{"id":41905,"date":"2022-10-24T22:28:33","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T02:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=41905"},"modified":"2022-10-24T22:28:33","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T02:28:33","slug":"review-of-choosing-brave-by-angela-joy-illustrated-by-janelle-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=41905","title":{"rendered":"Review of Choosing Brave, by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Choosing Brave<\/p>\n

How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement<\/em><\/p>\n

by Angela Joy
\nillustrated by Janelle Washington<\/p>\n

Roaring Brook Press, 2022. 64 pages.
\nReview written October 24, 2022, from a library book.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

This powerful picture book biography tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till’s mother, and how she made hard choices so that the world would know about the terrible injustice that happened when her son was killed.<\/p>\n

But that wasn’t the first hard choice she made. She faced bullying at school, though she graduated at the top of her class. Emmett’s father left her when Emmett was a baby, so she was a single mother. Polio left Emmett with a stutter, but she helped him and taught him to whistle to get through the stutter. That may have been why he ended up being accused of wolf whistling at a white woman. And murdered for it.<\/p>\n

After Emmett’s death, Mamie paid a year’s wages to bring him north and used a glass-topped coffin to show the world what had been done to him.<\/p>\n

Her brave choices helped start the Civil Rights movement, and even after Emmett’s murderers went free, she kept going to rallies, calling for justice.<\/p>\n

Here’s how the book ends (before eight pages of notes at the back):<\/p>\n

Yet still today, we whisper her name.<\/p>\n

For lessons unlearned and hatred still living,
\nwe whisper<\/strong> her name.
\nFor strength to sow love in spite<\/em> of our pain,
\nwe utter<\/strong> her name.
\nFor every son and every daughter who suffers still,
\nwe cry<\/strong> her name.
\nFor justice. For peace.
\nWe shout<\/strong> her name.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A powerful and moving story, told in simple language and striking images.<\/p>\n

AngelaJoyBooks.com<\/a>
\nWashingtonCuts.com<\/a>
\nmackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/choosing_brave.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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