Sara Machajewski

Malcolm X in his own words, a book in the series “Eyewitness to History”, aimed at the third to fourth grade reader, was a pleasant surprise. The book is of course not entirely in his own words, but merely peppered with quotes from the Civil Rights leader throughout. The retelling of his life is straightforward enough, and the portrayal of such a controversial figure seemed even-handed, though I cannot pretend anything close to expertise in this area. It does make a crucial point that history is so quick to forget in its Manichean portrayal of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, that point being that Malcolm X was not in

favor of violence, but of self-defense.

The book is divided into easily read, short chapters, each with a couple of sidebars. The format is engaging, the photos selected are relevant and the text is readable and well supported by a short glossary. The bibliography of suggested further reading is a bit spare, but that may be in part because there is just not enough information available on this important figure in our nation’s history. I would use this book in class as a read aloud or as an assignment for my students. The opening chapter gives a precise, well worded, quick background of the lead up to the civil rights movement that is light-years away from being comprehensive, but which I plan on using to prime my kindergartens for a lesson on Martin Luther King and racism in America.… (meer)