Riding to Washington

Title: Riding to Washington

Author: Gwenyth Swain

Illustrator: David Geister

Picture book for ages (approximately) 6 and up

Rating: 5of 5 stars

Summary:

This book takes place during the civil rights movement when a young white girl rides the bus with her father to the March on Washington. During this trip she finds that MLK’s dream belongs not just to Blacks but to all Americans

Opinion:

This story can be both a window and a mirror for me. No, I was not even alive during the civil rights movement and I have never experienced racism first hand, so in that way it is a window into a different time, culture, and experience. I do relate to the little girl though. She is known as a trouble maker and is having trouble making sense of the world around her. She is outspoken, especially when she feels strongly about something. I have always heard the saying, “Doing what’s easy is not always right. Doing what’s right is not always easy,” and nothing illustrates that better than this book.

The pictures in this book are wonderful paintings with the characters painted from real people in David Geister’s life. They really bring to life the issues being faced in this story and the feelings portrayed in the text are made that much more real through Geister’s paintings.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom, not only on my library shelf, but for all grades in genre studies and author/illustrator studies as well. It really makes you think about what would you do in this situation? Would you do what’s easy or what is right?