My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [Paperback]

Christine King Farris (Author), Chris Soentpiet (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: December 27, 2005 | Age Range: 6 and up

"Mother Dear, one day I'm going to turn this world upside down."

Long before he became a world-famous dreamer, Martin Luther King Jr. was a little boy who played jokes and practiced the piano and made friends without considering race. But growing up in the segregated south of the 1930s taught young Martin a bitter lesson -- little white children and little black children were not to play with one another. Martin decided then and there that something had to be done. And so he began the journey that would change the course of American history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Farris's stirring memoir of her younger brother "M.L." focuses on a pivotal moment in their childhood in Atlanta. The conversational narrative easily and convincingly draws readers into the daily life of Christine and her two brothers, M.L. and A.D., as they listen to their grandmother's stories, stage pranks and romp in the backyard with two white brothers from across the street. The adults in the King family-Daddy, a minister; Mother Dear, a musician; maternal grandparents (the grandfather is also a minister) and a great-aunt-try to shield the children from the overt racism of the times; the family rarely took streetcars, for example, because of "those laws [segregation], and the indignity that went with them." When the white boys announce one day that they cannot play with M.L. and A.D. because they are "Negroes," the young Kings are hurt and baffled. Mother Dear explains, "[Whites] just don't understand that everyone is the same, but someday, it will be better." M.L. replies, "Mother Dear, one day I'm going to turn this world upside down." Soentpiet (Dear Santa, Please Come to the 19th Floor) illustrates this exchange with a powerful watercolor portrait of mother and son that encapsulates many emotions, including hope, pain and love. Unfortunately, in other paintings, the characters often seem frozen in exaggerated poses, or minor figures are rendered with less skill than demonstrated elsewhere. These inconsistencies detract from an otherwise gripping volume that makes the audience aware that heroes were once children, too. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-In the straightforward style of a master storyteller, Farris recalls the birth of her two younger brothers and relates anecdotes that demonstrate both the mischievous exploits of the siblings and the love and understanding that permeated the close-knit multigenerational family in which they grew up. Using plain language, she describes conditions in the South during her childhood that separated blacks and whites- "Because they just don't understand that everyone is the same, but someday, it will be better." From their father's church sermons and his actions when confronting the hatred and bigotry, the children learned the importance of standing up for justice and equality. The warmth of the text is exquisitely echoed in Soentpiet's realistic, light-filled watercolor portraits set in the King home, in their Atlanta neighborhood, and at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The simple directness of this short biography will help young children understand the concept of segregation and the importance of Dr. King's message. An appended poem by Mildred D. Johnson reflects Farris's own message: "-it is important for young people to realize the potential that lies within each of them-." This outstanding book belongs in every collection.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (December 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689843887
• ISBN-13: 978-0689843884
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 12 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( K ) > King, Martin Luther

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching memior of the childhood that shaped the man May 25, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I LOVE this book. It is a well-written, personal account of a family. It spans from fun carefree days to the realization of prejudice. It is not about the man, it is about the boy. It was not graphic in it's description of violence and hatred, which made it completely appropriate for my six year old (who also really enjoyed the book). And the poem at the end was the perfect ending. GET THIS BOOK!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Perspective February 17, 2003

By jeannie chang

Format:Hardcover

I loved this book because whenever i read a biogaphy I always want to hear from someone who really knew the person and in this book by Martin Luther King's sister, Christine King Farris, I get that perspective. Farris writes beautifully and poetically about their childhood and sheds light on the experiences and influences that shaped MLK to be the great inspirational leader that he was. I highly recommend this wonderful biography!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There's no better Martin Luther King Jr. Book! November 28, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is a straight forward, compassionate, informational story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. His sister tells their story simply and provides perspective where Martin Luther King Jr. got many of his ideas and courage - from his dad! It is a quiet appreciation for the life the family led. I really appreciated the story and it brings a new more realistic meaning to King's life.