Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day [Hardcover]

This brilliant memoir-in-verse tells the moving story of how a nation learned to celebrate a hero. Through years of protests and petition, Kathlyn's story highlights the foot soldiers who fought to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me’Roundis a deeply moving middle grade memoir about what it means to be an everyday activist and foot solider for racial justice, as Kathlyn recounts how, drawn to activism from childhood, she went from attending protests as a teenager to fighting for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday to become a national holiday as an adult. A blueprint for kids starting down their own paths to civic awareness, it shows life beyond protests and details the sustained time, passion, and energy it takes to turn an idea into a law.

Deftly weaving together monumental historical events with a heartfelt coming-of-age story and in-depth information on law making,Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me’Roundis the perfect engaging example of how history can help inform the present. 

“In moving verse, this richly detailed memoir transports young readers to the front lines of the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The narrative comes full circle as Kirkwood joins the push for a national holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader. Engaging and uplifting, this memoir invites young people to become change agents in their own time.” -Carole Boston Weatherford, Newbery Honorwinning and?New York Times?best-selling author

Both informative and personal, this makes an engaging introduction to these civil rights–era events. -Booklist

Memoirs like this one must be part of every library collection and classroom bookshelf. -Fabulous nonfiction childrens books you need on your bookshelf: Part Two, Pamellã2