We hope you will join us this month for our special events that pay tribute to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
We also have suggestions below for great books and movies about Dr. King.
All Queens Public Library locations will be closed on Monday, January 20 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. You can return library materials 24/7 at more than 40 QPL locations and renew them by phone at 718-990-8508 or online.
Book Picks for Teens and Adults
Special Events
2020 & Sunny Dreams: A Jazz Dance & Poetry New Year Celebration
The New Year is here! Let’s celebrate! Join Kristin D. Takyi and Goussy Célestin for a performance of jazz dance and poetry, in honor of and inspired by many luminaries, including Louis Armstrong and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In dance, music, and spoken word, we will light up the New Year with good thoughts and positive vibes!
Thursday, January 9
5:30pm
East Elmhurst Library
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MLK, Jr. Activities
Join us as we remember Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tuesday, January 14
4pm
Woodside Library
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Poetry Writing Program
Join us for our poetry writing program. Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday with some poems that can help us to remember this very special man whose life and beliefs have made such an impact.
Tuesday, January 14
4pm
South Hollis Library
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Gates of Equality with Urban Stages
Children ages 6-12 will hear the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as told from his speeches and writings. Space is limited.
Wednesday, January 15
4pm
Arverne Library
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Craft
Children ages 6-12 will learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s peaceful approach to equality for all humans. They will also create a craft. Children younger than 8 should be accompanied by a grown-up.
Wednesday, January 15
4:15pm
Baisley Park Library
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MLK Jr. Day Craft
Children ages 5 and up, come to the Forest Hills Library for a story and craft celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.! Preregistration is not required, but the program is limited to 16 children and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Get your ticket at the Children’s Room reference desk before the start of the program. Early arrival is strongly encouraged.
Thursday, January 16
4pm
Forest Hills Library
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Adult Book Discussion
We will discuss the book "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.," edited by Clayborne Carson. Books are available for check out at Bay Terrace Library.
Friday, January 17
10:30am
Bay Terrace Library
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz
Come and learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and all that he did! There will be a quiz for ages 7 and up.
Friday, January 17
4pm
McGoldrick Library
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Program
Enjoy a reading of a book about Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and use your creative skills to create a banner or sign.
Friday, January 17
4:30pm
Langston Hughes Library
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His Dream: A Look at the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Join us to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with two film screenings. 11AM—"King in the Wilderness" (2018): Through personal stories of the people who were around him, this documentary follows Martin Luther King, Jr. during the last years of his life. 1PM—"Selma" (2014): The true story of courage and hope that changed the world forever.
Saturday, January 18
11am and 1pm
St. Albans Library
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Featuring Freedom Fighters
In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Children's Library Discovery Center presents our annual "Freedom Fighters" program.
Saturday, January 18
1pm
Central Library
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Unity Project
Children will create a craft project that is meant to unify our community, then they will learn about the hero Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy.
Wednesday, January 22
4pm
Queensboro Hill Library
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Dream To Read
The second annual "Dream to Read" is in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday. All are invited to a reading of various books to instill the love of reading. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Rosedale Library. Refreshments will be provided through generous funds from Council Member Donovan Richards.
Saturday, January 25
2pm
Rosedale Library
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4 Little Girls: Moving Portraits of the American Civil Rights Movement
Filmmaker Keri Edge explores Birmingham in 1963 with this exuberant dance performance by the Edge School of the Arts (ESOTA) with a special appearance by Omar Edwards and his youth ensemble of aspiring foot musicians, A·Tone·Meant, set to an experimental documentary film that infuses historical authenticity and contemporary dance choreographed to spoken word and '60s protest songs to retell the horrific story of the four young black girls murdered in the Alabama church bombing in 1963.
Saturday, January 25
3pm
St. Albans Library
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Go Far, Go Together: The Day Harlem Saved Dr. King
This is a multimedia, theatrical reenactment that depicts the day, over sixty years ago, when Dr. King was nearly stabbed to death on September 20, 1958 at a book signing on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem.
Monday, January 27
6:30pm
Central Library
Book Picks for Kids
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. (foreword by Coretta Scott King; paintings by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award and Honor Book artists)
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. (illustrated by Kadir Nelson)
The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. (selected by Coretta Scott King)
My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marion Dane Bauer and Jamie Smith
Free at Last! by Angela Bull
The Cart that Carried Martin by Eve Bunting and Don Tate
Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Raúl Colón and Paula Yong Shelton
We March by Shane W. Evans
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris and Chris Soentpiet
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris and London Ladd
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Josh Gregory
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Civil Rights Leader by Grace Hansen
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by Lisa M. Herrington
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Kitson Jazynka
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III and AG Ford
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo and Brian J. Pinkney
I Am Brave: A Little Book about Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos
I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos
The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Johnny Ray Moore and Amy Wummer
The Life and Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Ira Peck
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Lucia Raatma
Martin Luther King...and the Fight for Equality by Sarah Ridley
Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford and James Ransome
Book Picks for Teens and Adults
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Trumpet of Conscience by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Where Do We Go From Here by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Companion (selected by Coretta Scott King)
The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. (selected by Coretta Scott King)
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. (edited by Clayborne Carson)
A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (edited by Clayborne Carson and Peter Holloran)
A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard)
A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr. for Students (introduction by Walter Dean Myers)
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches (edited by James Melvin Washington)
I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World (edited by James Melvin Washington)
The Radical King (edited by Cornel West)
My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King and Barbara Reynolds
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Perspectives on Modern World History) by Noah Berlatsky
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Valerie Bodden
The King Years by Taylor Branch
Burial for a King by Rebecca Burns
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia by Clayborne Carson
Waking from the Dream by David L. Chappell
The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Jacqueline Ching
April 4, 1968 by Michael Eric Dyson
I See the Promised Land by Arthur Flowers and Manu Chitrakar
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life by Marshall Frady
An American Death by Gerold Frank
The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. by James Haskins
Becoming King by Troy Jackson
Life Magazine: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. by Charles Johnson and Bob Adelman
My Time with the Kings by Kathryn Johnson
Kennedy and King by Steven Levingston
March: Book One, Book Two, and Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Routledge Historical Biographies) by Peter J. Ling
The Murkin Conspiracy by Philip H. Melanson
Orders to Kill by William F. Pepper
Killing the Dream by Gerald Posner
Who Killed Martin Luther King? by James Earl Ray
Redemption: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Last 31 Hours by Joseph Rosenbloom
Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides
King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop by Harvard Sitkoff
Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Final Year by Tavis Smiley
Chasing King's Killer by James L. Swanson
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Let Freedom Ring by Michael Teitelbaum and Lewis Helfand
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A King Family Tribute by Angela Farris Watkins and Andrew Young
Movie Picks
Been to the Mountaintop (2006)
Boycott (2001, PG)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Perspective (1994)
Freedom on My Mind (1994)
History Kids: Martin Luther King, Jr. (2018)
I Am Not Your Negro (2016, PG-13)
In Remembrance of Martin (1986)
Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013, PG-13)
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970)
King in the Wilderness (2018)
The March (2013, TV-PG)
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World (2008)
Martin's Big Words (2005)
Men of Peace: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela (2009)
Our Friend, Martin (1998)
Roads to Memphis (2010, TV-PG)
Selma (2014, PG-13)
Selma, Lord, Selma (1999, PG)
We Shall Overcome (2009)
