Busing Brewster

Reading Busing Brewster (2010) by Richard Michelson (and illustrated by R.G. Roth) took me back to a simpler, gentler time. The artfully done images and story at the beginning took me back and culled memories of Bill Cosby's characters of Fat Albert and his gang. The message, however, is anything but heart-warming.

In the story, Brewster and his brother, Bryan, were "force bused" to the closest school, which also happened to be a previously segregated school. In the early 70's, the Supreme Court permitted "forced busing" in order to further integrate schools. While Bryan is pulled from what he knows and is comfortable with, this is all new to Brewster. The two boys and others are not greeted warmly or welcomed at their new school. Bryan protects Brewster the best he can to help his little brother get through his first day of first grade at this new and unusual school.

While my current kindergartners would not get the nuances of the story, I believe first-graders might, but I would suggest second grade and up. I could certainly see using Busing Brewster to raise cultural awareness with students, as well as history, no matter how ugly it may be. While textbooks have their place, stories like this that give children a firm picture of what has happened. Stories give children a real glimpse of life and allow them the chance to feel the fear and anger that was prevalent in our country during this tumultuous time.