Bus Ride [Paperback]

William Miller (Author), John Ward (Illustrator), Rosa Parks (Introduction)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Sarah and her mother ride the bus each morning, but the girl wonders why they have to sit in the back, apart from the white people. Her curiosity inspires her to make that short but significant journey to the first few seats. This seemingly innocent act lands Sarah in jail for breaking the law and triggers actions that alter not only Sarah’s daily bus trip but the lives of everyone, black and white, in the community. Based on the real-life story of Rosa Parks, The Bus Ride is a fictional but timely reminder that no act of courage is too small when it comes to confronting injustice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"In accessible language, Miller offers a streamlined, fictional account of Rosa Parks's pivotal act of courage, with Ward's closely focused, acrylic paintings," wrote PW. Ages 4-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A well-intentioned, fictional attempt to present some information about the issues at play during the 1955-56 bus boycott in Montgomery, AL, and to show the impact that can be made by one person taking a stand for what is right. Sara, an African-American girl, rides the bus each day with her mother. One morning, after her mother has gotten off, the child decides to see what is so special about the front of the bus. When she sits in one of the front seats and refuses to move, the driver calls a policeman, who carries her to the police station, where her mother is called. The next morning the two of them walk instead of taking the bus. Along the way they discover that Sara's picture is in the paper and that black and white people alike hail her as a hero. While this story follows the outline of the incidents that made Rosa Parks justifiably famous, it all happens too easily here. There is no sense of the bravery of Sara's action. When the policeman first talks to Sara, he is smiling. At the station, the sergeant pats her on the back. She is instantly a hero. It appears that a few days of boycotting is all it took to get the laws changed. The story, in fact, trivializes the entire incident rather than bringing it to life. Even the beautiful paintings portray little more than mild annoyance on the part of some of the onlookers. Rosa Parks's I Am Rosa Parks (Dial, 1997), Eloise Greenfield's Rosa Parks (HarperCollins, 1995), and David A. Adler's A Picture Book of Rosa Parks (Holiday, 1993) are all better choices.
Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (April 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584300264
• ISBN-13: 978-1584300267
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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