Chris CroweRecensioni

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

Full disclosure: I'm crying.

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?

Genius. Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book--so good. While this book takes place in 1968, there are so so so many parallels to how I'm feeling in 2017 (book was published in 2014). What that tells me is that while many things around me change, some stay the same--both for good and ill. And the constants that are "ill" show me how much work there is to do, and probably always will need to be done.

Powerful, powerful.
The war in Vietnam and a war at home.
Tears, tears.

Picked this up because of all the good reviews. It's an excellent resource, good writing, clear photos, and tons of facts. It's also incredibly difficult to read, parts are so brutal and awful. There's also a photo of Till's body mentioned that was published in Jet magazine. That photo appears on page 67, and I wasn't really expecting it. It's important that they included it, but you might want to brace yourself before turning the page to see it. If you have anyone asking you for a good Civil Rights research resource, this is an excellent choice.

The Cleveland Indians Baseball team is what Homer lives for. He loves everything baseball but unfortunately because of the color of his skin he was banned from Little League. Homer doesn't let that get him down because he has Doby on his side. Doby is a black baseball player that plays for the Indians. Doby is a symbol of equality. He plays and it shows people that black people are just as good as white people. Homer and his dad listen to the baseball game and the Indians win. Then the next day in the paper they see a picture of Doby and Gromek, a black man and a white man cheek to cheek, they won the game for the Indians because they worked together. This is important because it made the statement that black and white people could get a long and work together. I really like this book because of that last picture of Doby and Gromek cheek to cheek because I feel like they wern't even trying to make a statment they just loved baseball and were happy to work together and win it together. That message goes a long way even today, we all need to work together to be happy and achieve success and it does not matter what we look like.

This inspirational book is about the change you wish to see in the world. A young boy looks up to Larry Doby, an African American baseball player who plays for the Indians. Listening to the radio, the young boy and father are cheering the Indians on, hoping for a win. Once the last out in the game happens, they realize that change isn’t coming, it is here already.

Just as Good by Chris Crowe takes place in 1947. when black people and white people were still separated. This story begins by a little black boy named Homer being told that he cannot play baseball because everyone else is white. Homer loves baseball, especially the Cleveland Indians because Larry Doby plays for them, and Larry Doby is black. When Homer's Daddy brings home their first ever radio, they get to listen to the World Series game at home instead of at the drug store. This signifies that not everyone could afford to go to the games or even could afford to buy radios. In the story, the Indians win and the next day the newspaper shows a picture of Larry Doby and Steve Gromek hugging and smiling with each other. This picture really shows that there is change coming between blacks and whitest. Daddy says, "Change ain't a -comin', Homer. It's already here."

This is a heart-warming read about civil rights change in America. This story can teach children that one should not be judged by the color of his or her skin. We are all human and should love one another all the same. We are all capable of greatness and success. The setting of this book stays true to 1940's America. A little African American boy named Homer finds hope in African American baseball star Larry Doby in the 1940's. Homer listens to an Indian's baseball game with his family. During the game, his family roots for Larry Doby to take part in winning the game. Larry scores a home-run, and the Indians win. This instills hope for change in the family's heart. The story ends by describing a newspaper photo of Larry Doby hugging Steve Gromeck, Larry's white teammate and friend.

Chris Crowe’s take on the Emmett Till Case is as comprehensive and compelling a document that comes in at just over 120 pages. He wastes little time and space with hyperbole or sensationalism, gets to the heart of the matter, and sets the scenes with a global perspective – one gets the sense that you are reading a much larger, longer book. He is unsparing and hardly sentimental; true, it should not be hard to find one’s sympathies with Emmett and his mother, Mamie Till Bradley. But his honesty about the brutal, ugly face of racism in America is refreshing because it is free of preachy commentary: the facts are powerful enough. The truth is overwhelming enough, and yet, even faced with the truth, the good people of Mississippi valued their vaunted Southern chivalry, Christian lifestyle, and racist livelihoods more than returning a just verdict; at least they were true to the cause and sincere in their sentiments, and Crowe makes certain we feel disgust at their responses and reactions. His sparse and unsparing presentation is as stark and visceral as any photo, as though a documentary-maker's film continued running all throughout. His recreation of the courtroom scenes – accompanied by photographs from the trial itself – makes the reading feel as familiar to those of us already acquainted with these dastardly moments from American history. For mature students in the middle school grades or high school students.

This book is set in the year 1947, when the world was making its way towards integration. Homer, an African American child, feels like his people are not represented in the baseball world. When Larry Doby shows up to play for the Indians, Homer is excited that someone of his skin color wins the World Series, and makes baseball history. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The author hooked me in the moment a coach told Homer that black people don't play in the major leagues. I feel as if the author did that on purpose because throughout the rest of the story, I was rooting for Doby just so Homer could prove him wrong. I felt the excitement turning each page, as I intently read call by call for the World Series. The illustrator accurately depicted the emotion on the characters faces throughout the book. This book shares a bigger picture of inclusion, and the importance that no matter what color your skin is, you can succeed at anything.

The setting affected the story in a significant way because it was set in the time where segregation was still prominent. If the author would have set the time period up different, the reader wouldn't have had the same feelings about how amazing it was that an African American was able to play for the Indians

This book strikes such a deep emotional chord that it is nearly as difficult to review as it was to read. With phrases such as “integration was a Communist/Socialist plot to destroy America” (p. 31) and a trial that played out like that of Trayvon Martin, I had to keep at the forefront of my mind that what I was reading did, in fact, happen more than 60 years ago. But it still happens today.
The author does a great job of focusing on the events of mid-century America and letting the reader draw his or her own connections to the modern day. He fully sets the stage for these events, including details such as the opening of McDonald’s, helping to transport readers into the past. The final chapter, “Aftershocks,” updates the events to the point of the fortieth anniversary of Emmett’s murder in 1995, but goes no further. A photograph of Mamie Till on that anniversary is the only non-contemporary photograph within the book. The many primary sources concretely place the reader in the 1950’s.
Throughout the book, “Black” is capitalized while “white” is not when referring to the color of a human’s skin. This gave me pause. After some research, I agreed with the author’s use of capitalization. An author’s note on his usage would have been important to include, especially to make this a better teaching tool and clarify his intentions to a young and impressionable audience. A time line, bibliography, and list of additional resources a great, but an index and glossary are noticeably missing and could have been helpful regarding this book being a teaching tool.
Despite being such a difficult book to digest, I highly recommend this book to anyone old enough to deal with the tragic subject matter and gruesome photograph of Emmett Till’s body. The description of the trial becomes tedious to read, but is entirely necessary to convey an understanding of how unfair were the proceedings. On page 60, the author describes his sources: trial transcripts and post-trial interviews. He points out that "where the sources don't agree, the trial testimony takes precedence over the...interviews." In other parts of the book, like on pages 54 and 55, he makes it clear that we do not and will never know exactly what words were said and what actions played out in that rural shop so many decades ago. He does not try to fill in unknown details for the sake of good story telling, but presents multiple viewpoints and accounts of the story, acknowledging contradictions and the fallacy of human memory.

This book is set in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. It tells the story of a young African American boy being kicked off of his little league baseball team for his skin color. The coaches reasoning being that there are no black’s playing in the major leagues and that Jackie Robinson is just a “fluke”. The boy and his father are then ecstatic to find out that Larry Doby, an African American baseball player, will now be playing for the Indians. The whole family then listens to the game over the radio and become more and more excited as the Indians take home the win. By the end of the game everyone becomes just a little more hopeful for the changes that the future might hold for people of color. A major theme that stuck out to me was the feeling of hope. There seemed to be such an innocent sense of imagination in which each member of the family looked toward the game for what change may be coming to society. I feel this historical time period was very important to the story. I seemed to be the driving force behind each of the characters excitement for Larry Doby to play. The setting really emphasized how uneven the playing field was for people of color at this time.

This is a book I would teach with 5th grade students. The book is a tough read and has some hard issues in it such as rape and murder. However, this is a good book to read in Social Studies, as an introductory to the civil rights movement. This is because the unjust death of Emit Till was the spark that started the movement.

This book would be good for when you have already started talking about segregation and its effects. It could be used as to show just how unfair life was for African Americans. It could also be used for analyzing multiple accounts of segregation and racism and from there students, or as a whole class, will find the similarities and differences between the different counts and discuss them.

On a hot steamy August evening in the back woods of Money Mississippi, young fourteen year old boy Emmett Till and his cousins, despite the rules of Emmett's uncle, left church and drove a truck to a rural store. A checker game was happening on the front porch. Unlike Chicago, where Emmett lived with his mother and loving family, the south was very different. His mother had warned him of the southern ways and she was very reluctant to allow him to vacation there.

"Do not touch the hand of the white person who gives you change in a store." "Do not look a white person in the eyes." Be sure to say "yes mam and no sir." Even if you feel you are right, bow down to the whites!"

While Carolyn Bryant, wife of the owner of the Bryant Grocery & Meat Market, testified that this uppity negro boy entered the store, touched her hand and called her baby, as well as pulling her toward him, no one was in the store to see what she said occurred.

A fun loving young Emmett was not accustomed to the Jim Crow laws of the south. While the exact details of what Emmett said to the white, pretty, beauty-contest- winner wife of Roy Bryant, what he heard people tell him happened, was enough to enrage Roy and his step brother "Big J.W. Milam."

Roy Bryant was away in New Orleans delivering a load of shrimp. Thus, it took a few days until retribution was given to that uppity black boy from Chicago! When people near the shed where Emmett was killed, testified they heard screaming and beating, Bryant and Milman were placed in jail and accused of kidnapping.

A few days after the men took Emmett, his bloated, beaten-beyond recognition, body was found in the Tallahatchie river. At the trial, the defense lawyer would strongly state that since the body was so bloated, it was impossible to say it was Emmett Till. Even though, he wore a ring from his father, still the defense was adamant!

Bravely, strongly, Mamie Till, said, though Emmett's face had a bullet hole in it and was swollen, beaten beyond the ability to live, she knew the body of her boy! One brave strong journalist asked the judge during recession, if the body wasn't Emmett and it wasn't possible to identify if it was a black or white body, why then was it taken to the undertaker establishment of a black man!

During the trial, Mose Wright, uncle of Emmett Till , bravely took the stand and pointed to the men who came to his shack at 2 a.m. and demanded to take "the boy from Chicago." He let it be known that one of the men held a gun! In his bravery, he knew in the Jim Crow south, a black man could not point to a white man and testify against him while keeping his life afterward. After his testimony, he quickly left the state of Mississippi.

This book focuses on the travesty and lack of justice when Emmett's murderers were placed on trial. Admitting to kidnapping, both Roy and J.W. told the sheriff that they left Emmett go.

There were others in the shed who assisted in pistol whipping Emmett. Two of whom were hidden by the sheriff at the time of the trial. There was in fact no way a boy could live after breaking the strict rule of keeping black men away from white women. For "perhaps" swaggering into the store and calling Caroline Bryant "baby", the price Emmett paid was with his life.

Despite the fact that Roy and J.W. were not considered quality people by all who knew them, they were acquitted of murder.

Considered the event that ushered in the Civil Rights movement, Emmett's mother kept vigil at his casket as thousands marched past witnessing the horror of his badly beaten body. When she met the casket at the train station and the wooden box containing his body was opened, she bravely said "Let them see what they did to my son!" The sheriff of Money, Mississippi tried to get the body buried in the ground quickly. Emmitt's mother demanded that the body be returned to her and delivered by train to Chicago.

This beyond-brave mother stood witness to the murder of her son!

In the end, both Bryant and Milam were ostracized by people in the rural community, their popularity lessened. Blacks protested by not buying things at the Bryant store. Soon, both Bryant and Milam found it difficult to make ends meet. Even banks would not loan money to keep them afloat. Thus, when Look magazine promised $3,500 for the story of how they murdered Emmett, Bryant and Milam gladly, happily, gave up the details.

For all to read, these two near do wells, bragged about the murder. They said they had to uphold the rules that said NO black man can intermix with a white woman!

Known as the event that sparked the the Civil Rights movement, Rosa Parks said she had Emmett Till on her mind when she refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery, Alabama bus. As a result, a huge bus boycott occurred. These actions were major steps by blacks showing they were, as Rosa Parks said "tired!" and they had had enough.

Many reporters , attended the trial, most were disgusted beyond belief. Headlines in the New York Times and well-read magazines and newspapers nation, and world wide, wrote about the sad day that the state of Mississippi let the murderers of a black boy free to live their lives, while young Emmett Till's mother lost her only son to racist evil men. It was a sad day when white people were so threated and hell bent on keeping their Jim Crow ways of life, that they had to kill a young black boy.

As the author notes, In the foyer after the trial, a TV reporter asked Sheriff Strider if it was true that he had received threats and hate mail ever since Bryant and Milam had been arrested.

When reading this book, I discovered very black brave people who came forward to testify that they indeed heard the cries of a young man being savagely beaten. In addition, as this NPR article notes, this brave man told about seeing the body being loaded on the pick up truck...and the hosing down of the blood of Emmett Till from the truck used to transport his to the Tallachee river.

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/07/25/205518505/Key-Witness-Against....

"I'm glad you asked me this." replied the sheriff. "I just want to tell all those people who've been sending me threatening letters that if they ever come down here, the same thing's gonna happen to them that happened to Emmett Till." Justice! Racist style.

While reading the book, I realized I previously read it. However, this time, as I read the tragedy, it sickened me more than ever! I cannot imagine the courage manifested by Mamie Till, and the horror of what she saw and felt. Her bravery sparked a movement that paved the way for future black people to say ENOUGH!½

Homer is a young boy who loves baseball and wants to become a MAJOR League Baseball player. Homer rushes home to learn that his parents bought a radio and are able to listen to the World Series right at home instead of going to the drugstore. Homer and his family are rooting for the Cleveland Indians where Larry Doby, a black man, is the leading hitting in the series. They chant and root her him and the team as the win the World Series. At the end Larry Doby and Steve Gromek, a white man, are celebrating their victory. Homer and his family are ecstatic for winning the Series, but more ecstatic because change is coming to the world.

Outlines the events of 14-year-old Emmett Till's murder at the hands of two white men in Mississippi and the murder trial. Provides the social and political background of the country at the time of the events, plus the aftereffects on the civil rights movement. Point of interest: the adherence to "southern pride" even though no one liked the accussed, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam. Would have liked to see more photos of Emmett before the event but I imagine these were not available or existent.

This book is about a young boy in the 1940s who has dreams of seeing more black men playing baseball and has that hope fueled by the disapproval of the white men. Larry Doby makes his dream come true, especially when Doby helps win an important baseball game. The book is a good representation of what it was like for black people back then and it shows how important it was that Larry Doby did what he did. This book would bring up good conversations about racial equality. The illustrations are done in paint with a lot of detail. I would recommend this book to grades 4 and up so they understand the racial issues fully.

Appropriate for grades 7-12. This account of the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till includes several black and white photos, a timeline, and a list of additional sources. The writing is accessible for the intended age group and the style is engaging. This would be an excellent text to use to recommend as recreational reading to a student who is interested in the the Civil Rights Movement or as a supplement in a United States history course. Most textbooks do not mention Emmett Till; however, most students find this case to be fascinating.

Seventeen-year-old Ashe Douglas watches his family fall apart as the Vietnam War, assassinations, and racial strife tears the country apart. Emotionally powerful, gripping historical fiction, and a remarkable achievement in narrative structure. Read the Author's Note and be thoroughly impressed.

After recently becoming interested in the tragedy of young Emmett Till, a teacher of mine recommended this text. This book provided a great deal of information that I had not already discovered, as well as providing some pictures I had not yet found through the internet. The trial of Emmett's murderers is discussed in this text, as well as their not guilty verdict and then their later discussion of the murders. A picture of Bryan and Milam smirking after their not guilty verdict really disgusted me as this story already upsets me. Emmett Till was only 14 years old but went on to inspire change and movement that no one could have predicted, partly in thanks to his courageous, grieving mother.

This book discusses the short life of Emmett Till, along with the details of his murder. His murderers face kidnapping and murder accusations, which end in the result of not guilty verdicts. I have always been fascinated with Emmett's story, and this book did not disappoint. I was unaware that his murderers eventually gave interviews on the gruesome details of the murder for the exchange of money. Just disgusting! Influential people like Rosa Parks were inspired by Emmett's story to take a stand towards the Civil Rights Movement.