Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan - ADVISABLE

Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. PICTURE BOOK. Calkins Creek (Highlights), 2018. $18. 9781629797182.


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: EL, MS - LOW

Lorraine is a young girl in 1968 Memphis when her father and other sanitation workers go on strike. The strike quickly becomes another piece in the Civil Rights movement taking place and Martin Luther King, Jr. even comes to hold a march and draw attention to their cause. While in Memphis for speeches and marches, Mr. King is assassinated by James Earl Ray. Shortly thereafter the federal government sends an official labor representative to negotiate an end to the strike.

This historical fiction picture book is based on the memories of an actual witness to the events of 1968 Memphis, and I liked the way the story was told from the perspective of a child. This is one of those picture books that is generally too long for a good read aloud but has a great story in it. I imagine this would be useful in social studies classes covering the Civil Rights movement--this is a story not as well known as Rosa Parks or Selma but just as important. Teachers might need to tell the story rather than read it as written, but the book would still be useful in a well thought out history lesson.

Reviewer: TC