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Six Books to Celebrate Rosa Parks

On February 4, people around the nation will celebrate the birthday of Rosa Parks, an influential African American woman during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Educators will want to teach their students about Rosa Parks, and using books is a great way to learn. Education World has gathered a list of six books teachers can use in the classroom to teach about Rosa Parks. 

  1. A Picture Book of Rosa Parks by David A. Adler: Amazon says: "Her refusal to give up her seat on a bus helped establish the civil rights movement."
  2. The Rebellious Life of Ms. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis: In this book, Amazon says, "Presenting a corrective to the popular notion of Rosa Parks as the quiet seamstress who, with a single act, birthed the modern civil rights movement, Theoharis provides a revealing window into Parks’s politics and years of activism. She shows readers how this civil rights movement radical sought—for more than a half a century—to expose and eradicate the American racial-caste system in jobs, schools, public services, and criminal justice."
  3. Rosa Parks (History's All-Stars) by Kathleen Kudlinski: In Rosa Parks, Amazon says,"Learn about the childhood of Rosa Parks, who grew up to be a legendary Civil Rights activist and an all-star in American history."
  4. I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer: Amazon says: "This engaging series is the perfect way to bring American history to life for young children, providing them with the right role models, supplementing Common Core learning in the classroom, and best of all, inspiring them to strive and dream."
  5. Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks: Amazon says: "In this straightforward, compelling autobiography, Rosa Parks talks candidly about the civil rights movement and her active role in it. Her dedication is inspiring; her story is unforgettable."
  6. If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold: In If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks, Amazon says: "In this book a bus does talk, and on her way to school a girl named Marcie learns why Rosa Parks is the mother of the Civil Rights movement. At the end of Marcie's magical ride, she meets Rosa Parks herself at a birthday party with several distinguished guests. Wait until she tells her class about this!"

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor