Christine King Farris (1927–2023)

"In the years since his death, too many biographers of Martin Luther King Jr. have made him so much larger than life that to the current generation of children he has become more of an idealized heroic icon than a real person. By sharing her memories of their childhood, Farris has opened a window to show Martin as a small boy in a loving extended family, a sometime prankster, protected for a while from the harsh reality of racism. When that reality became impossible to ignore, he and his show more brother and sister have the example of the strong faith, the encouragement, and the strength of their parents to guide them. Young Martin promises his mother that he will be an agent for change, that he will one day “turn this world upside down.” Farris tells the story simply and gently, remembering Martin as her little brother and as the man who indeed turned the world upside down. Soenpiet’s (Dear Santa, Please Come to the 19th Floor, p. 1628, etc.) watercolors are both meticulous in their detail and beautifully expressive of the family’s emotions. Farris’s afterword, graced by childhood photos of Martin, further explains her need to share these memories. A poem by Mildred D Johnson, written in 1968, is included as a reminder that all children have the potential for greatness. A very welcome addition to the King story. (illustrator note) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)" show less

Christine King Farris shares some of her childhood experiences with her famous brother, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in this lovely work of picture-book biography. From the mischievous fun that she and her two brothers, M.L. (Martin Luther) and A.D. (Alfred Daniel) would get up to together, to the role of their grandparents in helping to raise them, this is a book full of family love. It is also a book about the injustice of segregation, which made itself felt early in the lives of the show more King children, growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. In a particularly poignant anecdote, Farris describes how she and her brothers would play with all the local children, including the sons of a white storeowner, until they were separated by race. She goes on to describe how her brother worked throughout his life to "turn this world upside down," challenging the evils of racism and segregation, to build a world where all are treated justly, and where all children can play together, regardless of race...

After finding Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier's Martin's Big Words such a deeply flawed book (see my review for more details), I have recently been thinking about which other picture-books about Martin Luther King, Jr. I would recommend in its place. Last week was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the states, and I decided to request My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to honor the occasion. It came in a little late, but I am nevertheless very glad to have read it. Not only does it offer a unique perspective on the childhood of one of America's most celebrated sons, but it delivers where the Rappaport/Collier title fails, in embodying the ideals of its subject matter. Given that this is a book which focuses on King's youth, and is in turn meant for the young, I thought the depiction of how racial segregation effected young people and their friendships was particularly on point. The story involving the erstwhile white friends of the King children was terribly sad, but the conclusion of the book, showing a black and white child running together hand in hand, offers hope, as well as a celebration of the changes that have occurred in American society. I really appreciated this approach, and think it makes for a wonderfully child-centered narrative about King and his vision.

When I think of the toxic discourse surrounding race that is becoming ever more common in some progressive circles these days - Ekow N. Yankah's recent New York Times editorial questioning whether it was possible for his children to have white friends springs to mind, in this regard - I also think this book highlights how far we have fallen from that vision. Still, the dream is not lost, and hope spring eternal. Farris' book is one that celebrates and promulgates that dream, and is one I would wholeheartedly recommend to any picture-book readers seeking titles about MLK. Not only is it both educational and well-told, it features lovely artwork from illustrator Chris Soentpiet. For my part, I think I will keep on exploring the picture-books about Martin Luther King, Jr. that are available, to build up a body of works that I can recommend, in this area. show less

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my favorite Civil Right Movement leaders of all time. The amount of effort he put in to changing the world, and the influence he had on bringing rights to the African American community is very inspiring. Martin Luther King Jr worked tirelessly to change the vision of the nation and bring everyone of every color, gender, and race together. This biography of Dr. King is from his sister, so she may have had one of the best insights into the type of person he show more was, and the amount of energy he put into this movement. Dr. King was someone who always preached love over hatred and gave every ounce of himself in attempts to bring a nation together and give everyone equal rights. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the first-hand account from King’s sister, illustrations, and the message. It was nice to read about Martin Luther King Jr. from his sister’s point of view and what it was like to grow up together as young children. I enjoyed learning about King as someone’s mischievous little brother who scared adults with his grandmother’s fur piece and other funny anecdotes. The illustrations in the book brought the story to life. I especially liked the show more illustration at the end depicting a little white girl and black girl holding hands, laughing, and playing. A book is always more enjoyable when it makes you think, and this book made me think of little Martin the boy and how he grew into Martin the man. “My Brother Martin” drives home the message of how it felt to grow up in this country during the era of segregation and how a little boy grew up to fight those injustices and “turned the world upside down”. show less