Because of You, John Lewis New

An inspiring story of a friendship between Congressman John Lewis and ten-year-old activist Tybre Faw by New York Times bestselling author Andrea Davis Pinkney! Ten-year-old Tybre Faw is obsessed with history and the civil rights movement, and he devours every book he can find on the subject. When he learns of Congressman John Lewis’s harrowing and heroic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the fight for the right to vote, Tybre is determined to meet him. Tybre’s two grandmothers take him on the seven-hour drive to Selma. And as the two meet and become fast friends, Tybre joins Lewis for the annual walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge! When John Lewis is laid to rest, Tybre is invited to read Lewis’s favourite poem, “Invictus,” at the funeral service. Pinkney weaves this story of a boy with a dream with the story of a true-life hero (who himself was inspired by Martin Luther King when he was a boy). Who will be next to rise up and turn the page on history?

• Perfect for those who want to learn more about the American civil rights movement
• An inspiring story of friendship
• Full-colour illustrations by Keith Henry Brown.

• A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
• A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
• A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

• Unique and remarkable. —Publishers Weekly, starred review
• Each poem trembles under the weight of the story it tells… Martin Rising packs an emotional wallop and, in perfect homage, soars when read aloud. —Booklist, starred review
• A powerful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.School Library Journal, starred review