Thank You, Ruby Bridges
by Kristen J.
Dear Mrs. Bridges,
I remember that when I was 2, the scariest thing happened to me. My mommy told me that I could not sleep with my light on any more. I was terrified that night. I was convinced that a kid-eating monster or a blood-thirsty werewolf was coming to get me.
You went through a similar situation, except your monsters were real. I do not know how you summed up the power to walk by those mobs of people looking to take you down like a pack of wolves everyday. The most memorable things in your book, “Through my Eyes,” for me however, was the feeling I got when I read that people would spit, shout names, and not allow their children to go to school because of you. I come from a family where my dad is African-American and my mom is Caucasian. I hate it when kids use degrading names towards people of African-American ethnicity. It gives me a bad feeling inside. It is even worse when they use degrading terms, and they do not realize my ethnicity because of my light skin color. I can’t imagine what it was like for you to go through that.
I still can’t forget that feeling I had when I finished your book. I was sad for all that you had to go through. Sad, for those hateful people who never learned to accept you. Sad that my country was once a horrible, segregated monster. I was also happy that those times have ended. I thank God that our country had you and the other kids who helped change our sadly barbaric ways. You have taught me courage to stand up for what I believe in, pride in my culture, and strength to keep moving when times get rough. You helped smooth out the bumpy road of our history. Now whenever I am in a situation where kids say hurtful names, I think of you. Your courage gives me courage to say something to that person and tell them that’s it is not OK to say those words.
You have opened my eyes through your book. Thank you for doing that. If there ever comes a time again where the American people need to stand up for what is right, we will look to you, Mrs. Bridges, for courage.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Kristen J., 6th grade, New Jersey
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If You Grew Up at the Time of Martin Luther King
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If You Grew Up at the Time of Martin Luther King
by Ellen Levine and Ellen BeierThe If You series provides a child-friendly way for beginning readers to learn about significant eras in our past, while still being a lot of fun. Each book's inviting question-and-answer format and lively full-color illustrations make this truly living history. This series is a go-to source for history made comprehensive, comprehensible, and entertaining.
$5.59 You save: 20%
books;paperback books;paperbacks | Ages 7-10
Ages 7-10 $5.59
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March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World
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March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World
by Dr. Christine King Farris and London Ladd
$14.39 You save: 20%
2009 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winner
From Dr. Martin Luther King's sister, the definitive tribute to the man, the march, and the speech that changed a nation.
On a hot August day in 1963, hundreds of thousands of people made history when they marched into Washington, D.C., in search of equality. Martin Luther King, Jr., the younger brother of Christine King Farris, was one of them.
Martin was scheduled to speak to the crowds of people on that day. But before he could stand up and inspire a nation, he had to get down to business. He first had to figure out what to say and how to say it. So he spent all night working on his "I Have a Dream" speech, one that would underscore a landmark moment in civil rights history -- the Great March on Washington. This would be one of the first events televised all over the globe. The world would be listening, as one of the greatest orators of our time shared his vision for a new day.
From the sister of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., comes this moving account of what that day was like for her, and for the man who inspired a crowd -- and convinced a nation to let freedom ring.
London Ladd's beautiful full-color illustrations bring to life the thousands of people from all over the country who came to the nation's capital. They sing, they join hands, they march, and they listen as speaker after speaker inspires social change, culminating in Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
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Ages 9-12 $14.39
