Mississippi Bridge

Mississippi Bridge. Mildred D. Taylor. (1990). 62p. New York: Penguin Group.

Awards and Honors: none

Review:

Told from the point of view of young Jeremy Simms, a shy and fair white boy growing up during the Depression, Taylor's novella Mississippi Bridge addresses the bitter racism of the American South. Jeremy, who rejects his father's unabashed racism, yet cannot escape the social structure of institutionalized racism in Mississippi, recounts the events of a fateful day in a small Southern town. The story takes place within and around a small general store where the local bus route stops. Just as the bus is full and ready to leave, a white family arrives late, and the bus driver forces several black passengers off of the bus to make room for them. It's an ugly scene, and one that leaves Jeremy disturbed. As the bus leaves and Jeremy tries to process what has happened, he learns that the bus has crashed off of a bridge, killing all the passengers in a terrible accident. This is a mature and haunting story which invites further discussion.

Opinion:

This story is visceral and almost painful to read, but it's important for tweens to understand this ugly part of American history.

Ideas:
This book would work best in a classroom setting, and would be an excellent choice to accompany a history lesson on segregation.