Theme: The book, My Brother Martin, can be used to introduce your students to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., African-American studies and race relations.

Discussion: Dr. King’s address, is among the most famous speeches in history. The emotional impact as well as the literal meaning of King’s words comes alive, when reading My Brother Martin. “I have a dream that one day… little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.” Ask your students what is the significance of that statement in Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Use this book to talk about the civil rights movement and why his speech is an important part of American history.

Pre-reading: Show the students the cover of the book, and then read the title, author and illustrator’s name. Ask them what they think the book will be about. Explain that the sister will tell a story of her childhood growing up with her brother who later would become world famous.

Reading: As you read My Brother Martin, show the book’s illustrations and have the students look closely at the drawings. What details can they find in the pictures? Have them look at the expressions on the faces for the characters – how do their expressions change during the story. Ask the students how they think the characters are feeling? Can they tell by the illustrations? The childhood home is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Have a map nearby to show students how far the city is from the classroom.

Social Studies/Literature: Read more about Dr. King, the civil-rights movement and African-American history by reading books like Momma, Where are You From by Marie Bradby, More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby, Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, Free At Last by Sara Bullard, They had a Dream by Jules Archer, Let It Shine by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

If you enjoyed reading My Brother Martin write a review and post it online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble so others can enjoy your reading experience.

What is Your Dream Today Project

“I have a dream that one day…little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today!” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963.

Dream Project: Pass out the form to your class. Ask students to list ten dreams they have in their life and rank them in order of importance from “1” to “10” with “1” being the most important. Have a class discussion about what they think about everyone’s dreams. For homework, have the class ask their family and friends about their dreams and wishes in life.