When Martin Luther King Jr. Wore Roller Skates

by Mark Weakland, Patrick Ballesteros (Illustrator)

Overview

Martin Luther King Jr. led the American Civil Rights Movement. But do you know what he was like as a child? From roller skating to playing football and basketball, Martin was a fun-loving child. This playful story of his childhood will help young readers connect with a historic figure and will inspire them to want to achieve greatness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781479596850
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Series:	Leaders Doing Headstands Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,079,183
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Mark Weakland wears many hats. As an author, he's written books for teachers, including Super Core!: Turbocharging Your Basal Reading Program with More Reading, Writing, and Word Work, published by the International Reading Association. His book topics for children include sports, bacteria, comets, and poetry. Mark's also a reading specialist. He teaches kindergarten children, third graders, parents, and teachers. As a musician and songwriter, Mark sings, plays percussion, and strums the guitar. Many of his songs, including "I Sure Love Pancakes" and "The Dooflicky Machine," have won national awards and contests. Mark lives in Western Pennsylvania.

Interviews

Series provides a way for kids to connect to famous historical figures and inspires readers to achieve greatness.                               Discussion questions connected to the Common Core Standards encourage reflection and analysis.                                         Learning about famous historical figures as children provides additional information that readers don't often get through traditional text about these figures as adults.

Editorial Reviews

With a focus on Martin Luther King Jr.’s early years, this biography serves as a good reminder that every hero begins as a child. Charming, colorful illustrations depict young Martin rollerskating with other children in his Atlanta neighborhood, playing basketball at the local fire station with kids of all races, riding the bus and attending church with his mother, quoting scripture for his father at the dinner table, and learning the lessons that would set him on the path to become a minister and one of the most prominent and influential leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

Entertainment Weekly