Rosa

Giovanni, N. (2005).  Rosa.  NY:  Holt.

Seamstress, Rosa Parks, refuses to give up her seat on the bus in segregated Montgomery, Alabama, which leads to the boycotting of busses by African-Americans, during the Civil Rights movement.  Rosa's courage inspired others to stand up for civil rights and led to historic events such as the Montgomery bus boycott, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches speaking against such injustice, and eventually the Supreme Court ruling segregation illegal.  Giovanni does a good job of developing Rosa to where the reader really feels for her and feels her frustration, while also keeping the plot engaging and not just listing out the facts.  The collage type pictures in this book are very creative and eye catching for the reader, including the fold out page towards the end of the book.  This book could be used during a biography units on famous people, and the Civil Rights movement.