Dear Reader, As Sally Ride and Marian Wright Edelman both powerfully said, "You can't be what you can't see." When Sally Ride said that, she meant that it was hard to dream of being an astronaut, like she was, or a doctor or an athlete or anything at all if you didn't see someone like you who already had lived that dream. She especially was talking about seeing women in jobs that historically were held by men. I wrote the first She Persisted and the books that came after it because I wanted young girls--and children of all genders--to see women who worked hard to live their dreams. And I wanted all of us to see examples of persistence in the face of different challenges to help inspire us in our own lives. I'm so thrilled now to partner with a sisterhood of writers to bring longer, more in-depth versions of these stories of women's persistence and achievement to readers. I hope you enjoy these chapter books as much as I do and find them inspiring and empowering. And remember: If anyone ever tells you no, if anyone ever says your voice isn't important or your dreams are too big, remember these women. They persisted and so should you. Warmly, Chelsea Clinton TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: From the Family Farm to the Big City Chapter 2: An Important Test Chapter 3: The First Day of School Chapter 4: A Classroom for One Chapter 5: Following Ruby's Lead Chapter 6: The Power of Children How You Can Persist References Chapter 1 From the Family Farm to the Big City When Ruby Bridges was born in 1954, her parents brought her home, full of hope that their daughter would grow up in a better world than they had. Little did they know how big a role Ruby herself would play in building that better world. Excerpted from She Persisted: Ruby Bridges by Kekla Magoon, Chelsea Clinton All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.