Montgomery Bus Boycott booklist

Sometimes life creates an odd confluence of events. A little over a month ago we studied the Civil Rights movement in our history lessons. We learned all about Rosa Park and the Montgomery Bus boycott. Then about a week or so ago we learned all about Alabama in our geography lessons, which you know is where the boycotts happened. As per usual with my geography lessons, I went to my library and grabbed all the books for the location, and I found an entire Montgomery Busy Boycott booklist. It made for a great review of the material we’d just talked about.

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Let’s talk this Montgomery Bus Boycott booklist

Okay, my library had a lot of books for this topic, so many that I didn’t even check out all of the books. My goal was to have a book or two for each topic, I check out several, but there are a few good books that I didn’t check out because I knew it didn’t serve my particular purpose. I’ll tell you if I didn’t check out that book, and why.

Montgomery bus boycott booklist broken down by topic

Montgomery Bus Boycott generic booklist

These books are generically about the Montgomery Bus Boycott (it just seems like you should capitalize both of those last two words, even if capitalization rules say otherwise). How the entire Black community rallied around the protest and worked together.

Rosa’s Bus– This was an interesting take following the history of the bus Rosa Parks was arrested on.
Boycott blues: how Rosa Parks inspired a nation– I loved the lyrical quality of this and how it got the feeling of blues music and the illustrations are great
The bus ride that changed history: the story of Rosa Parks– I think this book was checked out when I went by the library, BUT I like the concept of showing other changes that happen as a result of this protest

Rosa Parks booklist

Seriously, my library had so many books about her. Not too surprisingly, this section has the most books, and while I checked out 3 or 4, and only used 1, there were so many more.

Montgomery bus boycott booklist history modern civil rights

Rosa Parks– I didn’t grab this True book biography, because it’s longer than what I wanted to use, but would be great for your 4th grader writing a history report
A picture book of Rosa Parks– David Adler books are always amazing
I Am Rosa Parks– I checked this out, but ultimately didn’t use it because it’s aimed at much younger
Rosa Parks– another early chapter book, longer than what I wanted
Rosa Parks– again, another longer book that would be great for
Rosa Parks, a life of courage– Another great longer chapter book for upper elementary
I am Rosa Parks– this was checked out when I went by the library, but this series is always a solid read
Rosa– The illustrations look amazing and I wish I’d been able to read this one because the reviews look pretty solid

Those supporting the Montgomery Bus Boycott booklist

This was the part I learned a whole bunch when I was checking out the books. I hadn’t heard about the women who baked to support the boycotts until these books.

Claudette Colvin: civil rights activist– reading more, I wish I’d been able to grab this one, but she was one of the many women working behind the scenes to help this boycott happen
Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott– I loved learning about Georgia Gilmore and how she supported and created funds for the boycott by baking and selling fried chicken and pies
Pies from Nowhere: how Georgia Gilmore sustained the Montgomery bus boycott– another book about how Georgia supported the boycott

More civil rights and fight against slavery books and ideas

“BE031622” by Sabatu is marked with CC PDM 1.0.

“2 – The U.S. Civil Rights Movement” by U.S. Embassy The Hague is marked with CC BY-ND 2.0.