Martin Luther King Jr. once said he dreamed of a day when his four black children could walk to school holding hands with white children. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But in 1963, when he told Americans about that dream in a famous speech he made in Washington, D.C, it seemed impossible-especially to the millions of African Americans who were treated like second-class citizens.

Even though his goals might have seemed unattainable, Dr. King continued to dream. He dreamed of a world in which the laws protected everyone, not just whites. He dreamed of a world in which poor people could hope for a better life. He inspired millions of other people with him. In the end he died for that dream.

Like all Don't Know Much About ® books, this biography tells a true story by asking questions. The questions in this book are not just about Dr. King, but also about a time in American history when people had to fight very hard to go to school, vote, buy a house, and hold a job-basic rights everyone deserves. They're also about how, even when laws are changed to guarantee that everyone has those rights, people's attitudes do not always change with them. Sometimes these questions are difficult to answer. But they're important to ask.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed," Dr. King once said. He fought his whole life making that dream come true. I hope the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and the way he tried to make it come true helps you dream of great things too.