2015-2016 Go Big Read: Just Mercy : About the Book & Author
This guide provides an overview of "Just Mercy" which was adopted as 2015-2016 Go Big Read book. It also offers useful information on related issues.
Just Mercy
The 2015-2016 Go Big Read selection is Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
Click here to view the Penguin Random House website for Just Mercy, which includes author and bibliographic information, reviews, summary of the book, and more.
The following link downloads a PDF copy of the book discussion questions that you can use for the book.
Bryan Stevenson: "Just Mercy" | LIVE from the New York Public Library (3 minutes video)
An Interview with Bryan Stevenson (15 minutes video)
About the Author, Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson is the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a professor of clinical law at New York University Law School. He has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, argued five times before the Supreme Court, and won national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and people of color.
Awards
- American Library Association's Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonfictionThe Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best titles for adult readers published in the US in the previous year, and are the American Library Association’s first single-book awards for adult titles.
- NAACP Image Award 2015 for a Literary Work - NonfictionThe NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
- Books for a Better Life AwardSince its inception in 1996, the Books for a Better Life Awards has recognized more than 700 self-improvement authors and raised more than $2.1 million for the New York City - Southern New York Chapter's comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their friends and families as well as the Society's critical research initiatives.
Reviews of Just Mercy
- Book Review: 'Just Mercy' (The Network Journal - Winter 2014)In this astonishing book that sheds light problems of the criminal justice system and the force of the human spirit, [Bryan Stevenson], founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama, shares stories of how he came to dedicate his career to represent the condemned, the poor and the incarcerated.