Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
by
Angela Joy
illustrated by
Janelle Washington
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Macmillan
Imprint
Roaring Brook
ISBN
9781250220950
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: Hate Crimes , Violence: Abuse Reference/Discussion , Violence: Death
A picture book biography of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son's death into a call to action for the civil rights movement.
Mamie Till-Mobley is the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered while visiting the South in 1955. His death became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, but few know that it was his mother who was the catalyst for bringing his name to the forefront of history.
In Choosing Brave, Angela Joy and Janelle Washington offer a testament to the power of love, the bond of motherhood, and one woman's unwavering advocacy for justice. It is a poised, moving work about a woman who refocused her unimaginable grief into action for the greater good.
Timely, powerful, and beautifully told, this thorough and moving story has been masterfully crafted to be both comprehensive and suitable for younger readers.
Author’s note. Illustrator’s note. “Choosing Brave: The Soundtrack.” Glossary. “Time line of a Crime.” Sources. Full-color illustrations done in cut paper.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Crime: Hate Crimes , Violence: Abuse Reference/Discussion , Violence: Death
Details
Format
Page Count
64
Trim Size
9" x 11"
Dewey
B
AR
4.4: points 0.5
Lexile
680L
Genre
Nonfic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Oct 2022
Book Genres
Autobiography/Biography, Picture Books for Older Readers
Topics
Mamie Till-Mobley (1921–2003). Emmett Till (1941–1955). African American women civil rights workers. African American mothers. Mothers of murder victims. Twentieth-century history of US civil rights.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 2–6—The heartbreaking story of Emmett Till is shared with great emotional depth. Using cut-paper collage and lyrical storytelling, Joy and Washington revive Mamie Till-Mobley's story. The brilliant, loving mother of Emmett was a child of the Great Migration. Mamie and her family moved up from Mississippi to Argo, a Chicago suburb, where the studious girl worked hard to graduate at the top of her class. She married Louis Till, and after a strenuous birth, their only son arrived. Though doctors predicted he would have severe cognitive and motor delays, Mamie insisted on bringing Emmett home. Louis turned violent, and Mamie refused to tolerate the behavior. Now with just his mother and grandmother, Emmett grew into a kind boy who played joyfully in the streets of Argo until he fell ill with polio. The disease left him with a stutter, which his ingenious mother helped him circumvent using a clever trick of stopping when he was stuck on a word and whistling to calm him before he continued speaking. Unfortunately, like Mamie before them, readers are powerless to stop Emmett's fateful trip to Mississippi. They cannot stop Emmett's alleged whistle, the white woman's lie, the white kidnappers' murder, or the jury's unjust verdict. The symbolic red and blue colors in the collage, weaving Mamie and Emmett's lives and stories together, creates a beautiful artistic tapestry. With rich language and a wealth of knowledge in the back matter, this text has depth and usefulness for a broad audience. VERDICT An essential purchase for all libraries.—Abby Bussen
Grades 5-8
Biography Middle Plus
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Fascinating biographies and autobiographies will allow middle school readers to look into the lives, thoughts and accomplishments of the individuals who have shaped our worlds. They'll learn about someone special each month when you get this 12 book category.
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Biographies,Diversity,History,Nonfiction,Science/STEAM
Grades 5-8
Biography Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
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