Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Powerful must read story about a pivotal day in US history.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MORE THAN A DREAM is divided into five sections that cover the March from the days when it was little more than a seemingly impossible dream through the program at the Lincoln Memorial. In Part 1: First Steps, how the march for jobs became a march for jobs and racial equality is described. Part 2: Mapping the March covers how the staffers organize the basics (food, water fountains, toilets) and also about Black women who try to take on leadership roles but are outraged when male organizers refuse to give them a significant role. Part 3: On The Way shares the stories of people traveling to the March, among them, three Black teenagers who hitchhike 686 miles to Washington DC and the Freedom Train from Chicago that brings 1600 marchers. In Part 4: Gathering And Marching, people arrive on buses, chartered trains and planes, cars, motorcycles and bikes to tell the world about White violence against Black people and express their "resolve and determination." Part 5: The Lincoln Memorial Program sees a crowd of at least 250,000 people listen to Dr. King's "I Had a Dream" speech. At the end of the day, marchers pledge. "my heart and my mind and my body; unequivocally and without regard to personal sacrifice, to the achievement of social peace through social justice."
Is It Any Good?
This is history at its best for young readers; a page-turner of a story that reveals what really happened (both good and bad) behind the history book facts. For tweens and teens with an interest in social justice, More Than a Dream can open a door to serious discussions about how to become an activist and the role young people can play in protests. Heavily informed by primary sources -- newspaper articles, photographs, and more -- there's a backstage feel readers get to the days leading up to the March on Washington that will help budding community organizers avoid the mistakes of those who came before them and build on their successes. Essential reading for any tween or teen wanting to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the courage and perseverance of the people profiled in More Than a Dream. What kinds of things would you fight for in your lifetime?
The people who attended the March on Washington in 1963 dreamed of racial equality. In what ways do you think their dreams have been realized? What dreams have not yet been achieved?
If you were organizing a March on Washington today what would you be marching for?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : History
- Topics : Activism , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : August 29, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 16
- Number of pages : 262
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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