Martin Rising: Requiem for a King

Andrea Davis Pinkney · Brian Pinkney

Jan 2018 · Scholastic Inc.

About this ebook

“A powerful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., set against the last few months of his life and written in verse” (School Library Journal).

Martin Rising is a stunning, poetic presentation of the final months of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life—told in a rich embroidery of visions, color, musical cadence, deep emotion, and multiple layers of meaning.

Against a backdrop of the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, the book builds to its rousing crescendo as King delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech—where his life’s commitment to peaceful activism and his dream of equality ascend to their highest peak.

The Pinkneys’ powerful and spiritual look at King’s legacy celebrates the courage and moral conviction of a man who changed the course of history forever. And even in the face of searing tragedy, he continues to inspire, transform, and elevate all of us who share his dream.

Praise for Martin Rising

A Washington Post Best Book of the Year

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

“Unique and remarkable.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Each poem trembles under the weight of the story it tells . . . Martin Rising packs an emotional wallop and, in perfect homage, soars when read aloud.” —Booklist, starred review

About the author

Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney have made an outstanding contribution to the field of children's literature both as individuals and as a team. Between them, they have published more than 70 children's books that have received the highest awards and accolades, including Caldecott Honors, Coretta Scott King Honors, NAACP Image Award nominations, and the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award, to name a few. To learn more, please visit andreadavispinkney.com and brianpinkney.net.
Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband, Brian Pinkney, including Martin Rising: Requiem for a King, Sit-In, and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award. Andrea Davis Pinkney lives in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter at @AndreaDavisPink, on Instagram at @Andreapinkney1, and on Facebook at @andreadavispinkey.