The Bus Ride

by William Robert Miller

A Black child protests an unjust law in this story loosely based on Rosa Parks' historic decision not to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Cultural, Historical, Childrens, Race, African American

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Abigail Surmay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bus Ride is a great example of a children's book showing social issues.
The social issue that takes place is racism.
We meet a little African American girl named Sarah. Her and her mother ride the bus every weekday morning. Because of their race they had to sit in the back, apart from the white people. But like a little girl would, one day Sarah got curious. What was so great about the front of the bus? Sarah couldn't figure out what was so different, in fact nothing was, so she sat down right in front next to the driver. This started a fuss, Sarah wouldn't move because there was no need to go back to her old seat. Because she "couldn't follow the rules" the bus driver wanted to kick her off and make her walk but she didn't budge. So, the bus driver came back with a policeman. Because she still didn't move after some time the policeman had to carry her off and take her to the station. Sarah was more worried about what her mom was going to think more than anything. But her mom wasn't sad or mad. She was more proud. Find out who this little girl symbolized in history.

The paintings in this book are acrylic paintings and very realistic. You see emotions on the characters faces but also brush strokes around them. Even thought they are realistic paintings, they are still very dull, until the happy ending, but portraying a rather sad mood in the beginning.

The plot has some rising actions, a climax, and falling actions.

It takes a difficult situation and makes it less "scary" so to speak.
A good read.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story takes place during segregation times and specifically on buses. A little girl and her mom ride the bus everyday and are forced to sit in the back of the bus. One day, the little girl wants to know what the big deal is about the front of the bus and walks straight up to the front. She takes a stand by sitting down. She causes white adults to be upset with her and black adults supporting her stance. She ends up becoming a hero.

This story would be great for first graders because the little girl's perspective would be relatable for the students. The way she loves her mom, how she wants to help her mom, and the curiosity she has about the bus. This story also prompts valuable discussions about the Civil Rights Movement and segregation for young students.

[Tory Haberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bus Ride by William Robert Miller is about Sara, an African American little girl, who did not understand why her and her mother had to ride in the back of the bus. So one day, she sat in the front of the bus (to see what was so special about it), and the bus driver questioned her for being there. After she would not move to the back of the bus, a policeman had to come and carry her off, taking her to the police station. However, Sara was able to make a big statement as she was in the newspapers showing how she took a stand. Sara ended up changing the law as other African Americans stopped riding the buses, supporting Sara’s choice. In the end, African Americans gained their equal rights to ride and sit wherever they pleased on the buses.

This is a great book because it really goes to show what it was like back then, and still happening today (but not as severe), when African Americans were/are treated very poorly due to the color of their skin. They constantly had to fight for their equal rights to get their deserved respect. Children can easily relate to Sara being such a young child and not realizing why people are treated differently due to race, gender, and even ethnicity. No matter the case, other children/people should not be judged in that way. Also, this book may inspire children to make a difference in the world because even though they are small and young, like Sara, they can still make a huge impact. This book would be great to read in the classroom and the illustrations represent the facial expressions and emotions of each character clearly and really create a mood and tone for the book; definitely kept me engaged the whole time with a very heart-warming ending.

[Deena Lernor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara a little girl rides in the back of the bus with her mother on her way to school. Once day her mother got off the bus to go to work and Sara was interested in why the front of the bus was so special. She wandered up front, and when asked to return to her seat in the back of the bus Sara asked why. The policeman came on the bus and carried her off because she was not compliant with the laws. While in the police station, Sara had her picture taken for the paper. Sara’s mother walked her home and they heard many comments positive and negative for all she had done. The next day an article was in the newspaper on how brave she was while on that bus. For the next few days’ people from the African American race did not take the bus causing the laws to be changed. Sara was person who changed the laws forever.

This book is the story of Rosa Parks and how she stood up against sitting in the back of the bus. This book covers the critical issue of racism and how important racism is. This story showed how racism was ended and the fight that was put up against it. The illustrations are acrylic paintings full of vibrant colors. Sara is in a bright pink representing her bravery and her courage to stand up for what she wanted. The plot for this story is climatic with Sara standing up for what she believes in. The theme shows that if you stand up for what you believe in then you might cause a change in this world. This story is very helpful for students to understand what it was like to live in the 1950’s in the South. They learn about the hardships that people had to go through to survive.

[Brenda Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara, an African American little girl, did not understand why her and her mother had to ride in the back of the bus. So one day she sat in the front of the bus (to see what was so special), and the bus driver questioned her being there. After she would not get up, a policeman carried her out and brought her to the police station. She made a big statement as she was in the newspapers showing how she took a stand. Sara ended up changing the law as other African Americans stopped riding the buses supporting Sara’s choice. In the end, African Americans gained their equal rights to ride and sit wherever they pleased on the buses.
I loved the book, it really explain and shows what was happening back then but still continues to happen now, less severe. Most children are going to be the same way African Americans acted in the book, they will fight for what they want. Also, this book inspire children to make a difference in the world. Children have all the power and what it take to stop racism and discrimination. The illustrations were very clear and easy to understand. I loved how the illustrator made illustrations on some of the words that were being said when the incident with Rosa Parks happened. This book is also based on Rosa Parks’ story of course using a different name for the rider. Each character shows their emotions and expressions well, a child could easily fit is Sara’s shoes. Overall, the book is written to help children learn and understand the importance role Sara had in the story, she was named a hero. The story could be read in a classroom and teachers could create a lesson plan to go along with it.

[Courtney Hartwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: This book is about a young, African American girl named Sarah. She rides the bus to school every day and has to sit at the very back. One day she decides to go and see why the front of the bus is so special. The driver eventually calls a policeman to remove her from the bus because she will not move from the front. Sarah was taken to jail for a little where her picture was taken and put in the newspaper. Sarah’s actions led African Americans to stop taking the bus and ultimately helped changed the law.

Theme: Possible themes for this book are racism, injustice, and heroism

Personal Connection to the Book: I remember learning about Rosa Parks in school when I was younger. I think this book is so interesting because it tells her story but through the lens of a child. Sarah is brave and strong and makes a difference in the world – and it is characters like these that need to be portrayed in children’s books.

Why I recommend this book: I strongly recommend reading this book to children. The Bus Ride is a way for students to learn about history of America and the injustice that African American individuals faced in certain environments. It serves as a window for kids to become aware of our past and see how characters like Sarah were real life people who paved the path to end injustice. This book does a tremendous job of teaching children that they can make a difference in the world if they stand up for what is right.

[Jennifer]

“The Bus Ride” by Willian Miller, illustrated by John Ward. It is a great story about a young African-American girl’s curiosity for why sitting in the front of a city bus was so special. She got in trouble because she sat in the front of the bus and refused to sit in the back. To her, it didn’t make sense what the big deal was and why it was a law. This incident made her go to police station, media attention, and enough support from the community that things started to change. People that supported equal rights for all people no matter what skin color started to take a stand against riding the bus. This wasn’t good for the city so they changed the laws and at the end of the story the girl could sit in front of the bus with her mom. Her mom was so proud because there was this notion that things would never change but she would only hope that her daughter can experience different things.

I would read this to my class in a heartbeat, it brings up how life was like in the past. It also gives an example of how anyone of any age can take a stand on what they believe in and what feels right. This is book is a great tool to teach a part of history that was so revolutionary and to let other students know that they can do small things in order to impact the world or the community in a big way.

[Alexis Adelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bus Ride is a childrens version of what happened to Rosa Parks. It is about a young girl who is black and decides one day she wants to sit at the front of the bus. So she does. She goes and sits up at the front of the bus and gets in trouble. The whites got mad and the cops came and picked Sara up. They brought her to the police station all the while people were taking pictures and telling her what to do. The whites told her not to get up and move and said nasty things while the blacks told her to stay in her seat and not give it up.

This book is written to show us one form of how racism used to be. It is a version of Rosa Park's experience but a child instead. The images a very realistic and is acrylic painting. The moral of the story is that if you stand up for what you believe then you will eventually get it. The book had a rising action until they passed the law that they can sit anywhere. This book is showing us a part of our history that not everyone may see. How unfairly blacks were treated compared to whites. The author uses very descriptive words to help us get a sense of what it seemed like at that time. He described to us how the bus looked from the back to the front, nothing changed. Overall this was a good book and made me think of how good we actually have it now today.

[Samantha Friedman]

By looking at the vertical orientation of the book the "The Bus Ride" I am guessing by the cover is it all about a girl and a bus. I love how the book is inspired by the legacy of Rosa Parks and has a little introduction by her. Before I ever start reading the book I notice that the text is set in Goudy and the illustrations are rendered in acrylic paint on canvas. The color and detail of the people in the illustrations is outstanding. You can really get a feeling for the people on the bus, they are drawn so well with shadows I feel as if you would be able to see the sweat from their foreheads! The end pages are orange, I wonder if that was done because the color of buses. I really like these books about social issues, it amazes me that a short book can have such an impact on something. For example, a young naive just wanted to see what was so special about the front of the bus and causes a huge disturbance in African American bus riding to make adults actually open their eyes to the bigger picture. The story is very well done and I hope many people read it and can take away the importance of respect equality. Just like the book says, "The seat doesn't care what color your bottom is!"

[Allison Stoltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bus Ride written by William Miller and illustrated by John Ward is a wonderfully written and illustrated book about a small black girl who makes a big difference in an unfair world. All of her short life she is forced to sit in the back of the bus when riding it. One day she decides to find out why sitting in the front is so great. She causes a raucous among the people of the bus because back in Alabama in 1955 which is the period in which this book talks about all black people had to sit in the back of the bus or give up their seat to a white person. She refuses to go back to her seat and the bus is stopped and she is taken to jail where a reporter takes her picture and writes an article about her for the morning newspaper.

People see her and her mother at the bus stop and one little boy asks for her autograph and people begin to gather and follow Sara as they walk down the street. Black people after that refused to take the bus and eventually the laws were changed to allow blacks to sit wherever they wanted.

At the end of the story Sara and her mother are seen sitting happily sitting in the front of the bus. I loved the illustrations in this book. They are dark but it's a dark subject. The illustrations are beautifully detailed and just right for this story line.

[Jordan Santoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Miller's, "The Bus Ride" is very similar to the famous story about Rosa Parks. As a matter of fact, the book actually includes an introductory note from Rosa Parks right after the bright orange end pages. The note addresses discrimination, a brief overview of her story, and her advice to stand up for what is right. The story follows a young African American girl named Sara who gets in trouble for sitting at the front of the bus instead of the back, where "her people" belong. Sara takes a stand for what is right and the law regarding this issue is finally changed. The illustrations in this book are full-bleed, colorful, and realistic. The illustrations and text compliment one another and both are important to the flow and effectiveness of the story. Racism and discrimination are heavy topics for young readers, but topics that children should be aware of. This book is inspirational and sends a good, educational message about not only history, but life even now.

[Meghan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorite pieces of children's literature! I loved the background reference to Rosa Park's remarkable stunt she pulled on her bus trip. Little Sara represented Rosa so proudly and her character was strong and brave. She went against the norm and stood up for herself, and her mother. I really loved this book and can be a great read when teaching about Rosa Parks, diversity, or during Black history month! The illustrations were also well done and showed a lot of emotion, especially with Sara!

[Ashley Cousin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off I think this book is a great picture book to start off with when teaching kids about Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights movement, etc. The text is engaging and interesting and the pictures show what is happening in the text, giving a visual. You wouldn't necessarily need the pictures for the text but you would need the text for the pictures. The illustrations are done in acrylic paint on canvas and posses realistic qualities. The illustrations seem to be magnified, in the way that every pictures is has "big" qualities about it. There isn't much small detail in the illustrations. The front cover shows the main character standing in front of a bus, which again is big and takes up the whole background. The back of the book has a quote from Rosa Parks as well as the opening page has a introduction from Rosa Parks that I think, adds history and depth to the story.

[Caycee Hatchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal reaction: I liked this book a lot. It was written in simplistic terms and I think that students would benefit from reading this.

I would read this to second graders. I would incorporate this book when talking about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. There isn't figurative language in this book but the concept of the little girls' actions are complex enough that there isn't a need for figurative language. This would be a good book to also stop periodically and gauge student reaction to the events happening and have them reflect on the events in the book, maybe even asking them how they would feel if they were in her shoes. The illustrations in this book are also beautiful. The characters almost seem lifelike. The illustrations take up both pages and they are very crisp and are mostly in darker, duller colors.

[Lynette Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was very similar to the Rosa Parks story. i like this story better because it is like the childrens versions of the whole situation. I also like the little girls innocents. she didn't understand what the big deal was about the front of the bus. This story can make children understand that they can stick up for what they believe in. I also liked how the illustrator was very detailed in making the characters faces look real. I also liked how the illustrator used different textures for the black peoples hair versus the white peoples hair. It looked like the illustrator used painted. there were a lot of blues on every page.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a work of historical fiction about an African American child who unintentionally protests being asked to sit in the back of the bus. I say "unintentionally" out of lack of a better word… she is aware that she and all other black passengers have to sit in the back section of the bus and out of curiosity investigates the front portion. When she sees there is nothing special she questions why it matters where people sit and what makes her less than worthy of sitting there too? The forward of this story is written by Rosa Parks. My only complaint is that it should have been more clearly stated that this is a work of historical fiction and not based on actual events.

[Anastasia Pavlides · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This book hasn't received any awards.
2. 1st-5th Grade
3. This book is about a girl named Sarah who always sits in the back of the bus with her mother. When moving to the front of the bus she begins a huge commotion. This book is based on Rosa Parks and the movement she had started.
4. I like this book because I believe that it is important for children to read books that talk about specific time periods of the past.
5. I would use this book when teaching the theme of courage.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book puts a twist on the story of Rosa Parks. Instead of Rosa Parks it is a young girl that will not give up her seat on the bus. Although this book does not give factual information it is good because it tells Rosa Parks' story in a new way. This is a good book for teachers to have to go along with Rosa Parks but not the only book to use.

[Brittany]

Civil Rights; segregration; insipiring; African American history; civil rights activist; multiple perspective

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would make a good companion piece when reading/studying about Rosa Parks or Claudette Colvin.

[Grayson Burke]

I thought it was really cool how they portrayed this girl as if she was Rosa Parks. Really cool story and makes it relevant to kids.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fictionalized account with an introduction by Rosa Parks, the illustrations are very realistic.

[Maiss Lukyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Bus Ride” is a perfect book for children who are 1st grade to 3rd grade. It's a fiction book that shows this young girl's point of view on the bus. It's another version of what happened to Rosa Parks in 1955. How things used to be back then during her period. These are some things kids in those grades will enjoy and help them stay interested in the material to learn how different it was in her period.

It is especially inspiring to young African-American children. This is a powerful story about how Sara decided one day she wanted to sit in the front of the bus and see what is so special about it and why she could not sit with the white people. Once she did that it caused a whole scene causing her to go to the police station, but people saw what she did and stood up for her, and now she made a change so anyone can sit anywhere on the bus no matter one's skin tone. She made a big difference today. Her story is very inspiring to never give up. You can do everything you want to. The book is also great due to its representation of African American young girls, and its inclusion of a feminine heroine.

I would choose this book for my classroom library since representation matters and to normalize what Sara did for all African Americans. She made a huge difference and sacrificed a lot for people today. This story shows a lot of positive things even though she did it for the right reasons to prove a point. The message of doing what you love no matter how challenging it could be was very inspiring, as it tells kids to never give up so easily. Also, fight for all things that are so important to you and do it in a way that will inspire others to follow you.

[Caitlin Denney]

Awards: None

Class Uses: Pre-K-2

Summary: Sara and her mother have to ride in the back of the bus everyday with other people of color. One day, Sara decides to sit in the front to see what it is like, and causes a big problem when she refuses to move. Despite the bus driver stopping the bus and the police forcing her off, Sara was able to bring attention to the injustice African Americans faced and eventually, everyone was granted the right to sit wherever they would like.

Review: This book paints (literally) an amazing picture of what it was like to be black seventy years ago in a way kids can understand and process. Sara is unable to see why she has to sit somewhere else, and neither do most kids, because racism is taught. This book reinforces why it is silly to treat others differently because of the way they were born.

Class Uses: This book can be taught during Black History Month (or at anytime) to honor the struggles people with color had and still have to face. This can be an opportunity to talk about equal rights, and other rights people should be able to enjoy besides where to sit. This can also be an opportunity to break down vocabulary used in the book based on context and how those words are used today.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

-A brief summary of the book
This book is about a little girl who is riding a bus and doesn't understand why her and her mom cannot ride in the front of the bus like the white people. It is not about a girl named Rosa Parks, but it is a realistic fiction book that is similar to Rosa Park's life.
-Your evaluation of the book supported by at least one reason
I enjoyed this book and thought it was a great portrayal of what happened during the story of Rosa Parks. I feel like the fact that it is a little girl rather than the woman Rosa keeps the students engaged while reading because they can relate more.
-One detailed and specific teaching idea that you could use with your book
I would use this book in a text set about the Civil rights movement. I think it would be a great text for the students to look through on their own to read about Rosa Parks and what happened to her on the bus.

[Shuang Zheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, the cover is a black girl stands in front of the bus, and she is smiling, the pictures in the book is like portrait. This book is talking about a girl Sara, she rode bus with her mother every day, and she were confused that why black people sit back of the bus, and white people sit front of the bus, so she want to know what's the difference between front and back. So, she did it, but the bus driver and white people in the bus were treat her unfriendly, and they call policeman to come here, and took Sara away. She is brave and speak out what her thought about the law, and the newspaper mentioned her event, more and more people come to support her, because of this little girl, the government changed the law. Also, I was proud of her, because of her brave to fight with racist and fight for her rights. Good Book!

[Sara Chesterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara is an African American child who often takes the bus with her mother before the civil rights act is law. In this book, Sara wants to know what is so great about sitting in the front of the bus. When her mother gets off the bus, Sara Sits in the front an unknowingly causes a movement. Sara has the support of her family and learns more about her rights in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
This book is a great introduction to segregation for students to explore. I would use this in my class to introduce the topic and open a discussion up for students. Because this book has less background information than other stories with similar content, it gives students the opportunity to make their own inferences, connections and ask questions. This book should be read when you have enough time to talk through it and provide your students context to their questions.

[Savhanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very wholesome. The little girl in the story, Sara, has so much motivation and positive spirits to her character. She aware of the situation on the bus of how she is getting put in the back of the bus. She then becomes very curious and goes to the front of the bus. It's not long until she's escorted if the bus from the police. When Sara gets home her mother explains she's not mad at her that she is just as good as any other child despite their race. Sara ends up getting the law changed and she can sit any where she would like on the bus. The illustrations are based on what's happening on each page and the take up most of the page. The voice of the book is through Sara.

[Erika J · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art style in this picturebook is beautiful. My most favorite part about this book is the showing of a letter written by Rosa Parks before the story actually begins. Even so, I also liked the story in general, especially since the mother acknowledged the fact that there was nothing wrong with what her daughter did and she let her know that early on, so that she could keep making changes in society in order to live a happier life.

[Laurie Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah and her mother ride the bus every day. There are lots of people on the bus, but some passengers are not allowed to sit in certain areas. One day when Sarah was riding the bus without her mother, she decides to see what is so different about sitting in the front of the bus opposed to sitting in the back of the bus. The moment she moves up front her actions ring feverishly throughout the city. A great story about fighting injustice.