A riveting found poem for kids based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Street Sweeper” speech.
Dr. King's words are creatively interpreted in this nonfiction picture book written by acclaimed author Alice Faye Duncan, accompanied by gorgeous artwork by E. B. Lewis.
In a speech delivered in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided his young audience with life lessons:
- You count.
- Black is beautiful.
- Achieve excellence.
- Make a better world.
- Believe in nonviolence.
- Keep going!
Today, award-winning author Alice Faye Duncan reinterprets King’s speech as a motivational erasure poem in The Dream Builder’s Blueprint, accompanied by spirited and inspired art by Philadelphia-born illustrator E. B. Lewis. Highlighting principles of excellence, activism, and compassion that remain relevant and necessary today, this book has a universal message that’s ideal for parents, librarians, and teachers looking for a book that distills Dr. King's principles to a level that kids can understand.
Included in the book is an author’s note that explains found poetry forms like the erasure poem and provides background information on the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King’s inspiring speech at Philadelphia’s Barratt Junior High School.
Book Details
Format:
eBook
Price:
15.99 CAD / 11.99 USD
Published: 01/06/2026
ISBN: 9781662680328
Imprint:
Calkins Creek
Page Count: 32
Trim Size: 8-1/2 x 11
Grades:
Grades 2-5
Ages:
7-10 years
"'I want to suggest things that should be in your life’s blueprint,' King said. He went on to speak of believing in being Black, beautiful, and good; of staying in school; of rising up like Marian Anderson and Muhammad Ali; of choosing nonviolence over hate ('Our slogan must not be ‘Burn, baby, burn’'); and of transforming injustice into justice. Most of all, he urged, 'DON’T SET DOWN / ON THE STEPS / ’CAUSE IT’S / HARD. / KEEP MOVING.' Duncan explains how readers can watch a video of the original talk and provides instructions for making an erasure poem; she closes with a quick summary of the Civil Rights Movement’s hard-won triumphs. It’s uncomfortable to consider how much of that last will be news to today’s middle schoolers. Pithy, rousing, and never more cogent."—Kirkus Reviews
“Listening to the words of Dr. King that day at Barratt Junior High is something I will never forget. I still have a vivid picture of him that will NEVER be erased. His words were an inspiration to me and my classmates.”—Kevin Washington, former National President and CEO of the YMCA and Barrett 8th Grade Class of 1967
“The Dream Builder’s Blueprint is a loving road map to hope for young people in troubling times. In found poetry drawn from Dr. King’s speech during a Philadelphia junior high school visit in 1967, the book joyfully uplifts his message of peace and purpose for a new generation.”—Yolanda Wisher, Philadelphia Poet Laureate, 2016–2017