I Am Ruby Bridges

As a little girl, Ruby hated her name. It sounded ancient to her. When she started school, she began excelling, and then her parents told her she had to switch to a place “with better opportunities.” She could no longer walk to school; she had to be driven by the Federal Marshals of the United States. She couldn’t figure out why in the world they had to take her, let alone why everyone she encountered inside was white. Soon, it dawned on her that when her mom and dad said she’d be “the first,” they meant the first Black person in an all-white school.

This is a masterful picture book, told from the perspective of Ruby Bridges herself, through the mind’s eye of a six-year-old. She delineates her experience of walking through the halls of an all-white school, not even knowing she was the first. She was completely naive to the situation as protesters stood outside with signs, and the Feds escorted her into William Frantz Elementary.

Nearly every child in America should read this story. It’s beautifully written, deeply touching, and historically relevant. It’s flavored with wit, honesty, and humor and is illustrated by the gifted and acclaimed illustrator Nikkolas Smith.