Maybe you've heard the phrase.
But do you know why their story is so alarming?
Do you know the facts?
The guilty verdicts handed out to three Arkansas teens in a horrific capital murder case were popular in their home state -- even upheld on appeal. But after two HBO documentaries called attention to the witch-hunt atmosphere at the trials, artists and other supporters raised concerns about the accompanying lack of evidence. Now, award-winning journalist Mara Leveritt provides the most comprehensive look yet into this endlessly shocking case.
For weeks in 1993, after the murders of three eight-year-old boys, police in West Memphis, Arkansas, seemed stymied. Then suddenly, detectives charged three teenagers -- alleged members of a satanic cult -- with the killings. Despite stunning investigative blunders, a confession riddled with errors, and an absence of physical evidence linking any of the accused to the crime, the teenagers were tried and convicted. Jurors sentenced Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley to life in prison. They sentenced Damien Echols, the accused ringleader, to death. Ten years later, all three remain in prison. Here, Leveritt unravels this seemingly medieval case and offers close-up views of its key participants, including one with an uncanny knack for evading the law....
What do you do without
your best friend?
Jamie isn't afraid of anything. Always ready to get into trouble, then right back out of it, he's a fun and exasperating best friend.
But when something terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Without Jamie, there are so many impossible questions to answer -- how can your best friend be gone forever? How can some things, like playing games in the sun or the taste of the blackberries that Jamie loved, go on without him?
PRAISE FOR PAM MUNOZ RYAN:
\u0022Told in a lyrical, fairy tale-like style....Ryan fluidly juxtaposes world events with one family's will to survive.\u0022--Publishers Weekly, starred review, ESPERANZA RISING
\u0022Ryan writes a moving story in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the book offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.\u0022 --Booklist, ESPERANZA RISING
\u0022Ebullient and tautly structured....With a pacing that moves along at a gallop, this is a skillful execution of a fascinating historical tale.\u0022--Publishers Weekly, starred review, RIDING FREEDOM
ADDITIONAL AWARDS AND HONORS FOR ESPERANZA RISING:
-Willa Cather Award
-Americas Award Honor Book
-Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
-NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
-Smithsonian Notable Book
-Children's Literature Choice List
-Notable Books for a Global Society
-Jefferson Cup Award - Worthy of note
-Judy Goddard AZ Young Adult Author of the Year Award
-Judy Lopez Memorial Award
AWARDS AND HONORS FOR RIDING FREEDOM:
-California Young Reader Medal winner (Intermediate Category)
-IRA Teacher's Choice
-Parenting Magazine \u0022Reading Magic\u0022 Award winner
-Recognition of Merit for a First Novel Award - Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People
