Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement

A Caldecott-honor winning picture book biography of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son's death into a call to action for the civil rights movement.

Mamie Till-Mobley is the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered while visiting the South in 1955. His death became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, but few know that it was his mother who was the catalyst for bringing his name to the forefront of history.

In Choosing Brave, Angela Joy and Janelle Washington offer a testament to the power of love, the bond of motherhood, and one woman's unwavering advocacy for justice. It is a poised, moving work about a woman who refocused her unimaginable grief into action for the greater good. Mamie fearlessly refused to allow America to turn away from what happened to her only child. She turned pain into change that ensured her son's life mattered.

Timely, powerful, and beautifully told, this thorough and moving story has been masterfully crafted to be both comprehensive and suitable for younger readers.

Author: Angela Joy
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 09/06/2022
Pages: 64
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.10h x 11.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781250220950
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 518340 / Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement


Award: Coretta Scott King Award - Winner
Award: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award - Honor Book
Award: Caldecott Medal - Honor Book


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2022
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2022 pg. 108
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2022 - Book Of Special Distinction
Shelf Awareness 11/25/2022
Publishers Weekly 10/10/2022
School Library Journal 01/01/2023 pg. 80
Booklist 04/03/2023

About the Author

Angela Joy is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before graduating from the University of Minnesota, Angela attended NYU and Spelman College. Angela then traveled as a background vocalist, also working in television and movie soundtracks. She lives in southern California with her family. Her picture books include Choosing Brave and Black Is a Rainbow Color.

Janelle Washington is a self-taught paper cut artist from Virginia. She has permanent silhouettes housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, DC, and Downing-Gross Community Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia. She is also a member of The Guild of American Papercutters. Choosing Brave is her first picture book.