Reason Read; alpha, ROOT
Fiction about nonfiction event. Jim Crow in the south and the distortion of justice by social pressure. ( )

Like his newfound friend Emmett Till, Hiram hails from the north and is visiting relatives who live in small-town Mississippi. It is through his interactions with Emmett that Hiram is able to see the difference between how he is treated as a white person, and Emmett is treated so very differently because of his skin color. Surprised at the bigotry, this young man will soon experience a life-changing event.

In particular, Hiram is ashamed to observe that his grandfather is also racist, noting that blacks need to "know their place. " This story is told from the perspective of Hiram who is confused about why the hatred of blacks is so embedded in the southern culture.

Emmett Till perhaps made a mistake in touching the hand of a white woman when he paid for his purchases at the Bryant small store. Perhaps he whistled at her to showing off to his southern cousins. But, Emmett was a stutter, and to stop stuttering, Emmett whistled.

Emmett is new to the ways of the south. Living in Chicago is far less bigoted. No one was in the store to observe Emmett's actions with Carolyn Bryant. The boys with Emmett may have heard a whistle, but even they were not sure if it was intentionally given to Mrs. Bryant.

The depth of the story lies with the ethics of Hirim, who was concerned when Emmett Till went missing. And then, days later, boys fishing found Emmett's dead body. It was floating in the top of the river and a large object was holding him there.

When the sheriff arrives to get the body, he sees a bloated, severely beaten young boy who was so battered his eye was not in the socket, he could only be identified by a ring he wore.

The dilemma that Hirim faces is trying to find the culprit who so brutally killed his friend. His journey to find who did this takes Hirim to the deep bigotry of the town, and the price Emmett had to pay for not obeying the rules of the south, was that he lost his life.

And now, if Hirim continues to dig into the truth, he too may pay a heavy price, and the information he knows is not easy to carry.

NOT SURE OF SOURCE, GREAT REVIEW: Victor Bevine's steady narration brings an air of gravitas to this compelling story, which focuses on the 1955 murder of Emmett Till. While visiting his grandfather in Mississippi, 16-year-old Hiram is horrified to discover that a childhood friend may have been involved in the brutal slaying of 14-year-old Till. Bevine deftly conveys Hiram's tortured thoughts as he agonizes over whether to reveal his knowledge. As the Till trial unfolds, Bevine sensitively describes Hiram's dawning understanding of the deep-rooted racism that has corrupted the community. This understanding is complicated by his tender relationship with his stubbornly racist grandfather.

FROM SYNC & AMAZON: At first, Hiram is excited to visit his hometown in Mississippi. But soon after he arrives, he crosses paths with Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago who is also visiting for the summer. Hiram sees firsthand how the local whites mistreat blacks who refuse to "know their place". When Emmett's tortured dead body is found floating in a river, Hiram is determined to find out who could do such a thing. But what will it cost him to know?

ALA BBYA; RGG: Accompaniment to To Kill a Mockingbird, many plot parallels. Fictionalized account of the events surrounding the lynching of Emmett Till. Unimaginative story-telling, prose.

This first person narrative gives an authoritative and comprehensible account of the tragic murder of fourteen year old Elliot Till. Details about the racial tensions and political climate of the segregated south in 1955 will give young readers a greater understanding of the historical significance of this hateful crime, the unjust results of the trial, and raise questions about its role in the civil rights movement. Be advised that the language may be offensive and the violent details surrounding the actual crime are graphic. ( )