Author’s Note at the end of the book goes into his adult life. The rest of this book is just about his childhood, his parents, his early education, his life until 7th grade.

This is a great book that tells the story of Malcom Little becoming Malcom X. During Malcom's earlier years he witnessed racial injustice. At the age of four he witnessed their house being burnt down in Nebraska Omaha. He also witnessed the death of his father to the hands of the Klu Klax Klan. These were brutal events that occurred in Malcom's life which changed him. Malcom's father death lead to his family being separated as his brothers and sisters were sent to different families. Despite these events occurring Malcom did not allow them to deter his life and during his seventh grade year he became the class president. I would recommend this book because it tells the story of Malcom X's earlier childhood and how it shaped him into becoming a Civil Rights Activist. This book teaches many lessons and shows that having faith is all you need during a transition. ( )

Shabazz’s portrait of her father’s boyhood and his nurturing family is filled with bright and inspiring images and messages about hope, dedication, love, acceptance, perseverance and “discipline, fortitude, and self-determination.” Here is her description of her paternal grandfather:

"Malcolm’s father was Earl Little, but there was nothing little about him. Papa Earl was a strong, broad, and towering man. His smooth dark skin was as beautiful as the midnight sky. His voice resounded like gentle thunder whenever he spoke. His protection and guidance stretched up and around his family like the great live oak trees in his home state of Georgia."

Shabazz, the daughter and granddaughter of preachers, writes a vivid, powerful, and righteous sermon. Her diction and elocution are excellent. The result is inspiring. Ford’s glowing illustrations well complement her spirited prose. ( )

“Malcom Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcom X” is the biography of Malcolm X, as told by his daughter. Throughout the book, the author tells of the childhood events that made Malcolm a great civil rights leader. I enjoyed reading this book for three main reasons. First, this book pushes reader to think about tough issues, especially issues of equality. Malcolm’s house was burned to the ground “by townspeople who disagreed with their family’s beliefs about universal equality and justice” and his father was killed by “the brute force of racism and the narrowmindedness of Ku Klux Klan members.” Additionally, Malcolm was the only student of color in his school, and his dreams were not supported by his teachers. When his English teacher asked Malcolm what he would like to be when he got older, he responded “that he wanted to be a lawyer;” however, “his teacher did not believe that African Americans should have high expectations for themselves or aspires to excel.” Students can look at the struggles Malcolm faced and learn valuable life lessons about treating everyone fairly and equally. Additionally, the organization of the writing is very clear and flows nicely from life event to life event. Since this book is a biography, it is organized in chronological order which makes it easy for the reader to follow the progression of Malcolm’s life. Another aspect of “Malcolm Little” that I enjoyed was the third person point-of-view. A common characteristic of a biography, the use of his, such as “standing there on his own two feet” and he, such as “he had good ideas and good friends,” gives the reader a glimpse into Malcolm’s life as a child. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and think it would be a great resource for children in the middle to late elementary school grades. The common theme that shines through for all of these events is love, compassion and equality which are important for young students to learn and use in their personal growth. ( )

This story can be used when learning about Civil Rights - it's a Picture Book but more applicable for older children (middle even high school). It does not go into his adult life, but covers his early childhood (parents, school, racism they endured) that shaped the man he would become. ( )