Chasing King’s Killer by James L. Swanson - OPTIONAL

Chasing King’s Killer by James L. Swanson, 251 pages. NON-FICTION. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2018. $19.99

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Martin Luther King, Jr. may have lived over half a century ago, but his is still a familiar name. His work in the Civil Rights movement continues to impact those today. In this book, Swanson details the events that made Dr. King so well-known, that caused his death, and that occurred as his murderer was found and arrested.

While I have learned many things in school about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I was enlightened by the context and details that Swanson gives his readers. I have been hit with recognition that this is still only recent history. We are still not living Dr. King’s dream—how can we contribute to his work today? As the late President Kennedy said, “Every man can make a difference, and every man should try.”

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen