Without intending to become a moral leader during the 20th century, Mrs. Rosa Parks is that and much more to millions of people of all ages because of her civil disobedience in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, and the demeanor with which she has conducted her public and personal life since then. Dear Mrs. Parks is a uniquely designed, compact volume containing excerpts of correspondence from young people wanting to know Mrs. Parks' age (born in 1913), favorite types of movies (comedies), and favorite book (the Bible). They inquire whether she has bad days, and they wonder what to do when friends try to get them to do something wrong. Sixty-eight representative questions are organized within five themes: Courage and Hope, The Power of Knowledge and Education, Living with God, Pathways to Freedom, and Making a Difference. Mrs. Parks's warm, respectful replies are framed in clear prose. Her responses vary in length from a few words to more than a page. Brief information about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement opens the book, and the enterprises she supports are described at the end. Readers may send letters to Mrs. Parks at the address listed in her remarkable self-portrait. (Ages 7-16)

In this collection of children's letters and her responses, Rosa Parks shares her legacy of courage and wisdom, reminding young readers that their actions will determine the future. Dear Mrs. Parks is a moving commentary on our times, full of hope for the future. Photos.