Who Was Coretta Scott King?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Gail Herman, Who H.Q., Gregory Copeland (Illustrator)

The wife of Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King was a civil rights leader in her own right, playing a prominent role in the African American struggle for racial equality in the 1960s.

Here's a gripping portrait of a smart, remarkable woman. Growing up in Alabama, Coretta Scott King graduated valedictorian from her high school before becoming one of the first African American students at Antioch College in Ohio. It was there that she became politically active, joining the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). After her marriage to Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Following her husband's assassination in 1968, she assumed leadership of the movement. Later in life she was an advocate for the Women's Rights Movement, LGBT rights, and she worked to end apartheid in South Africa.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir, Childrens, Chapter Books, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2017

About the author

Gail Herman, formerly a children's book editor in New York City, has written picture books, easy-to-reads, and chapter books, including many titles in the Who Was/What Was series. She lives in Newton, Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real wonder woman!

[Reiley Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to start and finish this book, just because I was bored and I wanted something quick to read even though I'm in 3 other books. Oh well. I never knew much about Coretta Scott King other then she was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. I didn't realize that she did just as much as he did. Plus I didn't know she worked along side him, I only knew that she was on his side. After reading the book I realized I had learned a lot about her that I NEVER knew before.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great little book. I've never known about Martin Luther King's wife, but now I think she was great!! Highly recommend these books for children or adults.

[Dawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 year old granddaughter likes this series & recommended that I read this one, saying "It was interesting to read about this strong woman. Why were they treated so badly? I like (name withheld) at school. She's my friend. We don't care that her skin is a different color." And so we had another good book discussion.
The other books in this series are also great. My granddaughter selects them for herself at the library. I have found the ones I've read to all be well written, have a good use of vocabulary, & a good balance of information for the young reader. She also likes to read about the suffragists & other women in history. Women that, as she says, "persisted." (A word she is now familiar with thanks to the books by Chelsea Clinton.)

[Kascia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief bio of Coretta Scott King. While I understand that her life was defined by MLK, Jr., I wished they included more details like how there’s a book award in her honor or other projects she’s known for.

[Abigail Wasnik]

I loved this book cause it made me understand about what happened in those days. It was all about martin Luther king and his wife with their children and how Coretta Scott King came to know how martin Luther king died and what happened next.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish students were taught more about this amazing woman when they learn about MLK Jr.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was a good wife, mother, activist and a great person. A faithful Christian. King Jr. has been documented as a cheating husband with at least two women. Dorothy Cotton was called his second wife.She worked with him for years and they had a physical and emotional relationship. When Coretta found out, she had a harsh talk with King.

Things continued with Cotton and King until Cotton found out King had been with another woman. She packed up and left on a plane. King was killed right after that. Cotton was notified and said it took her 3 years to get over his death. Coretta and King had 4 children.

Haw sad but he isn’t the first. We know the Kennedy brothers were cheats. Johnson was a womaniser as well. Trump ran around on his first wives, and many others.

Don’t get mad at me for his actions. This can all be verified. Why do I ring it up? Bc everyone has their secrets and I think Coretta King did not ever speak of this. She continued his work which was a great thing and made her an exceptional and gracious woman of God. I also am glad for what King accomplished in his 39 years. Coretta died of a stroke at 78. She was born in 1927.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had an affair with a woman that worked for him in the White House. Eleanor was not forgiving. She refused to be a wife to him for years. Trump was another womanizer. Don’t know about now. Sorry for not catching my mistakes in typing this. CathyR

[Jacqueline Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. To continue to honor Women’s History Month, I’ll be sharing this fantastic book with our junior high students this week. I can only hope to be as brave and tenacious as Coretta Scott King. From chapter 8, after a cross was set on fire on their lawn: “By now, though, Coretta felt ready for anything. She understood that standing up for a good cause came with a price.”

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good content. Hope likes to know about the little kids when Martin is out there protesting. Great timing to finish this now. Hope loves this who is/who was type series. I think it is geared toward older kids but happy to read it to hope.

[Rosalind Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justification: Who Was…? book
At the school library where my mentor works, the Who Was … ? books are very popular. Since I was not familiar with them, I wanted to try one, and it was in February, so I chose to read about this strong woman.

Evaluation:
The text is full of interesting stories and details about Coretta's life, especially her skills in singing and her experience in college where she was one of the few students of color. The chapters are followed by timelines and a bibliography, which includes her autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., written in 1993. Opposite the timeline of her life is a timeline of world events from her birth in 1927 to her death in 2006 to help readers relate to other significant happenings.

Interspersed throughout the 13 chapters are pencil drawings of significant events and people in Coretta's life, with pencil-drawn maps for locations mentioned. When suitable, background facts are given about various topics, set off by a black border to separate the information: sharecroppers, Jim Crow Laws, the NAACP, and Letters from a Birmingham Jail.

Like any book in a series, the content can seem a bit contrived and flat, although the author does show some of the struggles in Coretta's life as she faced mistreatment, loneliness, fear and grief. Overall, the illustrations, maps, and sidebar information work well to explore the abilities and challenges of a remarkable woman who stood up for herself and for others.

Conclusion:
This biography is accessible and balances just enough detail with good pacing to help readers learn not only about Coretta Scott King, but about many of the issues in America during her lifetime. This is a great introduction to King's life and accomplishments.

Citation:
Herman, G. (2017). Who Was Coretta Scott King?. New York: Penguin Young Readers.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wonderfully tells the amazing story of Coretta Scott King, who faced discrimination, heartbreak, and turmoil while still fighting for what she believed in. Gail Herman does a wonderful job of telling all of the important details of her life, while still making it kid friendly. She explains what life was like in the south for African Americans during the 20th century, while also showing the characteristics of Coretta, and how these characteristics brought her through her hardships.
This book would be a great way to introduce the Civil Rights Movement to your students. It provides a great introduction to black history in America, and it gives a different perspective than what most of us are used to. By using Coretta's perspective as well as her husband's, we can show students that both men and women are important pieces of history, and that there are so many important historical figures that are overlooked. It is also a great story of strength and determination, which can make students feel empowered to make a change.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

King was a phenomenally talented singer who liked to do things her own way. She was able to sing and contribute alongside her husband rather than just being a minister's wife. She used that ability to affect change and did it before, during, and after King's death. Doing things her own way meant wearing a blue dress instead of white when she married and standing in front of thousands of people days after her husband was murdered.

As always I find out fascinating facts that I didn't know-- she was in the house with her firstborn child when a bomb exploded-- the man actually called the home moments later and when she answered, he said that he had bombed the house and was more upset that he didn't kill anyone. And she stayed the course and pressed on.

It provides historical context as well as a snapshot of the woman who has a book award named after her and the wife of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was Coretta Scott King?
by Gail Herman
Published December 5, 2017

The wife of Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King was a civil rights leader in her own right, playing a prominent role in the African American struggle for racial equality in the 1960s.
Here's a gripping portrait of a smart, remarkable woman. Growing up in Alabama, Coretta Scott King graduated valedictorian from her high school before becoming one of the first African American students at Antioch College in Ohio.

It was there that she became politically active, joining the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). After her marriage to Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Following her husband's assassination in 1968, she assumed leadership of the movement. Later in life she was an advocate for the Women's Rights Movement, LGBT rights, and she worked to end apartheid in South Africa.

[Katrina Winchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to Coretta Scott King and the civil rights movement. The kind of book that should be read and discussed in elementary schools in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and Black Historic Month. The information is clear as precise and geared directly to young readers.
Coretta Scott King was a remarkable woman. Strong and selfless, she believed in the movement over her own personal safety. She believed in equality from a young age, which eventually led to her meeting and marrying MLK Jr. She was also a talented singer and used her skills to promote the civil rights movement, even after her husband's death. Coretta was a powerful figure, and a prominent woman in the fight for equality across the races.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Coretta Scott King went to Antioch College and had a graduation there. My least favorite part was when she died. "She'd been battling cancer, and a stroke had left her unable to speak."
[Side note from Henry's note taker: this book only had 3 partial pages to describe the 38 years of life that Coretta dedicated to extending her husband's legacy by starting the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change; fighting for and establishing a national holiday in Martin Luther King, Jr's honor; activism in civil rights, women's rights and LGBTQ rights; and fighting against poverty, war and apartheid. She was a celebrated author and speaker and this slim book isn't enough.]

[London Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Coretta King's life from her childhood in rural Alabama to becoming a powerful leader in the Civil Rights Movement. She faced racism, found her love for music, and later met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.the story even talks about her fight for justice even after Dr. King’s death, by leading marches, speaking out for women’s and human rights, and creating the King Center to keep his legacy alive.

This book also has a timeline about her and the world and would be perfect for grade levels 3-7.This book could be used in the classroom for a unit during Black History or even Women's History Month!

[Heather Shembarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of factual information about an incredibly strong woman who helped to promote civil rights. As the reader walks through Coretta's life, other key figures during the civil rights movement era are introduced and explained. Coretta was a mother of four who also found time to support her husband's cause. This cause of promoting civil rights in a peaceful way was also her own cause way before she even met and married Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta was also a talented singer and also used this gift to get her message across.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a strong woman. I can't even imagine how hard her life must have been. I didn't realize how persecuted her family was growing up, with her family home being burned down and then the mill her family owned. It must have been so hard for her to be home while her husband was constantly at risk and eventually murdered, and her having to take care of and raise their four children after his death. I loved learning about how influential music was to her and how she used it to further the movement.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction children’s books are one of my favorite ways to begin learning what I didn’t know I didn’t know. What a force this woman was! Coretta Scott King was a hard-working, brave, and talented woman. She faced danger and opposition with determination to see rights created and enforced to *be* right where they were so very wrong.

“You are just as good as anyone else,” her mother told her when she was young. “You get an education and try to be somebody. Then you won’t have to be kicked around by anybody.” Her daughter fully acted on that wise counsel.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun learning more about Coretta Scott King. I didn't know a lot about her. I liked how the "asides" were short. Often times I think they're too long.

The only thing I wish is that the author had spent more on her life after MLK died. Coretta still had half her life to live after that and I felt like it was just glossed over quickly. In fact, a lot of the book was focused more on MLK.

Still, I learned a lot about this amazing woman. She was pretty incredible.

[Haley Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book depicts the interesting stories and details about Coretta Scott King's life, especially her skills in singing and her experiences in college. I would recommend that children in 3rd grade-5th grade read this book because of the enhanced vocabulary and detail of her involvement in social movements, which younger children would not have a good grasp on.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coretta had an interesting life. She grew up in a poor family but excelled at singing. She eventually met Martin Luther King Junior and they married. She would become his biggest aid in fighting for equality. Even after he was killed she continued the fight. This book is a good beginning for learning about the civil rights movement.

[Bailey Ragsdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this whole book in one day because I needed one more book to meet the requirements of passing my english class lol. But yeah, the book was pretty interesting and very inspiring but I didn’t really learn anything new because I’ve already learned so much about MLK. I wish the book was more focused on Coretta, like it’s titled, it felt a little too centered on Martin but it’s okay.

[Hyacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a children's book, it is very insightful without being cluttered if you will. I got a lot of information, known and unknown to me. This book series is good for quick info of notable figures in our history. It still is amazing that we're reading about our struggles as a people. A lot has changed but we still have a LONG way to go.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

They often say that every great man has a great woman by his side. In this case, I believe it to be true. So many hear about the great acts of her husband, but how much do we talk about the dedication and determination that CSK had to have to stay stead by MLK Jr.? She really was another beacon for freedom and equality. I wish more would follow their lead in issues we have today.

[Tam Newell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book centered around MLK’s accomplishments with Coretta as an observer. She did quite a bit herself for the Civil Rights Movement that I was wishing she was more the focus of the story in parts.

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not tell a story, but rather facts about the person. I enjoyed it because of the simple facts and it was very straightforward. I would recommend this book for middle to upper elementary aged students because of the history and understanding of it.

[Anne Wi]

I never learned a lot about Coretta in school so this book was a real treat for me. I know M.L.K. was a big part of her life as she was his hut I feel like the book was more about him than her. But it's totally worth reading.

[SueAnn Ingersoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books! Read with my second & third grader kids. Love to learn about women in our history! Including all her work independently & behind the scenes raising her famiky & supporting her husband.