Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus. This simple act of defiance spurred African American residents' 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and arguably fueled the civil rights movement itself.

For the last 40 years, Rosa Parks has received thousands and thousands of letters, most of them from children. This elegantly designed book contains a diverse selection of these letters on topics ranging from hope to O.J. Simpson, and Parks's replies are simple, sometimes poignant, but always reassuring.

The first letter from a child in Oakland, California, begins, "I am sorry that you went to jail because you did not give in to the system. Mrs. Parks, please try and stop the violence and the killing, because where I live lots of people get taken out (killed). "With her thoughtful answers to this ("Life should not be taken for granted") and other letters, Rosa Parks continues her legacy of challenging us to become a force for positive change. Children will be inspired and soothed by the words of this remarkable woman. (Ages 8 and older) -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Gr. 4^-6. Not just a living legend, Rosa Parks is an 83-year-old woman who tackles new challenges (learning to swim and to use the Internet) and takes the time to answer many letters from children. For this book, she has chosen a representative sample of correspondence, beginning with a section of frequently asked questions and proceeding to actual letters and answers, grouped thematically. The letters range from veiled requests for help with homework assignments to cries from the heart for help with personal problems. Infused with a deep sense of religious belief and informed by a wide range of experience, the answers reflect Parks' upbringing and her character. Readers looking for information on her part in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott will find it here, but the spirit of the book encompasses so much more, as Parks responds to young people with boundless compassion, respect, and hope. Carolyn Phelan

Grade 5 Up-Over the years, Rosa Parks has received thousands of letters from youngsters asking questions of her. This book excerpts a number of them and gives her responses. Dealing with a variety of subjects, the inquiries are grouped into five chapters under fairly broad headings, such as "The Power of Knowledge and Education" and "Courage and Hope." The letters illustrate young people's genuine concern about personal and societal conditions. Parks's responses, though dry and didactic, reveal her as a wise, compassionate person with a deep faith in God, a strong belief in lifelong education, and profound humility. Along with some of the obvious questions about her personal history and long-time civil rights activism, the questions run the gamut, asking Parks's feelings about the Million Man March and O.J. Simpson. While the brief preface includes a biographical sketch, those looking for report material would be better served by her autobiography, co-written with James Haskins, Rosa Parks (Dial, 1992). If readers can deal with the uninspired writing style, they will walk away from this book with respect for a woman whose lifeworks and courage are an example to us all.
Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Presents correspondence between Rosa Parks and various children in which the "Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement" answers questions and encourages young people to reach their highest potential.

Recent Awards and Reviews
DEAR MRS. PARKS is a winner of the 1997 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's Literature, the 1997 Teachers' Choices Award, and the Blackboard Book of the Year for Children's Literature. It was also named a "Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies" and a "Choices" selection by the Cooperative Children's Book Center