Mississippi Bridge - by Mildred D Taylor (Paperback)

About the Book

During a heavy rainstorm in 1930s rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old white boy sees a bus driver order all the black passengers off a crowded bus to make room for late-arriving white passengers. Then, in the driving rain, disaster strikes and Jeremy witnesses a shocking end to the day's drama.

Book Synopsis

Another powerful story in the Logan Family Saga and companion to Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

A day of conflict and tragedy.

Cassie Logan and her brothers watch as the weekly bus from Jackson comes splashing through a heavy rainstorm--they are there to see their grandmother off on a trip. One by one, the passengers board the bus. But this is Mississippi in the 1930s, so when several white passengers arrive at the last minute, the driver roughly orders the black passengers off the bus, including Cassie's grandmother. Then, disaster strikes in the rain, and the children witness a shocking end to the day's drama.

"Taylor, a powerful storyteller, again combines authentic incidents to create a taut plot...Her cry for justice always rings true."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover

A day of tragedy

Jeremy Simms watches from the porch of the general store as the weekly bus from Jackson comes splashing through a heavy rainstorm. Jeremy's friends Stacey and Cassie Logan are there to see their grandmother off on a trip, and one by one, the passengers board the bus. But this is Mississippi in the 1930s, so when several white passengers arrive at the last minute, the driver roughly orders the black passengers off the bus, including Stacey's grandmother. Then, in the driving rain, disaster strikes, and Jeremy witnesses a shocking end to the day's drama.

Review Quotes

"Taylor, a powerful storyteller, again combines authentic incidents to create a taut plot.... Her cry for justice always rings true". -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Mildred D. Taylor is the author of nine novels including The Road to Memphis, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Land, The Well, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Her books have won numerous awards, among them a Newbery Medal (for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), four Coretta Scott King Awards, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Her book The Land was awarded the L.A. Times Book Prize and the PEN Award for Children's Literature. In 2003, Ms. Taylor was named the First Laureate of the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. Ms. Taylor now devotes her time to her family, writing, and what she terms "the family ranch" in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.