Review - A Ride to Remember

A Ride to Remember
by Sharon Langley & Amy Nathan
illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Date: 2020
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

The true story of how a ride on a carousel made a powerful Civil Rights statement

A Ride to Remember tells how a community came together—both black and white—to make a change. When Sharon Langley was born in the early 1960s, many amusement parks were segregated, and African-American families were not allowed entry. This book reveals how in the summer of 1963, due to demonstrations and public protests, the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time. Co-author Sharon Langley was the first African-American child to ride the carousel. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Langley’s ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King’s dream. This book includes photos of Sharon on the carousel, authors’ notes, a timeline, and a bibliography.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

A Ride to Remember is a lovely picture-book memoir recounting the story of the first African American child to ride a previously segregated carousel in Baltimore.

The main narrative features strong writing. While there is a lot of text, it's uncomplicated and tells the story clearly, in such a way that even young listeners will understand what's going on. The soft illustrations are a beautiful complement to the story. At the back are some pages with facts, a timeline, and a bibliography.

Overall, this is quite strong. I would definitely recommend it to those interested in the Civil Rights movement, as well as those who enjoy historical picture books about real events.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.67 out of 5