The Story of Ruby Bridges Book Review and Lesson Ideas

As Martin Luther King day approaches, I wanted to share how I use one of my favorite books that we use after we have discussed Dr. King, his life, and his extraordinary leadership in our country's Civil Rights movement. If you haven't had the chance to read this wonderful book, grab a copy!  
     The true story begins by introducing Ruby, a young African-American girl growing up in the South during the Civil Rights movement. When the court orders the all white school to allow Ruby to attend, angry protests break out. Although Ruby is threatened everyday when she enters and exits school, she never gets discouraged.  Although the steps she took were small, they made a big difference in her school, her state and eventually her actions became a major contribution towards the end of Civil Rights movement. George Ford, the illustrator of this book, uses watercolor paintings to depict the uneasy atmosphere from that time period in our history. His paintings are so realistic that the readers feel like they are going to school right alongside Ruby.  The story and images work together, allowing the reader to travel through the civil rights movement. The author, Robert Coles, allows the reader to feel the unfair inequalities of the time period through the innocent eye of a child. Young readers will realize that they too can stand up for positive change in the world, even at a young age.

Throughout the story, we discuss Ruby's bravery and her ability to be so forgiving in the face of unwarranted anger, malice, and injustice.  After reading the story, we compare Ruby's experiences with those of Dr. King.  Finally, we break into pairs to write a possible conversation between Dr. King and Ruby. We discuss how Dr. King would have felt about Ruby's bravery, and the questions she may have wanted to ask the civil rights leader.  After they finish writing, they present their dialogue to the class, each taking of the roles to read aloud.  

Finally, in our reading notebooks, the students choose to write a letter to either Ruby or to Dr. King, explaining to the person chosen why they consider them to be a great role model.  They cite facts from the leaders' lives, leadership attributes, and whatever other positive ideas they have in their letters.

Want to try this activity, but can't get your hands on the book?  Currently, there are several read alouds of it posted on Youtube.  This one is my personal favorite - images are clear and the speaker reads the story very well!