In November 1960, all of America watched as a tiny six-year-old black girl, surrounded by federal marshals, walked through a mob of screaming segregationists and into her school. An icon of the civil rights movement, Ruby Bridges chronicles each dramatic step of this pivotal event in history through her own words.
Ruby Bridges became a pioneer in school integration at the age of six, when she was chosen to spend her first-grade year in what had formerly been an all-white elementary school. Ruby Bridges now works as a lecturer, telling her story to adults and children alike. She lives with her husband and sons in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Read Aloud Tips
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Set the tone for the book by describing civil rights and what it meant to be Black in the 1960s.
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Introduce the author by explaining what Ruby went through as a child. Ask your students what they think is important to the author and what she is trying to do with her story.
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This book is raw and real. Allow your students to have a safe space to process the things this may bring up.
“Bridges’s words, recalling a child’s innocence and trust, are more vivid than even the best of the photos. Like poetry or prayer, they melt the heart. ” – Publisher’s Weekly