Fact Friday: Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy

Image: Macmillan

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. 64 p. Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan Publishers, September 2022. 9781250220950.

Happy Friday! I have enjoyed the first week of summer break, taking it easy with lots of Boo time and garden time. Sorry that I'm posting Fact Friday is a bit late today. It features Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. This picture book biography of Mamie Till Mobley opens in August of 1955. Mrs. Till has just been informed of the death of her only son Emmett in Mississippi, hundreds of miles away from her Chicago home. The double-page spread depicts the silhouettes of two men standing near a river. The page turn introduces Mamie as a young child, a "child of the great migration." Spare, lyrical prose provide readers with an understanding of this woman who was remarkable for her time and the unconditional love she showered on her equally remarkable son, Emmett.

She insisted that her son's body be returned to her in Chicago. It arrived locked and with instructions barring the casket from being opened. She defied the instructions and held an open casket wake to show the world what happened to her son, thereby sparking the civil rights movement.

The cut paper collage art is primarily black, tan and white with pops of red and blue. Little details, such as the red ribbon heart connecting mother and son as she sent him off on his fateful train ride are especially powerful. Plentiful back matter includes a note from both the author and illustrator, a soundtrack, glossary, time line and sources.

Fact Friday: And We Rise: the Civil Rights Movement in Poems by Erica Martin

Image: Penguin Random House

And We Rise: the Civil Rights Movement in Poems by Erica Martin. 154 p. Viking/ Penguin Young Readers, February, 2022. 9780593352526. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Friday! So my break is winding down and I didn't read as much as I wanted, but got a lot of decluttering work done around my house. I also had the windows and carpets cleaned and the tile floor was waxed by a guy I have been using for more than 30 years. I also had some tree work done. My husband is probably rolling over in his ashes because he was adamantly opposed to any tree removal. In fact, he bought a special tow cable and used his Jeep to yank a fallen fir back upright, then attached the cable to a nearby maple tree to keep it standing. Needless to say, it didn't thrive. I feel like I'm living in a new house. 

Fact Friday features And We Rise: the Civil Rights Movement in Poems by Erica Martin. In her debut collection of poetry, Ms. Martin combines her love of writing and U.S. History to walk young readers through the Civil Rights Movement from the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954, which ruled "separate but equal" unconstitutional. Not much changed in the Jim Crow south despite the ruling. And then, the marching started.

The poems use a variety of forms and effective use of white space and are accompanied by black and white historical photos from the era. A timeline follows an author's note and each poem is sourced. There are suggestions for further reading and bonus content.

There are many powerful moments in this spare collection. It's unusual, yet effective.  

Fact Friday: Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson

Image: Penguin Random House

Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson. 272 p. Crown Books/ Random House Children's Books, October, 2021. 9780593126356. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Friday TMS! We made it! February break starts in a few short hours. I hope you have your reading planned. I do. Fact Friday features Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by Wade Hudson. Mr. Hudson is author of more than thirty books and is co-founder, along with his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson, of Just Us Books. His conversational memoir begins with him contemplating the prison cell he was placed in after his arrest as a college student. He was a vocal activist on campus and he and others were charged with plotting murder. The next chapter rewinds to the author's childhood, growing up in a large family in a small town, where folks looked out for one another, but Black folks couldn't try on clothes in the department store. He grew up loving school and baseball and the church. 

Back matter contains notes and a time line to help young readers understand the history of Civil Rights in the U.S. Defiant is a first-purchase for all kinds of libraries-compelling and important.

Fact Friday: Run: Book One by John Lewis

Image: Abrams Books

Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell. 160 p. Abrams ComicArts/ Abrams Books, August, 2021. 9781419730696. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Friday! Fact Friday features Run: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell. This is the beginning of a second trilogy by the team that brought us the multiple award-winning trilogy, March. It picks up right after the events in March: Book Three and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The passage was a victory for Civil Rights activists, but the work against racism was far from over. There was pushback from many segregationists and there was still work to be done to right racial wrongs. This led to division within SNCC, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, which Mr. Lewis led. He suffered a crisis of confidence after his ouster from the organization, but did not lose his commitment to pursuing a non-violent solution. "First you march, then you run."


Over thirty pages of back matter include biographies of the many Civil Rights activists who worked with Congressman Lewis, extensive notes on the creation of the book, sources and notes on the art. The March trilogy is quite popular among my students and they were very excited to learn about Run: Book One. Both series are essential additions to any type of library. 

Teen Tuesday Honors the Memory of Congressman John Lewis

Image: Top Shelf Productions

March Book One; March Book Two; March Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Illustrated by Nate Powell. Top Shelf Productions, 2013; 2015 and 2016 respectively. Slipcase set, June, 2016. 9781603093958. (Review of individually purchase copies.)

To commemorate the passing of Congressman John Lewis over the weekend, Teen Tuesday features his graphic novel memoir trilogy - March Book One; March Book Two and March Book Three. March Book One begins as Congressman Lewis awakens from a dream reliving the march in Selma. He awakes to prepare to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama, then flashes back to his childhood as he relates his story to a pair of young brothers who come to visit. One of them notices that his office shelves were filled with chickens. 

Former sixth grade students may remember a certain picture book biography that was popular in the picture book biography unit, Preaching to the Chickens. The congressman, who grew up on a farm his parents sharecropped, wanted to become a preacher and practiced preaching to the family's chickens as he cared for them. 

He grew up in the segregated south and became inspired by the preaching of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Eventually, he became part of MLK's inner circle and at age 23, was one of the youngest speakers at the 1963 March on Washington. All his life, he remained dedicated to raising "good trouble," by using non-violent confrontation as a means to end injustice.

Like the Congressman himself, this trilogy made history. March Book One was the first graphic novel to win a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award It was also named a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. In the fall of 2016 March Book Three was the first graphic novel to win a National Book Award. His acceptance speech is one of my favorites. Here's a link. In January of 2017, March Book Three garnered a Coretta Scott King Author award; the Robert F. Sibert Informational Literature Book Award, the Michael Printz Award and the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. It then went on to win the Eisner Award as well as the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's literature. There's no room for all the medals on the cover!

The congressman happened to be in the room when the Youth Media Awards were announced because the conference was in Atlanta that year. He had led the Atlanta Women's March on January 21 and spent a great deal of time in the convention center with tens of thousands adoring librarians. He was open and interested in everyone who stopped by to say hello and posed for pictures with grace.

I can't think of a better way to learn about the Civil Rights Movement than through these books. I woke up early on Saturday morning feeling a bit low. The first thing I saw when I picked up my phone was news of his death. My mood sank even lower. What a crushing loss. Rest easy, sir.

Fact Friday: This Promise of Change: one girl's story in the fight for school equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy

Image: Bloomsbury

This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. 320 p. Bloomsbury Children's Books, January, 2019.  9781681198521. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. After the Brown v. Board of Education decision made school segregation illegal in 1956, schools and communities did not just welcome Black students with open arms. TMS readers, many of you are probably aware of the Little Rock Nine, but do you also know about the Clinton Twelve? This Promise of Change is the verse biography/ memoir of Jo Ann Allen, one of those twelve students who integrated their local high school in Clinton, Tennessee in 1956. The reader learns historical context - the reality of school segregation in the Jim Crow south. The free and formal verse poems are augmented with bits of newspaper headlines and excerpts of legislation. Readers will be stunned by the vile hatred spewed by the crowds of whites determined to prevent desegregation. The courage and composure with which these twelve students comported themselves is admirable. Back matter includes authors' notes, an epilogue, photographs, a timeline, suggestions for further reading and source notes. 

This Promise of Change won the Boston Globe/ Horn Book Award last May. It was named a Kirkus Best Book and won an Sibert Honor in January. It belongs in every collection and truly is a must-read. 

#tbt: The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

Image: Simon & Schuster

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon. 304 p. Aladdin/ Simon & Schuster, January, 2009. 9781416975823.

#tbt features The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon. This work of historical fiction is set in Chicago in 1968. Thirteen-year-old Sam is a member of a prominent Civil Rights activist family. His minister father is a trusted advisor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. Sam admires both men and is committed to fighting for Civil Rights. His brother Steven, Stick, is becoming disillusioned with King's tenet of non-violence. Stick admires the philosophy of the Black Panther movement and this leads to arguments and a fracture in the family.

Ms. Magoon vividly brings the conflicts of the Civil Rights movement to life through her compelling characters. The Rock and the River was Kekla Magoon's debut novel. She was awarded the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award and named to many "Best" lists including Bank Street Best Books of the Year. 

Fact Friday: A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein

Image: Holiday House

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein. Illustrated by Jerry Pinckney. 48 p. Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House, August, 2019. 970823443314. 

As we head into MLK weekend, it is apropos for Fact Friday to feature A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation by Barry Wittenstein. This is simply a most beautiful book. Author Wittenstein takes the reader to the lobby of the Willard Hotel the night before the 1963 March on Washington. Dr. King is conferring with his most trusted advisors about what to say. They are working in the lobby because his hotel room is probably bugged. 

In spare but vivid blank verse, Wittenstein depicts the collaboration between Dr. King and his advisors. There was some disagreement about what the text of the speech should contain. Ultimately, Dr. King retired to his room to write the speech he would deliver.

Jerry Pinkney's illustrations stun. Each spread is meant to be studied, not rushed through. The portraiture of each of Dr. King's advisors are helpfully labeled. Mini-biographies in the back matter elaborate and serve as an introduction to each. Other back matter consists of an author note; an illustrator note; the roster of speakers at the protest and source notes.

I had the privilege of attending a keynote speech given by illustrator, Jerry Pinkney last May at SLJ Day of Dialog. He shared many,  if not all of the collages from the book and spoke about his creative process and what he hoped to achieve with the art. Attendees received a sampler that I got signed by both the author and illustrator. 

There is no such thing as too many books about the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Make room for A Place to Land.  I hope it wins lots of medals next week in Philadelphia for it is truly distinguished.

Fact Friday: Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961 by Larry Dane Brimner

Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961 by Larry Dane Brimner. 111 p. Calkins Creek/ Highlights, October, 2017. 9781629795867. (Own)

Fact Friday features Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961 by Larry Dane Brimner. This is a riveting account of the stunning bravery of thirteen Civil Rights activists, young and old, and black and white, who board a Greyhound bus in Washington D.C. then headed south to challenge the Jim Crow laws that separated whites from blacks on buses, in waiting rooms, at lunch counters and just about everywhere. The deeper south they got, the more perilous their journey became until, just outside of Birmingham, Alabama, the police looked the other way while an angry mob stopped the bus and set fire to it with people inside. They blocked the door and when people jumped out the window to escape they were brutally beaten. 

The book is profusely illustrated with black and white photos, some quite shocking. The design is somber and absorbing with its stark black pages and white font sprinkle with white backgrounds and black font. There is a post-script of sorts that relates the story of how college students from Nashville, Tennessee, led by Diane Nash complete the journey. Backmatter includes mini-biographies of the thirteen activists  as well as an extensive bibliography, which includes books for both adult and young readers, videos and websites. Three pages of source notes are followed by an index.

Twelve Days in May is the 2018 winner of the Sibert Medal and belongs on every library shelf along with Mr. Brimner's other Civil Rights titles, Black and White and Birmingham Sunday.

Fact Friday: Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. 128 p. Scholastic Inc., January, 2018. 978545702539. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features a biography in verse in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. This beautifully designed book features stunning water color and ink illustrations and covers Dr. King's last months from his birthday on January 15, 1968 through his assassination on April 4 and ends on Easter Sunday. The power, imagery and beauty of the poems invite reading aloud if not performance. Backmatter includes author & illustrator notes, a timeline and historical context, making this work an important must-purchase addition to any school, classroom or personal library.

Voices from the March on Washington by J. Patrick Lewis

Voices from the March on Washington by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon. 114 p. Wordsong/ Boyds Mills Press, October, 2014. 9781620917855. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

Seventy, mostly first-person poems from mostly fictionalized narrators give young readers a you-are-there glimpse into one of the most galvanizing events in the Civil Rights Movement - the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963. Some 250,000 participants traveled on foot, by bus and by train to march for jobs and racial equality. They were young and old, black and white, educated and striving. While variety of speakers gave speeches and musicians, such as Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson and Joan Baez performed, the day is probably best known for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s momentous "I Have a Dream" speech.

Perfect for pairing with Shane W. Evans' picture book, We March for highlighting the idea that individuals can make a difference or as an introduction to the Civil Rights Movement. This powerful and accessible novel is a unique addition to any school or public libray collection. An authors' note, bibliography and time line conclude the volume. 

Non-Fiction Monday: The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the advent of the Civil Rights Movement

The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the advent of the Civil Rights Movement by Teri Kanefield. 56 p. Abrams/ Harry N., Inc., January, 2014. 9781419707964. (Purchased.)

In 1953, Barbara Rose Johns, a quiet, studious junior at got fed up over the conditions of her high school. The walls were covered with tar paper and the roofs leaked so badly that students sat under umbrellas when it rained. Attention to the substandard conditions was brought to local board of education along with the observation that the area schools were separate but not equal. The board's promises to look into the matter dragged on and on. Ms. Johns understood that nothing would happen so she organized a student strike and sought help from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

This moving and suspenseful story is told exceptionally well - clearly and simply, yet not overly simplified. Historical context is supplied and plenty of black and white archival photographs enhance the telling. Occasional text boxes provide additional information. A timeline concludes the volume, followed by endnotes, and sources, which include Ms. Johns' handwritten memoir. The Girl from the Tar Paper School is a must-purchase addition to the Civil Rights collection.

Non-Fiction Monday: Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song

by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney. 40 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, July, 2013. 9780316070133. (Borrowed from the public library.)

Do we really need another book about Martin Luther King Jr.? Well, yes. I have a variety of books about him in my middle school library, from picture books to longer biographies. But this one is a new collaboration by the Pinkneys. Not only is a new book by them an automatic purchase regardless of subject, this one is a dual biography and it's gorgeous. Sure kids know about MLK, but is the average young reader familiar with Mahalia Jackson?

Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahalia Jackson were friends as well as prominent Civil Rights leaders. In alternating double-page spreads, readers learn that both were "born with the gift of gospel." Martin had a gift for preaching, having learned by watching his father preach weekly. Mahalia had a gift for singing gospel and her church treasured her. As the two grew into adulthood, King used his words to inspire and Jackson took gospel music mainstream. When she recorded a song called, "Move On Up a Little Higher," it sold two million records and King realized that her voice had the power to inspire as well. It is at this point that the two share the page and begin working together to achieve Civil Rights, culminating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and King's "I Have a Dream" speech. 

Brian Pinkney's swirling palette flows from cool blues and greens for King to vibrant reds and orange for Jackson. Andrea Davis Pinkney's rhythmic, commanding prose conveys the ideals of their life's work. The energy of the paintings and words combine and practically leap off the pages.

Backmatter includes notes by both author and illustrator and an illustrated timeline. 

Make room on the shelf for this.

Blog Tour: As Fast As Words Could Fly by Pamela M. Tuck

Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 32 p. Lee & Low Books, April 28, 2013. 9781600603488. (Finished copy provided by publisher)

Fourteen-year-old Mason Steele is just as dedicated to his father's civil rights group as he is to his homework. Mason is the unofficial secretary/ letter writer for his father and the group. He is able to parse his father's ramblings and turn them into beautifully handwritten business letters. His work for the group is so valued that they purchase a typewriter for Mason, who after typing out a thank you note, methodically teaches himself to type, even after working all day picking tobacco with his brothers.

The following fall, Mason started high school but three weeks into the term, he and his brothers learn from their father that a lawsuit was won and the schools in North Carolina now had to integrate. The three brothers would now attend the all-white high school closer to their home.  

     "P-P-Pa, you, you know them white folks ain't gonna like us going to their school not one bit," Willis Jr. stammered.
     "Like it or not, y'all's going," Pa replied. "Somebody's got to make a change."
    The boys stared at one another in disbelief. (~p. 10)

But they were at the bus stop the following Monday only to have the driver refuse to stop and pick them up. The same thing happened on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the bus stopped, but the angry driver yelled, "And get to the back!"

They arrived at the school and were met by the principal, who threw their schedules at them and refused to show them around. Despite being stuck in the back of classrooms and basically ignored, Mason did well in school. He applied for a job through the Neighborhood Youth Corps and received a job in the school library, where he was not welcomed warmly by a nasty librarian who barely took the time to teach him how to type a catalog card. 

Yet Mason persisted. 

I am sure that the Steele boys endured much more than just being ignored. They must have been made of steel indeed. This lovely, understated picture book is a work of fiction that is based on the "real-life experiences of my father, Moses Teel Jr., during the 1960s." (Author's Note)

"My father's fears of attending a formerly all-white school stemmed from a combination of the challenges of high school and the rejection he anticipated. Starting a new school meant more than leaving friends. It meant braking barriers and making history." (Author's Note)

Words fail me whenever I read about such bravery, especially when it is a child who stands up to evil. I have a particular interest in reading children's books about the Civil Rights Movement. There are many outstanding titles that have come out in the past few years, but those that focus on the youngest Civil Rights activists astound me. Where did they find the strength?

I knew that this beautiful debut would fit my middle school collection of picture books perfectly as soon as I finished the first reading. I grow more excited about the possibilities with each successive reading. I can imagine a middle school social studies teacher reading it aloud to introduce a Civil Rights unit. I can imagine a language arts teacher using it as a writing prompt, a class discussion or to introduce family stories. I can imagine an upper elementary teacher using it to encourage empathy. As Fast As Words Could Fly is a must-purchase. Pair it with other picture books depicting the Civil Rights Movement, such as We March by Shane Evans or with non-fiction titles such as Marching for Freedom: walk together children, and don't you grow weary by Elizabeth Partridge. 

There is great power in the simplicity of this story and that power is reinforced by the art of Eric Velasquez. The oil on watercolor paper paintings absolutely glow. In painting after painting, the three brothers are depicted standing tall and together as they confront the angry bus driver, endure being ignored by two white boys who were previously friendly, and finally face down the angry principal. The strong bond between them leaps from the pages. 

But then, it is the depiction of Mason's lonely journey that causes tears to threaten as he maintains a dignified presence each time he quietly stands for what is right. Oh, the anger I felt towards that librarian, the typing teacher and the school principal! There are lots of sideways glances aimed at Mason from all sides. While his triumph is undercut by the roaring silence and condescending compliments of his principal and typing teacher, the final portrait redirects the focus, the strength of Mason's family.

I also appreciated certain design aspects, namely the end-pages that feature old typewriter keyboard keys and the occasional use of a keyboard key as a capital letter. The choice of cover illustration will lure students who are most likely unfamiliar with a manual typewriter.

I was thrilled to learn that Pam was signing the book at ALA Annual and, rather than schlep my gifted copy of the book out there, I decided to buy a copy to give to the elementary school. But then I had Pam sign that copy for my students. The elementary school will get my review copy. (Teehee) Here's the photo that the rep took of us. I actually got the last copy of the book! Talk about nick of time!

One last injection of the personal into this very personal review: My husband is so supportive of all the reading and blogging that I do. I often find him nosing around the stacks of books that spring up around our house like mushrooms. He was hovering behind me this morning as I was trying to do justice to the book and asked to take a look. He took his time paging through and when he finished, quietly said, "Strangely moving for such a simply told story." Long pause, head bent. "I don't know whether to be angry or inspired," he said with a slight break in his voice. "Both, I think."

Visit Pamela M Tuck's website here.
Visit other stops on the blog tour here:
Shelf-employed for a beautiful interview.
Booktalking #kidlit for another lovely interview.
True Tales & a Cherry on Top.
Wrapped in Foil (tk)