Go Straight to the Source

In this book, Rosa Parks briefly tells about her life and accomplishments. Most elementary schools are required to teach about Rosa Parks at some point, and it makes sense for teachers to use this autobiography, because it tells the story in her own words. For example, when she is talking about the day that she refused to give up her seat to a white person, she says, "Some people think I kept my seat because I'd had a hard day, but that is not true. I was just tired of giving in."

Students need to have access to primary sources when they are learning about history. This book is the perfect example of one such source because it was written by the person in question, and it was specifically written for children. Sometimes it is hard to incorporate primary sources into elementary classrooms because the writing style is too foreign for students to understand. In this book, Rosa Parks tells her story in a simple but truthful way. This book is appropriate for 2nd grade and up.

Although it has more text than your traditional picture book, it does contain a number of illustrations done by Wil Clay. These illustrations help students visualize what Rosa Parks is describing.