Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

Kathlyn J. Kirkwood's stirring Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round takes readers on a journey into the past so that we might better grasp the present. The poetry in these pages leans forward with an urgency that matches the historical significance of the events being described. Kirkwood's story has never been more relevant or necessary. —Matt de la Peña, Newbery medalist and New York Times best-selling author

In moving verse, this richly detailed memoir transports young readers to the front lines of the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The narrative comes full circle as Kirkwood joins the push for a national holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader. Engaging and uplifting, this memoir invites young people to become change agents in their own time. - —Carole Boston Weatherford, Newbery Honor-winning and New York Times best-selling author

Movements for change depend on their foot soldiers as much as their leaders, and Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me' Round reminds us that a single voice indeed matters. Recent history comes to life in lovely verse that feels like a kind neighbor sitting down to share her personal tale with photographs from the family album. A powerful story just right for today's young activists. —Kip Wilson, author of White Rose