Tonya Bolden’s meticulous and personal biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., offers young readers compelling insight into the man’s life and work. The author’s description of Reverend King’s uncertainty, fear, and self-doubt lends even greater importance to the difficult moral choices he made while illuminating his devotion to the principle of agape , a “love that has nothing to do with liking a person, a love worthy of people who do you no good and even do you wrong.” An honest account of topics such as King’s uninspired early academic career, the disagreement among the leaders of the civil rights movement regarding his role, and King’s decision to speak out against the war in Vietnam also lend depth and humanity to an iconic figure. Frequent photographs, some familiar and some new, and the judicious use of boxed text and color blocks combine in a visually appealing, inspiring volume. (Ages 10–15)