Mississippi Bridge [Paperback]

Mildred D. Taylor (Author), Max Ginsburg (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Jeremy Simms watches from the porch of the general store as the weekly bus from Jackson comes through his town. His neighbor Stacey Logan and Stacey's brothers and sister are there to see their grandmother off on a trip. Jeremy's friend Josias Williams is taking the bus to his new job. But Josias and the Logans are black, and in Mississippi in the 1930s, black people can't ride the bus if that means there won't be enough room for white people to ride. When several white passengers arrive at the last minute, the driver sends Josias and Stacey's grandmother off the bus. Then comes a terrifying moment that unites all the townspeople in a nightmare that will change their lives forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Newbery Medalist reprises the Logan family in telling a powerful story about the segregated South of the 1930s. Ages 7-11.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-10-- Drawing once again upon her father's stories, Taylor has created a harsh, disturbing tale of racism in Mississippi during the 1930s. Told from the viewpoint of Jeremy Simms, a ten-year-old white boy who aspires to be friends with the black children of the Logan family, this is the story of a rainy day, an overloaded bus, and the destiny of its passengers after the driver has ordered the black travelers off to make room for latecoming whites. Telescoping the injustices faced by blacks on a daily basis into one afternoon drives home the omnipresent effects of racism with a relentless force. This is an angry book, replete with examples of the insults and injuries to which the African-American characters are subjected. Jeremy, the only white character to acknowledge this unfairness, is brought to task by his father for "snivelin' " after the Logans. The book's climax is a catastrophic accident in which the bus crashes off a bridge, killing the passengers. When Jeremy asks a black rescuer how such a thing could happen, he is told, "the Lord works in mysterious ways." This is a disturbing explanation, not for its implication that the white passengers are being punished for the sins of their race so much as for the logical extension that the black characters were saved because they were kept off the bus in the first place. Well written and thought provoking, this book will haunt readers and generate much discussion. --Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Skylark (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553159925
• ISBN-13: 978-0553159929
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.2 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #792,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mississippi Bridge is one of Mildred Taylor's finest books., July 31, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Mississippi Bridge (Hardcover)

Mississippi Bridge is a prequel to Taylor's other novelsabout the Logan family. This time, however, the reader is treatedto the viewpoint of Jeremy Simms, the shy and sensitive white boy who sees in the Logan family everything that is missing in his own. Taylor captures not only the bite of prejudice in depression era Mississippi, but shows its effect on the lives of those who reject prejudice. Taylor cleverly weaves a story in which a tragic accident clearly dispenses a bittersweet justice in that world of prejudice without taking away the reader's sympathy for the victims.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A+ 100% Book!!!!, December 17, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Mississippi Bridge (Paperback)

This is a story about how black people were treated differently than white people. The white people didn't treat the black people nicely. Black people had jobs being slaves for the white people. In the 1930's if black people wanted to ride the bus they had to sit in the back. If there were a lot of white people wanting to ride the bus the black people would get kicked off the bus.
I think that it is interesting that the white adults didn't feel like being around the black people, but their children didn't notice the color of their skin.
I fyou like stories about history you will like reading this book.
Josias was one of the main characters and he lived the story. The bus that the white people kicked off the black people was going down the bridge and went off into the river. Josias went down and started to try to save the people in the bus. A little girlthat Josias brought up was dead. No one survived on the bus even though they did everything that they could.
If I was a teacher on the book I would give it an A+ 100%.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taylor has wowed me again!, May 5, 2002

By 

Michelle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mississippi Bridge (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I am simply facinated by the Logan series that Mildred D. Taylor has created. Born and raised in Mississippi, I have seen first hand the actions that Taylor writes about. I share the books with my students. I plan to read this one next week. I can't wait. Mississippi Bridge gives us a look into the character Jeremy Simms. The story is one of pride and human nature. This story, along with Taylor's others, is an excellent teaching tool. Children of all ages can learn from our past mistakes through these touching and true to life stories. I highly recommend ANY and ALL of the Logan series books!