MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: Free at Last

A serviceable introduction to the life of the minister and civil-rights leader. From his boyhood in Atlanta to his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the most significant dates, people, and events in King's life are highlighted. The author gives a brief but effective explanation of the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi and how they influenced King. The Montgomery bus boycott and the Freedom Rides are described, with the violence and threats that confronted King and his followers. Other principal figures of the period such as Ralph Abernathy and Robert Kennedy are mentioned. The national holiday honoring King's birth is cited only in the last sentence. This is a portrait of King the American hero, not King the complex human being dealing with the turbulent politics of the period. The black-and-white illustrations have a photographic reality which contributes an emotional quality to the straightforward text. The chronology and index will help young report writers.