Rosa Parks

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Originally published in 1994, this revised edition in the "Black Americans of Achievement" series includes additional material by Gloria Blakely and Dale Evva Gelfand. The authors have managed to weave in the additional material without changing the smooth flow and tone of the text. Having read several books about Rosa Parks, I felt this was among the best. Not only do you get a feeling for this woman who was thrust into the public eye, but you understand better the circumstances that led to her refusal to give up her seat, conditions in the South under the "separate but equal" laws, and some of the major players in the Civil Rights Movement. I read the book in one sitting, but students may read chapters or check the extensive index to find certain information. You can feel the uncertainty of black leaders, the resolve of the people who finally refused to be treated as second class citizens, and you wish that you could have helped the Parks' over the years as they struggled to make ends meet. That Rosa was honored later in life and that she finally met her hero, Nelson Mandela, was a moving part of the book. There are a few places where information is repeated, and where the author refers to Ray and Rosa as "the Parkses," which could have been handled a bit more smoothly, but all in all this book is one that I would recommend to students. There is an extensive bibliography, web sites, and a timeline of Rosa's life.