Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kid-friendly intro to civil rights leader and congressman.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
I AM JOHN LEWIS first finds its hero as a little Black kid growing up in the South, who teaches himself to read the Bible and practices his preaching skills with the chickens. Before long, he notices that Black people seem to get a lot of mistreatment and discrimination, and that while his parents advise keeping quiet and not making waves, his grandmother is a bit less inclined to take guff from racists. When he visits relatives in New York State and sees Black and White people living and working side by side with no drama over skin color, he realizes things don't have to be the way they are back home. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and others, he embraces nonviolent protest and "good trouble" as a way to change things for the better, inspiring others to join him, and persevering even when beaten by police and others intent on stopping the Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. The hard-won Voting Rights Act was just the beginning, as Lewis realized "to change the laws, I needed to make the laws," and was elected to the first of several terms in the U.S. Congress.
Is It Any Good?
Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos' engaging, kid-friendly bio follows the famed civil rights leader from his days as a small boy preaching to chickens to his long career making "good trouble." A fine addition to the Ordinary People Change the World series, I Am John Lewis offers an appealing introduction to its subject and his times, particularly the racial discrimination faced by Black people in the South in the mid 20th century. Little cartoon kid Lewis suffers much adversity and many beatings, but has faith, embraces nonviolence, and inspires thousands to join his cause and accomplish what once seemed impossible. It's an inspiring introduction to the topic, and the authors offer suggestions for more reading to learn more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the civil rights movement of the 20th century, a central theme of I Am John Lewis. What do you know about this era, and the experiences of people who lived (and often struggled) at the time? Are there any stories that really help you understand it?
Have you ever seen something happening that you thought was wrong, and tried to stop it? What did you do, and how did it go?
The Ordinary People Change the World series features famous living and historic people as little kids. Are there any famous people, past or present, you wish you knew when they were your age because you think you might like each other?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Christopher Eliopoulos
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : Activism , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Rocky Pond Books
- Publication date : January 17, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 9
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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