February is Black History Month and students at Emerson Elementary School learned a lesson in standing up for what one believes is right through a book called "Ron's Big Mission."

The dramatized children's book is based on a day at the library with a young Ron McNair, a black child in 1959 who loved reading at the library but could never obtain a library card and take books home.

In the book, McNair protested being denied the card despite being confronted by the police and his mother. Eventually, the librarian gave McNair a library card.

Principal Robb Kittle explained reading "Ron's Big Mission" not only gave students an opportunity to learn about racial injustice and civil rights, but opened a door for students to learn about the explosion on the Space Shuttle Challenger.

"Ron McNair was actually an astronaut on the Challenger and this year is the 25th anniversary of the explosion," Kittle said. "We wanted to show how someone could overcome great challenges to reach their dreams."

"McNair dreamed of being an astronaut," said kindergarten teacher Linda Brooks.

Kittle said students in every grade level read the book and were given an assignment to show what they had learned.

"For example, kindergartners had to draw a picture of how they see themselves and who they want to be when they grow up," Kittle said, "and fifth-graders had to write a response telling about a time when they had to stand up for something they felt was right, even if they would get in trouble."

Kindergartner's drawings of their future selves ranged from pop-stars to police officers and the stories from fifth-graders were just as diverse.

Carah Camron wrote about her best friend spilling spaghetti sauce, but telling her father she had actually spilled the sauce.

"I eventually told (my father) it was my friend and he wasn't mad," Camron said. "I learned a lesson."

Barbara Partain, a fifth-grade teacher, said teachers originally were going to have students write about a time in which they would break a law in order to do something they felt was right for themselves or another, like McNair and the librarian did in the book.

"We found it difficult to do that particular assignment because our students have so many privileges," Partain said, "so we changed the premise."

Dillion Myrick wrote about "taking up" for his cousin getting picked on at an amusement park. He said he also learned a lesson from the book and the assignment.

"I liked that Ron stood up for what he believed was right," Myrick said.