Before the Book Was Published

Ruby Bridges was one of the first Black children to go to a White school. She was in first grade. It was a difficult time for Ruby. It was a difficult time for America.

Ruby met with a psychiatrist. That is a kind of doctor. His name was Robert Coles. He helped Ruby talk about her feelings.

Dr. Cole wrote some books. He wrote about Ruby. He won a Pulitzer Prize. This is the top award a book can get in the United States.

Barbara Henry was Ruby’s first grade teacher. Ruby loved Mrs. Henry. Mrs. Henry loved Ruby. Mrs. Henry moved away when school ended. She moved to Massachusetts. They did not see each other again for a long time.

Norman Rockwell made a painting of Ruby in 1964. It showed Ruby walking into school. He called it “The Problem We All Live with.” Ruby first saw the painting when she was 17. She learned that she was the little girl in the painting.

Ruby knew what happened to her in first grade. But she did not know what went on outside the classroom. When Ruby was older, her mother told her. Her mother showed her pictures from the newspapers. Ruby learned that she was the little girl in the pictures.

Years passed. People forgot about Ruby’s story.

After the Book Was Published

Dr. Coles published the book The Story of Ruby Bridges in 1995. It was a hit. People began talking about Ruby Bridges again.

The book sold well. Ruby got some of the money from the book. She used it to start a foundation. It is called the Ruby Bridges Foundation. It helps children who live in poor areas.

A little boy in Massachusetts read the book. He showed it to his teacher. She told him that she had been Ruby’s teacher. She asked if she could keep the book. The boy told his mother the story. The mother called the book’s publisher. She told them the story. The publisher helped with the rest.

In 1996, Barbara Henry and Ruby Bridges met again. They met on the Oprah Winfrey Show. They hadn’t seen each other for more than 30 years. They became close friends.

Disney made a movie about Ruby in 1996. Children love to learn about Ruby. They can relate to her.

Ruby has met with many important people. In 2011, she met President Obama. He invited her to the White House to see “The Problem We All Live With.” The Norman Rockwell Museum owns the painting. President Obama asked to borrow it. The museum loaned it to him for four months.

Today, Ruby continues to inspire children with her story. She continues to help children through her foundation.