Robert Coles (1)Rezensionen

#881 in our old book database. Not rated.

Independent Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Awards. & Honors: none found for book, many found for author

Independent Reading Level: K-3
Awards: An ABC Children's Booksellers Choice Award Winner, and a South Carolina Children's Book Award Winner

The inspirational true story of Ruby Bridges.
Reading ages 8+

EducatingParents.org rating: Approved
Discusses a tough topic of segregation issues. Parents should be prepared for questions that my arise.

This is a compendium of essays that Robert Coles wrote while and after teaching at Harvard. He is both a child psychiatrist and a professor of Social Ethics, and in this latter role he has had many discussions with college students regarding their reading and its impact on their own ethical thought. It illustrates how reading the classics can influence people's thinking about themselves, their families, the decisions they may have to make, their opinions of others - in short, the lessons fiction can impart to us all. Lovely writing and thoughtfulness.

I've been reading this for quite a while, an essay here and there as I go. It is one of those books that bears rereading, as much as the classic texts it cites.

This story shows the reality of racism and segregation in America and how such a little girl helped change that by being the first black child to desegregate an all white elementary school.

A magazine, really, with readable stories, poems, striking photos, and a wonderful cover.

The story takes places during the 1950's in New Orleans during segregation where 6-year-old Ruby was instructed to attend an all-White elementary school. Many people opposed this decision and removed their children from class and protested the girl attending the school for months. This never distracted the girl from receiving her education, she just prayed for them.

Reading Level: 6-9
Awards: Jane Addams Children's Book Awards for Book for Older Children

Independent Reading Level: 3rd/4th Grade

Introduce students to a significant civil rights movement as Ruby Bridges, a Black girl, was sent to an all white school during the time period of segregation. This story promotes faith, bravery, and justice.

Born to poor sharecropper parents in Mississippi, when machines replaced the labor pool, there was no income. Moving, her family to New Orleans, LA where her father became a janitor, and when her father arrived home, her mother went to work to clean and scrub floors in a bank.

Attending church, the family always felt they should provide a Christian church value system. When in 1960, a judge ordered four black girls to attend white elementary schools. Three girls attended one school, little six year old Ruby attending William Frantz Elementary School. Alone and scared, she was subjected to pushing, shoving and shouting. When it was feared she would be physically harmed, the president mandated federal marshals to escort her every day going to and coming home rom school.
As the book notes, the city and state did absolutely nothing to help these brave abused children.

When the crowds of parents demanded Ruby go home, they refused attendance for their children. Thus, Ruby was taught by one teacher as the only child in the classroom. Finally, whites wanted their children to attend public school as they paid for this right with taxes.

Ruby's teacher soon grew to respect Ruby's tenacity and bravery. When asked why she was talking to the white mob, Ruby replied she wasn't talking to them, she was praying to God to help her remain brave, and to forgive the nasty whites as they were bent on killing her. Ruby told the teacher she asked God to forgive these people who harmed her for like Jesus suffering, she knew that they knew not what they were doing.

Gradually, the parents allowed their children to go to school, but not to interact or talk to Ruby. Ruby attended school, and graduated from high school.

When she was older, as a married woman with four children, she created the Rugy Bridges Educational foundation which encouraged a safe space for attendance in school, for both whites and blacks.

Age: 4-8y

What makes someone a moral person? The author illuminates how children become moral or not so moral adults, drawing on case studies, talks with parents, visits to nurseries and classrooms, and interviews with children. No subject could be more important and more timely—for all Americans, but especially for parents. The book identifies a new type of intelligence essential for success and fulfillment in life.

As a young 6 year old girl, Ruby was one of four blacks selected by the courts and ordered to attend an all white school in New Orleans in 1960. Under the protection of the U.S. Marshals, because the local and state police refused help, Ruby walks into the empty school, past hordes of angry people lining the sidewalks, jeering, shouting insults and worse. Her maturity in handling this situation was truly remarkable. The water color illustrations are charming, but I wanted a little more substance.

This story follows the true story of ruby bridges who was able to go to one of the first desegregated schools in her home town. This story shows the obstacles ruby had to face and how she overcame them.

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The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole does an excellent job of retelling the story of Ruby Bridges’ obstacles to attend school during the civil rights era. The narration of the story is age-appropriate for young readers in which Cole is able to hint at the underlying violence of Ruby’s journey without making it scary for a younger audience. The illustrations in the book are of faded pastels which help readers make the connection that this story takes place in the past. Cole is able to convey various tones by using descriptive words such as scary, yelling and praying to help readers understand how Ruby and others might have felt. This book can be used to help introduce subjects such as civil rights. Teachers and families can use this book to discuss how a reader feels after listening to Ruby’s story. I would suggest that this book if read independently is accompanied by the reader being able to ask questions to an adult, because some parts of the book may be hard for the child to grasp. For older readers, a more in-depth discussion can lead to curiosity about other events and issues that occurred during this time period. This book is a perfect addition to any library and can be used to educate readers on a very important moment in our Nations’s history.

I liked this book for a couple different reasons. “The Story of Ruby Bridges” is about 6-year-old Ruby Bridges whom is one of the 4 African American girls ordered by a judge to attend an all-white elementary school in the 1960’s. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book is because of the main character, Ruby. Ruby is portrayed as a courageous 6-year-old considering she had to be because she was the first African American to attend an all-white school. For example, “men and women and children shouted at her. They pushed toward her. The marshals kept them from Ruby by threatening to arrest them. Ruby would hurry through the crowd and not say a word.” If you ask me, that is a brave young girl. The second reason I enjoyed this book I because of the illustrations. The illustrations of this book enhance the story immensely. For example, when Mrs. Henry would “sometimes look at her and wonder how she did it,” the illustration seems to depict Mrs. Henry’s admirability of Ruby. The third reason I liked this book is because of the organized plot. Throughout the story, we learn about Ruby’s family, we learn about Ruby’s religious beliefs, and we learn about her school experience at an all-white school. I also appreciated the bit of suspense at the end of the book when “Ruby stopped—right in front of the mob of howling screaming people.” As a reader, you begin to wonder, why did Ruby stop and what is she doing? I believe the big message of this book is how African Americans had to be faithful, persevering, and forgiving during the terrible times of racism.½

Ruby Bridges is a very important, courageous young woman that helped form the history of America during a very difficult time in history. At the time of desegregation, Ruby was a young African American girl who wanted to go to the same school that her Caucasian peers were able to attend. With little support from even the adults in her life, Ruby persevered and proved that she was capable and deserving of the same rights as any other child. This biographical children's book was both informative and inspirational.

This book is based on a true story about Ruby Bridges. Ruby was one of the first black girls in her hometown to attend a white school due to the court ruling segregation unconstitutional. I rate this book 5 stars because it gives readers an insight on what young, black childen in America had to go through in order to receive an equal education. Despite all of the hatred and prejudices Ruby faced, she still went to school every day with a smile on her face and ready to learn.

I love the story of resilient Ruby Bridges. A 6 year old girl who becomes the first African-American child to, in 1960, integrate an all white elementary school in New Orleans, LA. I am not a fan of how the book ended just with her prayer that she said daily, yet I am grateful for the Afterword. The afterword does the wrap up I was hoping for. The author used point of view very well in that there was a narrator yet there were quotes from Ruby and her mother themselves. The tone of the book, though dealing with racial inequality, was very light and child-friendly. It truly made me feel like any child could have the courage to be Ruby Bridges.