Picture book · Middle Grade
Choosing Brave
How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
written by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington
Honors
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About the book
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement is a nonfiction picture book by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington with striking cut-paper art. It follows Mamie Till-Mobley from her childhood in small-town Illinois to her life in Chicago as a mother devoted to her son, Emmett, whom she nursed through polio. In 1955, while visiting relatives in Mississippi, fourteen-year-old Emmett is murdered, and Mamie decides that the world must see what was done to him. Her courage and her long fight for justice helped energize the civil rights movement. Endnotes give historical context for older readers and adults. Written for readers about 8 to 12, the book won the 2023 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent and received Caldecott and Sibert Honors.
For parents
Ages 8–12 · Grades 3–7
Publishers Weekly lists this book for ages 8 to 12. It describes the racist murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till and also touches on domestic abuse and serious childhood illness, so it is best shared with an adult ready to talk it through.
Content notes
- Violence
- Mature themes