Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World

by Paul L. Maier

A biography of the German monk who led the Protestant Reformation in Europe from its beginning in 1517 until his death in 1546.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, History, Christian, Childrens, Nonfiction, Church History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2004

About the author

Paul L. Maier was an American historian and novelist. He wrote several works of scholarly and popular non-fiction about Christianity and novels about Christian historians. He was the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, from which he retired in 2011, retaining the title of professor emeritus in the Department of History. He previously served as Third Vice President of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today marks the 504th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 concerns (theses) to the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This was the beginning of a movement that would change the world. If you are worshipping in a Protestant church today, then you can thank Martin Luther for what he started. The event happened so long ago, we take the results for granted. This book is not long -- just 32 pages. The message inside is wonderfully presented alongside gorgeous museum-worthy illustrations. Take some time today to consider Martin Luther. He recovered the truth of the gospel and that message is still the centerpiece of the true church today.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good historical account of Luther's life (with a Christian perspective) and wonderful, life-like illustrations!

A good one to read for Reformation Day!

Ages: 6 - 11

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Yesterday marked the 504th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 concerns (theses) to the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This was the beginning of a movement that would change the world. If you have been worshipping in a Protestant church, then you can thank Martin Luther for what he started. The event happened so long ago, we take the results for granted. This book is not long -- just 32 pages. The message inside is wonderfully presented alongside gorgeous museum-worthy illustrations. *Review by Darla from Red Bridge*

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional book. I loved the art as well. The art was not only beautiful, but full of soul and heart as well. The author did a great job of introducing the reader to Martin Luther and his life and teachings in a way that was fun and very engaging. I'm as big a fan of children's story books as I am of books for adults. (I love teen and young reader books as well). And this book is a great example of why I feel that way. It is a beautiful work of art, and like all good writing, it made me want to learn more about Martin Luther. I think that anyone, adult or child, would enjoy this book though. I liked it so much I just bought 3 more of his books on Amazon.

[Jessica Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our pastor loaned us this book to read for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We really liked this book. It was a great resource for homeschooling with maps, history, religion. My girls asked a lot of questions and we very interested in the book. The illustrations were well done and really helped to pull the story of the life of Martin Luther together. Being a Lutheran all my life, I only knew bits and pieces of his life. This book was great education for myself as well.

[Yibbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Luther for young children. It doesn’t go into much detail either about his life or the theological changes he made.
The only negative is that parts are more hero-worship than a biography. Maier doesn’t really admit any of Luther's failures. The closest they come is mentioning that he was angry with those that didn’t agree with him. I’m also not sure I agree with his claim that Luther was the greatest reformer either.
I really like the illustrations. They are detailed enough to really give a good feel for Luther’s times. As an extra, there are nice maps included as well.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Martin Luther is a key figure in both Western Civilization and Church History. When we came to him in our homeschool studies, I was excited to share his story and it's clarification of the gospel, with my students.

Unfortunately, good resources for children about Luther are hard to find. And while Dr. Maier's theological credentials are impeccable, his wooden writing lacks appeal. Additionally, he is far too enamored with Luther to give us good insight into either the times that shaped him or the impact of his teachings beyond Luther himself. I much prefer Simonetta Carr's book on Luther.

Martin Luther, Simonetta Carr, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And
Martin Luther, Torchlighters DVD series, 2016
https://www.amazon.com/Torchlighters-...

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just okay for the eldest kids, I think it was a bit wordy for all of us and we would kind of peter out about halfway through. However, the 4-year-old currently loves it. "Mommy, can we please read about Martin Luther?" His enthusiasm is contagious, and now we all enjoy this one together. The illustrations certainly are great.

[Brianna Bratrud · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I wanted was a living book of a slice of Luther’s life and faith to introduce my children to this man whose work inspired the confessions to which our church holds, and what it is is simply information about him which matters to knowing about him historically and academically, but not poetically or imaginatively. Disappointed. The illustrations are lovely though, which is what I remembered about this book from my childhood.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geared toward upper elementary kids, this book would be a great family read aloud on reformation day. I've always been a big fan of Martin Luther, and in this book, I learned a bit about his personal life as well as his work. From childhood until death, it hits on the major points of his life, without ever droning on. Someday I'll have this on my bookshelf to read to my nieces and nephew when they come over for Halloween...ahem...I mean, Reformation Day.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, concise biography of Martin Luther for children.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Biography of Martin Luther is one of my favorites biographies to read. A very strong will person he was. The way it's written and pictures in the book were amazing. It's was fun to read!!

[André Carmo Cordeiro]

A very short history of Luther's life but with nice illustrations.

[Candyce Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as a little girl and I would reread it over and over. ❤️

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a love hate relationship with this book, which was sad because I wish I could just love it, because there is so much that is great about it. I love the focus on the gospel and how we can't be saved by good works. I love how things are put in context, like telling us that Martin Luther was born nine years before Columbus sailed to America. I love how deep things are explained simply. I love the striking, yet realistic full-color paintings. I love the factualness of it, including the map in the front and back cover.

But I hated the emphasis on the greatness of Martin Luther. The book praised the man more than it did the God that used the man. In the beginning of the book it talks about how people had strayed from the teachings of the Bible and goes on to say "Martin Luther would change all that." The book ends by asking the question, Why are some men and women called great? The answer given is that it is because their amazing lives have helped make the world better. Thankfully it goes on to say that the greatest thing is to find forgiveness for our sins and that can be found only in Christ. Yet I felt that overall the stress was laid on how amazing Martin Luther was and not on how amazing God is. I am sure that would be Martin Luther's testimony and what he would want people to come away with so it is doubly sad that this book about him does not do justice to the power of God in his life.

[Rob Chappell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, written by a renowned church historian, novelist, and translator (of both Josephus and Eusebius!), is a fine introduction to the life and times of the Great Reformer, Martin Luther. The story of his life and work is told in easily accessible prose, with brief explanations of background material inserted directly into the story in such a way that they don't hinder the flow of the narrative. (That's a great achievement, in and of itself!) The illustrations are stunning and very realistic, melding quite seamlessly with the prose narrative to move the story along to its triumphant conclusion. In a closing summary, readers learn how Luther has left behind an immensely long and fruitful legacy, not only for Protestant Christians, but for humanity as a whole. Highly recommended for elementary school children on upward through avid adult learners!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice children's book about the life of Martin Luther. I'd recommend this for older children. The illustrations are very nice.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really an excellent overview of and introduction to Martin Luther's life for children and those who aren't familiar with his story. There are parts of the book that leave a sour taste in my mouth where he is almost idolized (the first page is a good example of that "Our loving God helps His people turn from sin and error. In the Old Testament, He sent prophets to warn them. In the New Testament, He even sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to reform and save the world. And in the centuries since then, God sent others to keep the church pure. The greatest of these was Martin Luther...") After that initial, lofty introduction the book improves greatly. The illustrations are nicely done and the book clips along very quickly covering his life and accomplishments. The theology is briefly mentioned, but not elaborated on - necessary for a quick volume primarily intended for children. This book also does not mention the debate Luther and Erasmus had about if a separation from the Catholic Church ought to happen, nor does it highlight Luther's frequently rough and abrasive words in these debates. When you're painting a hero's picture you don't want to showcase their faults, but perhaps elementary school isn't the time to get into those finer details, though they ought to be explored when older. Even with all I've said I'm happy to add this to our library as an introductory tool for my children to learn about Martin Luther. For while I'm not sure he was "the greatest" sent by God, he was certainly used by God in a mighty way.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book biography of Martin Luther.

I feel like this could have used another edit after reading it to a class of middle grade kids. It waffles back and forth between not being simple enough and not providing enough historical background for kids to understand. Granted, Maier is trying to summarize a lot in here, and it would be challenging for anyone to write. But kids aren't Maier's most common audience in his writings and it kind of shows. Not that I'm saying it is completely useless. No. But adults handing this to kids to read may want to be prepared with further information on Luther and his time period to answer questions readers will likely have with little to no other exposure to Reformation history. The illustrations are incredible.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know what to rate this book. At times, I felt this book was bias towards Luther and painted the Catholic Church as a villain. With that said, my main emotion was sad. I was sad, because some of Luther's reforms did get incorporated into the Church. Yet, it took Luther getting kicked out and time for them to happen. There were other priests or other holy women who saw the Church was going in the wrong direction, they stood up, helped made the change, and they became saints. That is not what happened in the case of Luther.

Verdict: This book was obviously designed for children, which means some of it may have been simplified. Yet, I feel like I have a better understanding on what Luther did. Overall, I just felt bad for Luther.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad book. It felt like a picture book biography written by a good writer who had never read a picture book biography. The information was there, but there was no story to it, just a retelling of the facts of his life. The subtitle made it feel like the story was going to go deeper and really give some context and meaning but it didn't. If you want a basic outline of the facts of his life for kids, this does a nice job although it is wordy. The illustrations are nice and suit the time period of his life well.

[Michael K Matteson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rate this book 5 stars with the disclaimer that I recognize the designed audience of younger readers. When I asked my local librarian to obtain for me biographical works on Martin Luther this was one of the works she suggested. I’m not sure why she recommends a children’s picture book for me, but considering that is indeed what it is, the book did an excellent job of introducing Martin Luther to a youth who is unaware of this historic figure. I would recommend any parent who wished to help their children understand history’s story to read this book to them.

[Michael McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone else has noted here, this a an excellent book for Reformation Day along with the film Luther, and the Penguin edition of ninety Five Theses and other Writings. This particular volume has beautiful illustrations along with bite sized nuggets of Luther's life...the highlights are all here, and serve as a great springboard to source material. Though this is a highly sanitized account (Luther's unfortunate remark about the Jews is omitted) aimed perhaps at young readers, the book does show why a Reformation needed to happen, and happen sooner than later.

[Carol Runke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book while going through a box of my husband's. I took a breather from reading Jello Girls. This is a short synopsis of Martin Luther's life. He was a powerful, influential reformer who launched widespread change in the church. He challenged the church by posting his 95 Thesis on the door of the Wittenberg Church. The Catholic church demanded him to retract his remarks and declared him an outlaw. His words continue to influence the church today.

[Wasif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Luther was a man who changed the way to learn about God for us. He was used by God in different ways. He learns that God is not only powerful but loving too. He shows people to read God's word and understand it, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

[JoJo Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture biography about Martin Luther who began the reformation after nailing 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This is a well done introduction for children.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding illustrations bring this biography to life. Luther's life story is told with just the right amount of detail for the younger reader. And I learned some things that I never knew before about this courageous man.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good basic overview for kids of the history of Martin Luther.

[Myra Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Luther really did change the history, a very good biography and easy to understand as well.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is a decent history of Luther, the exclusive use of masculine pronouns for God was distracting and offensive.