Title: As Good as Anybody
Author: Richard Michelson
Illustrator: Raul Colon
Publisher and Year: Alfred A. Knopf 2008
Number of Pages: 34
Tags/Theme: Culture, Diversity, Emotion, Non-fiction, K-5, Joe Marras
Descriptive Annotation: This story starts out with a young Martin Luther King Jr. and him living with segregation and how it’s not fair to all people to treat people like this. Then he grows up and becomes a Pastor like his father and starts lobbying for civil rights. Then it goes to Abraham Joshua Heschel in Poland and how he had to deal with segregation for being Jewish. Then he grew up and came to America and along with Martin Luther King Jr. marched for freedom.
Classroom Application: This story could be used to introduce Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, and also teach about Abraham Joshua Heschel. This story also can be used to teach that if you want something to change for the better that you should do something about it like these two men did.
Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book could be used to generate discussion on the civil rights movement and its leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.. It could also be used to discuss the discrimination against jews in Europe. It sends a good message throughout, at the beginning Martin’s father tells him, “You’re looking down when you should be looking up.” He’s telling him to keep his chin up and be proud of who you are because you are someone, and everyone is someone. Another good quote from this is, “Walk like a prince, not like a peasant.” It brings the same message of keep your head up and be proud of who you are. Abraham’s father told him that and Abraham made sure to walk with his head up.