Nonfiction: Martin's Big Words
Author: Doreen Rappaport
and Illustrator: Bryan Collier
and Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Genre: Nonfiction
Major Awards: Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, National Council of Teachers of English, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s Book
Age Group: 5-11 years old
Martin's Big Words is a story about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Growing up in his hometown Martin would be walking with his mother and see signs that said "white only", and every time he saw them they would make him feel sad. Growing up, Martin sang hymns, prayed, went to church, and listened to his father preach and those words made him feel good. From a very young age, Martin knew he wanted to have big words too. When Martin got older he became a minister like his father and spread words of positivity that he himself learned from the Bible and from his parents. He studied the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, and others and found that "only love can drive out hate" and those are words that Martin lived by his entire life. In 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for not getting up from her seat on the bus so a white man could sit, African Americans protested the bus and walked to their destinations for 381 days. While they were protesting Martin Luther King Jr. was right beside them "walking with them, talking with them, singing with them, and praying with them". during the Civil Rights Movement, Martin marched with the other African Americans protesting for equal rights. Despite many trials and tribulations, he didn't stop marching. When others wanted to use violence Martin encouraged peace. Martin shared his dream with the people and after 10 years of marching the white only signs came down. Dr. King went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize and continued to advocate and practice peaceful protest until he was killed on April of 1968. Even after his passing Dr. Kings, words live on forever.
Martins Big Words is the powerful and inspiring story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This book would make a wonderful addition to any Kindergarten- 6th-grade classroom library. From reading the authors note, I learned that Dr. King was determined to use "big words" and inspired by this fact the author Doreen Rappaport reread Dr. King's autobiographies, speeches, sermons, articles and found his "big words" and made them the focus and highlight of the book. This book, from the way, that it's written to the beautifully depicted illustrations would be an excellent story to read and do a lesson on during Black History month. The book can lead to lessons about the Civil rights movement, silent protest segregation, or a lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King himself. Students can take a picture walk and discuss the art style of using paper collage and watercolors and perhaps make their own. Students can look at the book and focus on the bold and colored words in the story from Dr. King and what those words mean. The entire lesson could culminate into creating a paper collage with word cutouts from magazines and water-colored paper where students make a " big word" that describes themselves.
Martin's Big Words is a story about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Growing up in his hometown Martin would be walking with his mother and see signs that said "white only", and every time he saw them they would make him feel sad. Growing up, Martin sang hymns, prayed, went to church, and listened to his father preach and those words made him feel good. From a very young age, Martin knew he wanted to have big words too. When Martin got older he became a minister like his father and spread words of positivity that he himself learned from the Bible and from his parents. He studied the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, and others and found that "only love can drive out hate" and those are words that Martin lived by his entire life. In 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for not getting up from her seat on the bus so a white man could sit, African Americans protested the bus and walked to their destinations for 381 days. While they were protesting Martin Luther King Jr. was right beside them "walking with them, talking with them, singing with them, and praying with them". during the Civil Rights Movement, Martin marched with the other African Americans protesting for equal rights. Despite many trials and tribulations, he didn't stop marching. When others wanted to use violence Martin encouraged peace. Martin shared his dream with the people and after 10 years of marching the white only signs came down. Dr. King went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize and continued to advocate and practice peaceful protest until he was killed on April of 1968. Even after his passing Dr. Kings, words live on forever.
Martins Big Words is the powerful and inspiring story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This book would make a wonderful addition to any Kindergarten- 6th-grade classroom library. From reading the authors note, I learned that Dr. King was determined to use "big words" and inspired by this fact the author Doreen Rappaport reread Dr. King's autobiographies, speeches, sermons, articles and found his "big words" and made them the focus and highlight of the book. This book, from the way, that it's written to the beautifully depicted illustrations would be an excellent story to read and do a lesson on during Black History month. The book can lead to lessons about the Civil rights movement, silent protest segregation, or a lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King himself. Students can take a picture walk and discuss the art style of using paper collage and watercolors and perhaps make their own. Students can look at the book and focus on the bold and colored words in the story from Dr. King and what those words mean. The entire lesson could culminate into creating a paper collage with word cutouts from magazines and water-colored paper where students make a " big word" that describes themselves.
The paper collage idea is interesting -- I may have to borrow that one!
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