Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2022 Gr 1–5—Ten-year-old Tybre Faw wished to meet his hero Congressman John Lewis and shake his hand. Tybre Faw knew just about everything about Lewis, who championed voter's rights. When he was younger, Lewis would preach sermons to the chickens on his family's farm. Young John Lewis was as inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just as Tybre Faw was inspired by Lewis. On a Sunday in 1965, peaceful protesters marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the right to vote, but sadly, before they were able to cross it, they were violently attacked and beaten by racists. Brown's illustrations accurately portray details of the attack and the subsequent injuries may seem upsetting to some readers. After reading so much about Lewis, Tybre Faw convinced his grandmothers to take a road trip from Johnson City, TN, to Selma, AL, where John Lewis made a once-a-year memorial march. He met John, shook his hand, and was even invited to walk by his side across the bridge. This book celebrates heroes and the uncanny ripple effect of being inspired by them. Carrying on the legacies of King and Lewis, Tybre Faw marched for causes he believed in such as school safety, human rights, and immigrant equality. This acts as a helpful reminder to kids that they're never too young to fight for what they believe in. The watercolor illustrations are a vivid and dramatic complement to this story of friendship, courage, and effecting change. Back matter includes a time line, photos, resources, and more. VERDICT This inspirational tale about friendship, courage, and good trouble is an essential purchase for all collections.—Myiesha Speight - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2022 Ten-year-old Tennessean Tybre Faw finds a hero in Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights icon nicknamed “Good Trouble,” who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. As the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the commemorative march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge approaches, Faw begs his grandmothers to drive him to Selma. There Lewis shakes Faw’s hand and invites the boy to march with him, thus beginning a friendship. Pinkney’s lyrical prose recounts the high points of Lewis’ (and to some extent King’s) life interspersed with details of Faw’s interest in history and the particulars of his meetings with Lewis. She emphasizes Lewis’ mentoring of Faw (and its parallels to King’s mentoring of Lewis), ensuring continuity in the civil rights struggle. Brown’s digitally enhanced watercolor-and-ink illustrations focus on the humans depicted, and several compositions reflect published photos of events. Equally strong are the settings (particularly Selma) and subtle details, such as Faw reading Lewis’ graphic novel March: Book One (2016). Appended with generous back matter, this makes an inspiring addition to the civil rights canon. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.