# A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation - Hardcover

by **Barry Wittenstein** (Author), **Jerry Pinkney** (Illustrator)

**As a new generation of activists demands an end to racism, _A Place to Land_ reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the movement that it galvanized.**  
  
**Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children**  
**Selected for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List**

Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was once asked if the hardest part of preaching was knowing where to begin. No, he said. The hardest part is knowing where to end. "It's terrible to be circling up there without a place to land."

Finding this place to land was what Martin Luther King, Jr. struggled with, alongside advisors and fellow speech writers, in the Willard Hotel the night before the March on Washington, where he gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. But those famous words were never intended to be heard on that day, not even written down for that day, not even once.

Barry Wittenstein teams up with legendary illustrator Jerry Pinkney to tell the story of how, against all odds, Martin found his place to land.

**An ALA Notable Children's Book**  
**A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Title**  
**Nominated for an NAACP Image Award**  
**A Bank Street Best Book of the Year**  
**A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People**  
**A _Booklist_ Editors' Choice**  
**Named a Best Book of the Year by _Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews,_ and _School Library Journal_**  
**Selected for the CBC Champions of Change Showcase**

### Author Biography

Barry Wittenstein is the author of several picture books, including _Waiting for Pumpsie_ and _The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story About an Accidental Invention (Really)_. He is pursuing a Masters in Childhood Education at Hunter College and lives in New York City.

Legendary author and illustrator Jerry Pinkney's many accolades include the Caldecott Medal, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five Coretta Scott King Honor Awards, four New York Times Best Illustrated Books, and four gold medals from the Society of Illustrators. He served on the National Council of the Arts, is a Trustee Emeritus of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and has taught at Pratt Institute, the University of Delaware, and the University of Buffalo. He lives in Westchester, New York.

**Number of Pages:** 48

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 11 x 10.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** August 27, 2019

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation

**Interest Level:** Middle Grades, 4-8

**Reading Level:** 5.6

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation - Hardcover

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