Mississippi Trial, 1955

Crowe, Chris. Mississippi Trial, 1955. New York: Speak, 2003

Annotation: 16 year old white Hiram has to face brutal realities as he is drawn into the torture and murder of 14 year old black Emmett Till in Greenwood, Mississippi.


Justification for Nomination: Mississippi Trial, 1955 is based on actual events that helped spark the civil rights movement. In 1955, America was a different place; especially in Greenwood Mississippi. The setting of the old south is an effective way to help tell about the African American struggle against hatred and bigotry. The reader is taken into the heart of racism. The author uses regional and historical language of the times to convey the message of racism. The book does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse of what racial hatred sounds like, looks like, and feels like. The teen reader will be able to relate to the protagonist Hiram and his inner struggle to do the right thing even though he is scared. This can be a tough read at times, but the book illuminates the darkness of hate because of skin color. There are brutal fights, dehumanizing scenes, and murder in the plot of this book, but it is necessary to convey the message of the book. Besides the themes of racism, bigotry, and hatred, it also has themes of courage, love, understanding, family dysfunction, alcohol abuse, and discrimination. The book shows how some characters try to change themselves or others around them. Readers have the opportunity to learn about the Jim Crow Laws, the White Citizen Council, and the NAACP.

Genre: historical fiction, multicultural, edgy, search for identity

Awards:
American Library Associations: 2003 Best Books for Young Adults list.
Parent's Guide Children's Media Awards: 2002 Honor Book.
National Council for Social Studies: 2003 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
Association for Mormon Letters: 2002 Best Novel.
International Reading Association's Children's Book Awards: 2003 award in the Young Adult Fiction category.
Jefferson Cup 2003.