Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

Bridges, R. (1999). Through my eyes. New York, NY: Scholastic Publishing.

Summary:
Through My Eyes is the story of Ruby Bridges integrating into an all white school in New Orleans, LA. Seeing what Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African American, went through is heart-wrenching. The mobs of people standing outside the school doors were screaming horrible things, including death threats, as she did exactly what a child is supposed to do, go to school. But yet, Ruby stood strong and kept going each day, even though almost all of the parents had pulled their white children out of the school.

Ages:
2nd grade and up

Credibility of Author:
This book is an autobiography written by Ruby Bridges. Therefore, it is a credible story. It also has many photographs, quotes, and newspaper clippings to back up the validity of the text. This book has won the Carter G. Woodson Award and the Orbis Pictus Award.

National Standards that this book relates to:
The Social Studies standards addressed are Culture, Time, Continuity, and Change, People, Places, and Environments, Individual Development and Identity, and Civic Ideals and Practices.

Access Features:
This book has a dear reader in the front written by Henry Belafonte. It also has a preface that was written by Ruby Bridges to explain what else was going on during the time of her integration. In the back is a timeline of some major civil rights movements and where Ruby’s integration fits in. In the back is also a section that brings you up to date about what has happened in Ruby’s life since her first grade school year.

Description of the Illustrations:
This book contains photographs from the time of integration. They are all in a sepia tone. There is one painting in the book completed by Norman Rockwell. It was published in the 1964 issue of Look Magazine. This painting shows Ruby being escorted by three men wearing U.S. Marshall armbands. It also has one drawing that was a self-portrait completed by Ruby Bridges during first grade.

My response to the book:
I enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot of things about Ruby Bridges’ journey that I did not know. The photographs were also wonderful to look at and they brought on very powerful emotions.

How I would use this book in my class:
During black history month, we focus on different African Americans. We read various books that have been written by them or about them and watch videos about them. My students are absolutely fascinated by Ruby Bridge’s because they are the same age that she was during integration. They would love listening to this story or reading it themselves and perusing the pictures!