Through My Eyes

I'd not read such a well-written book about the racism of the 60s for children, until now. Prefaced by Harry Belafonte, the book is remarkable on a number of levels. Off the bat, it is written particularly well for small children. The style is clear and concise without being patronizing. Large full pictures of the people and events of the time are placed on each and every page. While these photographs are effective, they are not violent or frightening in a visceral way. The pictures of racists yelling at Ruby and other black children are images that stand on their own. At the bottom of most pages are quotes from some of the major players of the time. A quote from Ruby's mother explains that she was unaware that Ruby would be the only black child attending her school. Another notes that standardized tests given to black children were biased in favor of white middle-class children with the hopes of failing the black. The story has a clear linear feel to it and children reading it will recognize the characters. Ruby herself is a remarkable child, her photographs becoming the most powerful in the book. It is made clear to the reader that Ruby was just like any other child you might meet. This thought is expressed more fully in the back, where a Ruby B. jump-rope rhyme has been written. The repeated phrase "Ruby B., Ruby B., You were a little girl just like me", drills the thought home. All in all, the book is wonderful. I recommend it to any parent, teacher, or librarian struggling to explain the civil rights movement to their kids.

I was at a book fair, and I saw this book. I thought it was a book about segragation so I thought that it would be a great addition to my classroom library because I don't have any books on the subject. I got home, and I read the book. It is an autobiography on Ruby Bridges. It was a wonderful and captivating story. I learned so much about segration that I never knew. I especially liked the black and white photographs. I really think that it is an excellent book for children.

This is a heart-wrenching story of a courageous little girl. These pages contain a story that should be included in every classroom library. It is a part of American history we must all be knowledgeable of and never forget. The pictures of this delightful sixyear old are wonderful. At the same time the frightening pictures of the protesters are difficult to look at and deal with the emotions they conjure up. This book is a great way to not only introduce a history lesson but also how segregation still exits today in our schools.

This book is another reminder of the battles waged and obstacles faced by ordinary people during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. For those of us who were not there it really is difficult to imagine the intensity of the hatred that so many whites felt. It is disturbing to read of the vicious threats made and the horrible venom spewed at this little girl by adults who should have known better.

A beautiful, moving book that captures the intensity of the south in the early 1960's. Sepia photos and Ruby's own words enable the reader to walk with her as she enters first grade in New Orleans: the first black student in an all-white school in 1961. Ruby's recollections of that year and her present-day thoughts about her early life are honest and memorable. This book will make for great reading for early adolescents and will be an important addition to classroom and library collections.