Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe

Mississippi Trial, 1955 Book Trailer


Hiram Hillburn, one of the youngest from the stubborn Hillburn family, lived with his grandparents for most of his adolescent years. He would wake up early in the morning to the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen. He would spend lazy mornings with his grandpa, visiting the fields or fishing on the Yazoo river. Then, while his grandpa would visit with friends, Hiram would buy a 5 cent Coke and visit with a blind, local vendor.


Hiram's grandma passes away in the middle of the night and Hiram's world is turned topsy-turvy. His father and mother come in for the funeral and decide to take Hiram back with them. Though he doesn't want to leave his grandpa, he cannot fight his dad. At least, not out right. The young boy does argue with and pesters his dad for the chance to go back to Mississippi and visit his grandpa. Then, in the summer of 1955, Hiram's grandpa has a stroke and he is sent down to his grandpa get back on his feet.


When young mister Hillburn gets off the train in Greenwood, he meets a black youth from Chicago. Everyone calls this black boy "Bobo," but his real name is Emmett Till. Emmett is not used to the south and thier ways. He is used to being treated as an equal to white men, but in Mississippi he is no better than a common slave. Hiram briefly befriends the black youth and that is where things turn bad.


Some time later Emmett goes missing. He was rumored to have whistled at a white woman and then he was kidnapped. It turns out that he was actually tortured and murdered. His body was fished out of the river. As the news of Emmett's kidnapping and death races across the country, Hiram is faced with a terrible dilemma. He might have information that could help convict one of Emmett's killings. But he must decide whether it is worth turning against his fellow white men and standing up for a black youth. But, in a little town where everyone has secrets, you never know what you might find out.


This book had some good points and some bad points. The story was very good and it discussed some real issues such as: racism, tradition and education. The book is actually based on a true story. It is one of the only historical fiction novels that I have read, and I did enjoy it. However, the writing was basic and flat. It had the potential to be an amazing story, but it fell short on holding my attention. I also didn't like that you didn't know fact from fiction until the very end.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Mockingbird Book Trailer

When it comes to Caitlin Smith, most people don't "Get" her. She is a 5th grader with Asperger's Syndrome (the highest functioning form of Autism). She has regular visits with a school counselor and even a second recess time, so that she might be able to "Deal" with her condition. The only person that really understands her, is her older brother Devon. However, Devon died during a school shooting. This... is where the book starts.

Caitlin is left with her grieving father, since her mother had died several years before. Her father can not function after the death of his son. He slams the door to Devon's room shut and tries to pretend that nothing is wrong. But, in his attempt to ignore his son's death, he tends to overlook Caitlin. He was used to Devon taking care of her.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Brook, the school counselor, is working with Caitlin on trying to build relationships. Mrs. Brook is now the only person that addresses Caitlin's aspergers. The counselor believes that Caitlin has the potential to overcome some of the social boundries that stand between her and having a friend. Caitlin, however, is not sure that she really needs someone to talk with. She thinks that the other students are too loud or messy or colorful. In the midst of her search for a friend, Caitlin discovers something that she and her father desperately need. She sets out to find a way to help her father and, ultimately, herself find this elusive thing called: Closure.

Mockingbird is a fascinating book. It brings several, major social issues into the lime-light. First, it discusses Asperger's Syndrome. The story is told from Caitlin's view in a first person format. Normally, I'm not a big fan of first person Point of View (P.O.V.); it's always driven me a little crazy. However, I thought that Erskine did an amazing job at crafting the grammar and language to fit that of a person with Asperger's. It was so insightful as to why people with Asperger's (and other forms of Autism) act in certain ways. Second, it discusses closure and how some people grieve in different ways. There are some people that shut down and there are others that put up a good front, but, in the end, they are all still suffering.

Also, the characters are funny. Several hilarious conversations center around miscommunications, where Caitlin's literal interpretation causes her to miss the point. One of the most interesting characters, besides Caitlin, is Michael. He is one of those amiable characters that you just can't help but like. I want to mention that there are one or two points where I thought that Erskine went a little overboard with the actions that Caitlin describes. They were pivitol to the book, but they might make you wince.