Taylor Branch's massive work, Parting the Waters (S. & S., 1988). Nonetheless, this is a sound biography on par with Lillie Patterson's Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (Facts on File, 1989). --Jeanette Lambert, LaVega School, Waco, TX