My Uncle Martin's Big Heart

K-Gr 3—A niece recalls the times she spent as a young girl with her famous uncle. "He was a great civil rights leader and an American hero….His name was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But to me, it was Uncle Martin. Actually, it was Uncle M.L." Watkins briefly mentions some of the famous events associated with King during the civil-rights era, such as protest marches and speeches, but the focus is on the special relationship the child shared with a favorite uncle and the details she remembers, such as his humor and laughter. An apt example is an illustration in which the author races down the aisle after services at Ebenezer and into the outstretched arms of her uncle. Realistic and warm paintings fill each page. Combine this memoir with Christine King Farris's My Brother Martin (S & S, 2003) and March on! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World (Scholastic, 2008). These books written by close relatives give young children a valuable and more personal insight into the man's family life and times.—Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH