Rosa

A: Rosa
B: Giovanni, Nikki
C: Collier, Bryan
D: Scholastic, 2005
E: Nonfiction Picture Book, Multicultural, Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award
F: 2-5
G: Rosa was having a good day. Her mother was feeling better and her husband had just gotten more work. She went to work and even got off early enough that she might have time to make meatloaf. When she got on the bus to go home, she had to sit in the neutral section, not for blacks or whites. Well, the bus filled up and white people wanted to sit, but Rosa decided she had a right to sit there and she would not give up her seat. She was then arrested and the news spread very quickly and the women soon jumped into action. They made posters to ask people not to ride the busses and support Rosa. The walking protest lasted for almost a year with people donating things, Dr. Martian Luther King Jr. preaching, and people everywhere marching. Finally the Supreme Court said that separate was not equal and separate bus seats and other things was illegal. All of this because one woman would not give up her seat.
H: This book moved me. I was not expecting such a wonderful story of Rosa Parks when I opened this book. I thought it would be cute and get the point across, but it turned out to be much more. The biggest selling point of this book for me was the illustrations. I felt that the cut pictures, card stock, and construction paper added something that would not be able to be obtained with paint of pencil. It added an almost surreal feeling, while still looking similar to real life. I also loved how the story was presented. Nothing was sugar coated; Rosa was not some super hero. It showed how she was just a normal person who stood up for what she believed and what happened because of it. This was a great book.
I: I will use this book in any elementary grade level I teach. I think it will be a great story to read aloud to younger children and good for older students to read to themselves. This book will also be a great way to introduce civil rights into a social study lesson, or just moral character. This is a wonderful book with lots of potential.