Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden, Illustrated by Don Tate
Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden and illustrated by Don Tate is the fictionalized account of a real incident which happened in astronaut Ron McNair’s life when he was ten years old.
Ron McNair lost his life in 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff. But losing his life in this disaster wasn’t the first time that the label of hero was given to Ron.
In 1959, Ron loved to read. He was the library’s best customer and came in and looked at books for hours, particularly books about aviation and airplanes (although he would have loved books about black children too – but these were short in number). In the segregated world of South Carolina he wasn’t allowed to take the books home. Ron finally had enough and through his courageousness and bravery quietly told the librarian that he wanted to check his books out. Simply stated, he wanted a library card. A privilege which wasn’t afforded to him simply because of the color of his skin.
Even after the police were called to the library he would not budge. Even after his mother was called to the scene he still wouldn’t budge calling the rules wrong and unfair. The librarian knew that Ron was her best customer and in a peaceful desegregation of the city library, she issued Ron a library card.
Astronaut McNair once told a group of children, “You can only be a winner if you are willing to walk over the edge. You’re eagles. Spread your wings and fly to the sky.” Ron did walk over the edge and the Lake City Public Library is now dedicated to astronaut McNair.
A great story that illustrates that kids can not only be brave and stand up for their rights but they have an incredible future ahead of them.
Ron’s Big Mission part of my themed reading for the month of February which celebrates Black History Month. Join me this month as I explore books that celebrate the history of African-Americans.
Links of interest: Illustrator Don Tate website, Ron McNair NASA biography.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile. January 22, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0525478493
Source copy: Review copy provided from publisher as a Cybil’s nominee for which I was a panelist
Ron’s Big Mission is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
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Tags: A-D Author, African American, Black History Month reads, civil rights movement, Cybils 2009 picture book nomination, female author, Fiction, M-P Author, published 2009, Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, Q-T Title
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Wow, I got chills reading this review! This book sounds so inspiring; I wish I knew a little kid to give it to.
on February 7th, 2010 at 11:58 pm[...] Lincoln by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Colin Bootman is very similar to the picture book Ron’s Big Mission which I reviewed last week. Both are about the desegregation of libraries in the [...]
on February 25th, 2010 at 11:47 pmMy 6 year old just read this book to me. It was such a great book!
on May 26th, 2011 at 7:40 pm