BACK OF THE BUS

  

by Aaron Reynolds

Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Publish by Puffin Books

December 2013

32 Pages

Realistic Fiction

While looking up titles for recommended children's literature books for black history month, I stumbled across this gem. This book is a fantastic read with a guest appearance by a very famous black woman in history who stood her ground. This book is told in first person from the young boys point of view. So much occurs on his short little bus ride with his mother. After reading this story, you will be able to put the pieces together and quickly figure who the mystery woman is. I enjoyed this book because you got to see the impact she made on this child which will likely change his life forever. 

The Coretta Scott King medalist, Cooper Floyd has done a marvelous job with the illustrations in this story. The pictures are hand painted and so very detailed. You could actually just look at the spread on each page and know exactly what is happening in the text. Mr. Floyd does use space and perspective in his images to stress that the story is being told from the young boys point of view. This is essential in showing how this historical event affected those surrounding the mystery woman on the bus. 

I would highly recommend this book for grades 1-3. This would be a great story for a read aloud or individual study. As the teacher, I would be sure to question the students before, during, and after completing this picture book. He or she should ask questions which require higher order thinking. The teacher should also have the students make predictions about the story in a journal then compare their thoughts after the read aloud. Another possible activity to complete with Back of the Bus is to write a narrative about the mystery woman. The students should share who she is and how her actions have made an impact in American history.