This Is Your Time - Hardcover

Bridges, Ruby

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593378520 ISBN 13: 9780593378526

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2020

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • CBC KIDS’ BOOK CHOICE AWARD WINNER

Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—who, at the age of six, was the first black child to integrate into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans—inspires readers and calls for action in this moving letter. Her elegant, memorable gift book is especially uplifting in the wake of Kamala Harris making US history as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president–elect.
 
Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your Time is both a recounting of Ruby’s experience as a child who had to be escorted to class by federal marshals when she was chosen to be one of the first black students to integrate into New Orleans’ all-white public school system and an appeal to generations to come to effect change.
 
This beautifully designed volume features photographs from the 1960s and from today, as well as stunning jacket art from The Problem We All Live With, the 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell depicting Ruby’s walk to school.
 
Ruby’s honest and impassioned words, imbued with love and grace, serve as a moving reminder that “what can inspire tomorrow often lies in our past.” This Is Your Time will electrify people of all ages as the struggle for liberty and justice for all continues and the powerful legacy of Ruby Bridges endures.

About this title

About the Author

Ruby Bridges is a civil rights activist who, at the age of six, was the first black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She was born in Mississippi in 1954, the same year the United States Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision ordering the integration of public schools. Her family later moved to New Orleans, where on November 14, 1960, Bridges began attending William Frantz Elementary School, single-handedly initiating the desegregation of public education in New Orleans. Her walk to the front door of the building was immortalized in Norman Rockwell's famous painting The Problem We All Live With, in Robert Coles's book The Story of Ruby Bridges, and in the Disney movie Ruby Bridges.

This Is Your Time is her first book in over twenty years, following the publication of her award-winning autobiography Through My Eyes.

Reviews

Gr 5 Up—Ruby Bridges displayed courage and resilience when chosen to integrate New Orleans's all-white public school system in 1960 at the age of six. Bridges pens a "letter of peace" addressed to Congressman John Lewis and "the young peacemakers of the world." She briefly describes her experience. She also explains what it was like for her father to witness his young daughter battle adversity and his own struggles. Her father served in the armed forces during the Korean War only to return to the systemic racism of the United States. Her teacher, Barbara Henry, taught Bridges when white parents refused to let their children share a classroom with her student. The text then recalls the children that Bridges has met in the last 25 years that she has spent traveling and speaking. She hopes that young people can break the cycle of racism and continue to rally against injustice in its many forms. Finally, Bridges speaks to the events of today. She addresses the pain and frustration that has led to a summer of protests after the murder of George Floyd by white Minneapolis police officers. She points out the echoes from the past that still reverberate today (there are several historical and contemporary photos that strike a powerful chord), and she shares her own suffering from having lost one of her sons, who was murdered. Ultimately, she advises readers to have "a heart full of grace." Black-and-white photos enhance this short but exceedingly important book. VERDICT Bridges's message is timely, powerful, and full of hope. This missive of truth, spoken by a true American hero, deserves a place in all libraries.—John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore

Edition details

• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Publication date: 2020
• ISBN 10: 0593378520
• ISBN 13: 9780593378526
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64