Rosa Parks: My Story [Paperback]

Rosa Parks (Author), Jim Haskins (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 1, 1999 | Age Range: 10 - 11 years

Rosa Parks is best known for the day she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Yet there is much more to her story than this one act of defiance. In this straightforward, compelling autobiography, Rosa Parks talks candidly about the civil rights movement and her active role in it. Her dedication is inspiring; her story is unforgettable. "The simplicity and candor of this courageous woman's voice makes these compelling events even more moving and dramatic." ? Publishers Weekly, starred review

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The simplicity and candor of this courageous woman's voice make [her life story] even more moving and dramatic," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 10-up.
- even more moving and dramatic," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- This well-known story is considerably refreshed by Parks's personal narrative, punctuated by numerous black-and-white photographs. In simple, gracious, compelling language she describes her childhood, family life, and elusive educational opportunities. She explains how her husband encouraged and supported her participation in civil rights activities, and provides with clarity the generally paltry regard for the contributions of black women by the movement's organizers. In this recounting of her life, she corrects some media-created distortions of events. Her references to so many people may overwhelm some readers at times, but this does not diminish the overall impact of a wonderful, warm autobiography.
- Helen E. Williams, formerly at University of Maryland, College Park
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 - 11 years
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141301201
• ISBN-13: 978-0141301204
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Political
  • #46 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > People of Color

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth v. Myth March 30, 2006

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

When Nikki Giovanni came out with her picture book biography of Rosa Parks ("Rosa") not too long ago, I was incensed by a tribute that I felt fell rather short of a rather admirable person. So when I reviewed that book I pulled out every biography, children's and otherwise, that I could find on Rosa Parks herself. Some of these were misleading, some simplistic, but one was a fine and hearty tribute. Is it any wonder then that that same book, "Rosa Parks: My Story" should have been written by Ms. Parks herself? With some aid from Jim Haskins, this book serves beautifully as the quintessential Rosa Parks story. It crushes myths beneath its heel, gives a great deal of factual information about the time in which she lived, brings to life the danger she faced, and is just about one of the most engaging books ever written by an average citizen. It is heroic without boasting or bragging a jot.

Okay, children. We all know the tale of Rosa Parks, yes? We know that one day she was asked to give up her seat on a bus for a white man and she refused. We know that she was arrested and jailed for this supposed "crime". And we know that this was really the impetus that began the Civil Rights Movement and that Rosa would remain a symbol of the times forevermore. Some of may even think that she was tired and that that was the reason why she didn't move. This little detail is not true in the least, of course. But what else do you know about Ms. Parks? Did you know that at the time that she was arrested, Ms. Parks was a secretary for the NAACP and that her husband was a longtime Civil Right activist? Did you know that she grew up without a father and that she remembered clearly the nights she'd spend next to her grandfather's gun, listening for the Klan? Or that the bus driver that pulled her off and got her arrested was the same man that had thrown her off a bus several years before? Before we start making out heroes out to be superhuman symbols, let's just step back and take a moment to hear what Rosa Parks really felt about her life and times. It turns out that when you remove all the mythos and glamour, what you get is a women who was even more admirable in real life than any story could conjure up.

What I particularly liked about this book were the unexpected details At one point Rosa talks about attending the Montgomery Industrial School when she turned eleven. It was a school run by a faculty of white women. Rosa notes, "That meant that when they came south to educate black girls, they were ostracized by the white community in Montgomery. Any social life they had, had to be with blacks, and therefore they went to black churches and so on". I think you could probably write a pretty interesting work of non-fiction with that as your story right there! Parks, quite rightly, has nothing but great respect for Mr. E.D. Nixon, but she doesn't fail to mention some of his stupider thoughts when it came to women. "Women don't need to be nowhere but in the kitchen", he would say to Rosa (his secretary at the time). Rosa later explains that, "Nowadays, women wouldn't stand for being kept so much in the background, but back then women's rights hadn't become a popular cause yet". I guess that all depends on how you want to categorize "women's rights". But that's what I enjoyed about the book. Not only does Ms. Parks set the record straight about the history and the times she grew up in, she's just as willing to show that Civil Rights activists, for all their heroism, were not flawless saints. And that doesn't make them any less admirable.

When kids come up to my Reference Desk and ask me to recommend a good autobiography, I'll be in a difficult position. On the one hand, I'm not overly familiar with a lot of children's biographies. On the other hand, now that I know this one, it will certainly be the first to come to mind anytime someone asks. Should I feel guilty about always falling back onto "Rosa Parks: My Story"? Probably not. A great autobiography, a singular tale, and rousing bit of myth debunking. You want to get the story straight? Come to the source.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Strong Woman June 3, 2002

By Amy Chang

Format:Paperback

Rosa Parks was a Black woman who lived in a time of unequality. Blacks were being treated as though they were lower and were lost of the many priveleges that white people had. Well, Rosa Parks didn't let what they thought get in her way. She stood for what she believed in and stuck by it all the way. By refusing to sit at the end of the bus, Rosa showed me how strong, independent, daring, and brave she was. She knew of the consequences yet it didn't stop her. I really admire her.
This book came across me after my friend Catherine read it and recommended it to me. She told me that it was a good book and that I should read it. She told me that it would touch my heart and would help me see Rosa Parks in a different way. Seeing the cover, I knew that it would talk about one of the most important events of her life-the incident at the bus.
I enjoyed this book very much. My favorite part was when she refused to sit at the back of the bus.She demonstrated acts of bravery and courage. She showed them that she was equal and that no one had the right to treat them differently. That event also proved that small acts can make big differences in the world. One little protest made a positive change in the way of the world. This helped me want to be more active in our world. I realized that the blacks had to go through so much to be where they are today. It helped me appreciate them more. This book should be read by everyone!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rosa Parks December 14, 2006

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

As the bus driver asked the blacks in the front of the colored section to stand up most of them stood, Rosa Parks just scooted to a new seat and made an available seat. She said, "No." The driver looked straight at her and said, "Well, I'm going to have you arrested." Then, she calmly said, "You may do that." Rosa Parks was arrested that day of December 1, 1955 and maintained her dignity going through the process of getting arrested and going to jail. She didn't give up her seat because she was tired, she didn't give up her seat because she was tired of giving in. Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. She died on October 24, 2005, in Detroit, Michigan. Her book, Rosa Parks: My Story, is very interesting it explained her importance in Civil Rights and other movements. It talks about how there were killings and white people being ostracized of being part of the Civil Rights Movement. She is inspirational and has a very clear mind. This book is for anyone who likes reading about the Civil Rights Movement and the view of black people in the early 1900s.

This book recognizes a lot of the Civil Rights Movement being that she was a part of the mistreatment of African-Americans. As said in the first paragraph she didn't give up her bus seat because she was tired of giving in to white people intimidating her and other African-Americans. That and other arrestments started the Montgomery bus boycott.

She recognizes the fact a lot that everyone's the same and shouldn't be treated any differently than others. She also says that Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. made a point about not fighting back with violence. When Rosa was young she didn't know what nonviolence really was. All her and her brother knew were to say if someone did something to them they would go right back and do something to them. After Dr. King's speeches' she realized that he believed strongly in nonviolence and listened to Mohandas Gandhi on liberating India from Great Britain.

Rosa is and inspiration. She will maintain her dignity in bad times, protest for what she believes in, and is very caring to her family, friends, and society. Rosa has helped a race maintain their dignity and has helped the youth to grow up and try to make a difference in their lives and other's.

Rosa has been a national icon when you think of the Civil Rights Movement. Her nickname is the Mother of Civil Rights just for her accomplishments. It wasn't because she didn't give up her seat. It was because she is a strong woman and cares about her friends and family. Rosa Parks died a great person. Even if she got arrested she is still a great person.

T. Shepard