Through the use of extensive primary sources, the author analyzes the impact that poverty, labor struggles, and civil rights had on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Author’s Note, Bibliography, Resource Guide, Timeline.

This book was probably one of the longest non-fiction books I have read. And to be honest, all It did was really refresh and sharpen my memory of Martin Luther King Jr. First, it states that MLKJ was born Jan. 15 1929 and that he died on Apr. 4 1968. It says that he grew up in a poor family in Atlanta, and went to three different colleges! They include Boston University, Morehouse College and Boston University School of theology. What's so great is that MLKJ never protested violently he did it peacefully by boycotting things. Finally, on August 28, 963, MLKJ gave his famous "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

This book gave me some facts that I didn't know about but most of them I already knew, this book also talked about Rosa Parks. Overall this was a well-written book but most of the facts I already knew. ( )

4Q, 3P

As the title implies, this book is about the last hours of Martin Luther King Jr's life, set in the context of the Memphis, Tennessee, sanitation strike. It discusses how these events evolved and how they sparked protests and violence throughout our country. The story itself is evocative and thought provoking, but the audiobook reproduction leaves something (or several somethings) to be desired... the narration is jerky and stunted and Allen is faced with the daunting challenge of speaking Dr. King's words, a task which he is sadly not up to.

Having had my little rant about the poor narrative quality of this one, I did pick up a paper copy of this book to see if it translated better in a written medium. It did - by leaps and bounds. I am happy to report that reading Bausum's words was a much stronger experience than hearing the faulty narration. The printed book also includes photographs that bring a greater depth and sense of reality to the words. The story itself is moving and heartbreaking; allowing the reader to see how far our country has come in regards to racial equality, and how far we still have to go.

While this book is very interesting, I'm not sure that it is something that most teens (outside of a few history buffs) will pursue on their own. However, with a little bit of discussion and pushing, it could be more widely appreciated. ( )

A vivid, engrossing, and superbly researched chronicle of the events leading up to the final days of Martin Luther King, Jr. ( )

In the city of Memphis in the 1960's, the 1,100 black men who worked for the city collecting garbage had more in common with slaves than free men. Their pay was so low they could qualify for welfare. They had to supply their own work clothes and were given inferior and damaged equipment to work with. When two men died after being pulled into the compacting unit on their truck in 1968, and the city did little to help their families or change working conditions, the workers decided to do something. This is a story of the media, the workers and their families in Memphis, and the local and state government that allowed discrimination and terrible prejudice to continue. It is also the story of the men and women who worked to help the impoverished sanitation crews of Memphis, and of Dr. Martin Luther King, whose speeches and influence and presence drew not only crowds of supporters but also those who wished to harm him. James Earl Ray was one of those, and while he was the assassin who murdered Dr. King, he could not quell his message or stop the Civil Rights Movement. National Geographic contributed many historic photos to this well-designed project. A moving and dramatic view into events we have heard little about in history classes. Strong 6th grade readers and up. ( )