Freedom at a Cost

Back of the Bus 

Written by: Aaron Reynolds     Illustrated by: Floyd Cooper 

Published by: Puffin Books, 2013

Historical Fiction  

This story tells of a remarkable account of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the front of the bus in 1955. In the book, a young boy sits with his mother right where he is supposed to, in the back of the bus and watches as Mrs. Parks sits in the front of the bus like maybe she belongs up there. Her eyes are fierce like a lightnin' storm and she has her strong chin on. How much of this historic event will this boy witness and how will he feel seeing his beloved Mrs. Parks fight for her freedom? Will this all blow over by tomorrow like Mama thinks it will?

The illustrations in this book were made from oil paintings that were scanned to a computer. The illustrations are done to realistically capture what that day in history really looked like by adding realistic details such as attention to skin colors, facial expressions, and the surrounding background setting. The colors used to create the pictures are mostly earthy tones to help realistically depict the setting and the way of life during that time. The colors also help set the serious mood for the events that unfold within the text. The pictures really give this story its realistic feel.

I would use this book in a first grade classroom as a way to introduce the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For most first graders, we begin to discuss the Civil Rights Movement around Martin Luther King Jr. day, but tend to overlook many of the other events from that time period. I feel that this story would be a good way to introduce students to the history behind the Montgomery bus boycott and the brave Rosa Parks. After reading the story together, the students could debate if they feel Rosa getting arrested was fair or not. The teacher could then bring in a discussion about basic human rights and how times have changed because of the Civil Rights Movement.