Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin 12+

About this book

NAACP Image Award Nominee

Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year

* "[James L. Swanson's] masterful work... reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." --Booklist, starred review

In his meteoric, thirteen-year rise to fame, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a mass movement for Civil Rights -- with his relentless peaceful, non-violent protests, public demonstrations, and eloquent speeches. But as violent threats cast a dark shadow over Dr. King's life, Swanson hones in on James Earl Ray, a bizarre, racist, prison escapee who tragically ends King's life.

As he did in his bestselling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing LIncoln's Killer and "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!", Swanson transports readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history.

With an introduction by Congressman John Lewis, and over 80 photographs, captions, bibliography, various source notes, and index included.

Reviews

Distinctions and Praise for Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassin:

NAACP Image Award Nominee
Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
2020 New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee
Texas Topaz Reading List Top Ten Title for Nonfiction
Cybils Award Junion High Non-Fiction Finalist

* "Page-turning nonfiction that captures the tenor of the times with meticulous research and a trove of photographs. Exhaustive, exemplary backmatter further enhances the text. An important contribution to the understanding of a complex period in United States history that still reverberates today." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "....[James L. Swanson's] masterful work, akin to [his] previous success, Chasing Lincoln's Killer... takes on thriller pacing as it portrays, in alternating segments, King's ceaseless work with Ray's escape from prison and eventual plot to assassinate King.... This immersive history reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." -- Booklist, starred review

* "An absorbing chronicle of the lead-up to and aftermath of the assassination of an American leader... Riveting." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Detailed, well-organized, and vividly illustrated.... A top pick for YA history collections." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"This new title is a smash hit.... [Swanson's] action-packed pages are captivating.... I would hand this to any reader-from the seasoned to the reluctant. There is something in this book for everyone." -- School Library Connection, highly recommended

"A must-purchase for library collections." -- VOYA

Praise for "The President Has Been Shot!": The Assasination of John F. Kennedy

A YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award Finalist

"Swanson brings the same immediacy and thrillerlike tension he achieved in Chasing Lincoln's Killer to this harrowing account of the Kennedy assassination."-- Publishers Weekly

"Swanson charms readers with mesmerizing, little-known facts, making readers the experts and inspiring them to become historians and inquirers." -- VOYA Magazine

"Reads like a thriller, with intense pacing and an engaging narrative." -- School Library Journal

"Archival photographs, explicit diagrams of the assassination scene, source notes, and a bibliography that includes conspiracy-focused literature add further value to this strong addition to Kennedy titles." -- Booklist

Praise for Chasing Lincoln's Killer

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Booklist Notable Children's Book

Recommended as one of the top children's books about Lincoln by American History Magazine

* "This account of Lincoln's assassination and the twelve-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller."-- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The rich details and suspense are ever present . . . It is a tale of intrigue and an engrossing mystery." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"It's history that reads like a tragic thriller." -- USA Today