Ruby Bridges

This short book chronicles the hardships of school integration from the point of view of Ruby Bridges, the only black child to attend first grade at William Frantz public elementary school as a six-year-old in New Orleans in 1960. Told from Ruby's point of view, with the insights of adulthood, the book is also filled with quotes from other people involved in this story including her teacher and parents. The black and white photographs are powerful.

People surrounded the school in protest show more throughout the year. Teens chanted "Two, four, six, eight, we don't want to integrate. Eight, six, four, two, we don't want a chigeroo." White parents pulled their children from the school and at one point only three white children attended Frantz, which normally taught 576 pupils. Ruby wound up being the only child in her classroom for the entire school year and actually didn't know there were any other students for most of the year.

There are so many other details and small background stories, but I don't want to ruin the impact of this book. Just read it. I was angry, sad and proud all at the same time. What a courageous, amazing child/woman. I cried. I am crying again as I write this. And I cannot believe that F-ing racism still exists. show less

I enjoyed this book for two reasons. I especially liked that it was a very engaging non-fiction book. For example, I found it engaging because of the real photographs on each page. The pictures show Ruby Bridges as well as those that opposed her integration into a white school. I think young children would like seeing these pictures as well, and it would reinforce for them that the events in this story are true. I also found it engaging because of the simple yet profound writing. The writing show more is geared for a 1st or 2nd grade reader with its simple vocabulary and sentence structure, but the message is still powerful. For example, I found the ending lines of the book particularly moving: "I tell children that black and white people can be friends. And most important, I tell children to be kind to each other."
I also liked this book because it forces children to think about the tough issue of racial segregation and broaden their perspectives about America's history. For example, this book showcases life in the United States during segregation for African-Americans. It states, "A long time ago, some people thought that black people and white people shouldn't be friends." This statement is accompanied by a photograph of a white boy holding a sign stating: "We won't go to school with Negroes." This is a sad part of our country's history and will challenge children to look at the United States as a country that has had to improve upon itself, and a country that is still is trying to improve on its imperfections. It will challenge students to look at the injustices that a group of people faced based upon their skin color and how a little girl was able to overcome those injustices in a seemingly small way.
The main idea of this book is to show the effect that a small African-American girl had on our country's history. Her bravery and perseverance paved the way for millions of African-Americans after her, and her story carries themes of friendship, kindness, and courage in the face of adversity. show less

On November 14, 1960, a tiny six-year-old black child, surrounded by federal marshals, walked through a mob of screaming segregationists and into her school. From where she sat in the office, Ruby Bridges could see parents marching through the halls and taking their children out of classrooms. The next day, Ruby walked through the angry mob once again and into a school where she saw no other students. The white children did not go to school that day, and they wouldn't go to school for many show more days to come. Surrounded by racial turmoil, Ruby, the only student in a classroom with one wonderful teacher, learned to read and add.
This is the story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. Ruby's poignant words, quotations from writers and from other adults who observed her, and dramatic photographs recreate an amazing story of innocence, courage, and forgiveness. Ruby Bridges' story is an inspiration to us all. show less

A little gift of a book for the "young peacemakers of America" by the woman who was the first black girl to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Here are the iconic photos of little Ruby accompanied to school by federal marshals, but also we see family snapshots, Ruby as an adult talking to schoolchildren, and today's protests for Black Lives Matter. In very brief prose, as if talking to the reader, adult Ruby shares her memories of being a six-year-old and comparing her show more integration experience to today's fights for justice. The through line from then to now is strength, hope, love and resilience, and you see it all in her little-girl face on the photo opposite page 1. show less