Mississippi Trial, 1955

by Chris Crowe

Book Overview

As the fiftieth anniversary approaches, there's a renewed interest in this infamous 1955 murder case, which made a lasting mark on American culture, as well as the future Civil Rights Movement. Chris Crowe's IRA Award-winning novel and his gripping, photo-illustrated nonfiction work are currently the only books on the teenager's murder written for young adults.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803727453
• ISBN13: 9780803727458
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Dial Books
• Length: 231 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Everyone Needs to Read This Book

I read this book when i was 13 and it has stuck with me since. I just ordered it to give to my mom. I love this book. Its a powerful book. I think about it often and it will always be one of my favorites.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 - An important book that everyone should read

Mississippi Trial, 1955 is an eye-opening account of the tragic events leading up to the murder of Emmett Till, an African American boy from Chicago visiting relatives in 1950's Mississippi. This fictional story is based on true events and is told through the eyes of Hiram Hilburn, a white 16-year-old boy visiting his beloved grandfather in Mississippi for the summer. As a tentative connection forms between Hiram and Emmett, Hiram must soon face the realities around him as a local young man from Mississippi decides to viciously show Emmett his place. This initial attack triggers a chain of events that lead to the brutal murder of Emmett. As Hiram begins to see the depth of hatred and racism around him, he finally starts to understand the reasons behind the tension in the relationship between his grandfather and his civil rights-minded father. This story illustrates Hiram's inner struggle as he discovers difficult truths about the grandfather he loves, and comes face to face with the harsh and ugly realities of racism in the south. This book does a wonderful job of giving readers a glimpse into a dark part of our country's history that needs to be remembered, examined, and learned from - not forgotten. As a reader I felt like I was there is Mississippi with Hiram as he struggled with his own feelings and whether he should risk his own safety to do what he felt was right. This is an excellent book that is tough to read at times, but that shines a light on human darkness and demands that we don't look away. I highly recommend this book!

Eye Opening...

This is an eye opening book, one in which the author Chris Crowe takes you to the south in the 1950's when hate and fear were the norm. This book takes the reader through the tragic events that lead to the horrific murder of African American teen Emmitt Till as seen from Hiram's point of view. Hiram, a teen himself, comes back to live with his grandfather in Mississippi for the summer, only to learn that the place and people he loved most are racist- just what his father has been warning him about all along. Now Hiram is beginning to experience and appreciate his father's point of view first hand. This novel is the perfect example of why traditional text books just aren't cutting it in today's classrooms. This is because Mississippi Trial-1955 is retelling a part of our history (unknown to many) in an interesting and very real way, unlike the dry and often "hand selected" pieces of history that go into mass produced texts overflowing with massively misleading and forgotten yet important details of our history . I highly encourage the use of quality historical fiction in all Social Studies/History classrooms especially Mississippi Trial-1955 by Chris Crowe.

Racism...

I just finished this book tonight and I will say it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The protagonist, Hiram, doesn't exactly get along with his father, especially where his grandfather is concerned. So when his father finally permits him to go to Greenwood, he is thrilled. But the town isn't how he remembers it to be. It is all perfectly clear when his 'friend' R.C. forces Emmett Till, a black youth from Chicago visiting his uncle, to eat fish guts. When Emmett whistles at a white woman, things go sour, and R.C. talks about wanting to go with a few men who invited him to teach Emmett a lesson. But then Emmett goes missing and when his body is found, Hiram has a feeling R.C. might be one of the men involved with the boy's brutal murder. Though two of the men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, involved are on trial, it isn't known who the other two (a man and a woman) are. Will justice come to the Till family? And who else was involved in the murder of Emmett Till? This book was excellent - the characterization, the setting, description, plot...it was a well-written, well-thought-out book. I recommend it to anybody who is looking for a good book on prejudice and the Civil Rights movement. It will really get you thinking.

Adults and Teens should read this one

Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Rides, and the March on Washington. But one name and event is often missing: Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old black boy from Chicago who was brutally murdered, his body dumped in the Tallahatchie River, for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Told though the eyes of Hiram Hillburn, a white teenager who has come to spend the summer with his grandfather, the reader is taken into the heart of racism at a time when the passions of the south were volatile and violent. Hiram sees changes in his beloved south, his friends, and even his grandfather; changes which make him doubt his own safety. Hiram witnesses R.C. Rydell force Emmett to eat a raw fish at knife-point. Hiram's grandfather offers no sympathy, warning that "colored boys should know better than to push themselves on white folks." After Emmett is murdered, Hiram doesn't want to stay silent, he wants the truth to be told, even if it uncovers secrets about his own family. Discuss of racism as it stands in our country today, and what can be done to prevent it.

A provacative look at a turning point in history

The trial of Emmett Till's murderers is a story everyone needs to hear about and this story is told in such a clear and enjoyable way, that all who read it will want to delve deeper into the history. I read it clean through in one sitting, never getting bored or tired. It is a clever blend of fact and fiction, the language captivates without distracting, and the events are so compelling the book leaves the reader rethinking life choices. Great for children and adults alike. In fact, I think this book can catch even the reluctant readers.