Ghost Boys

I read this to my 7th graders during the quarantine during an optional Google meet. The kids generally liked it, however it is more catered to 4th-5th graders (not surprised—I took it off the elementary approved reading list). My district has it approved for 4th graders. It’s the only book I have encountered that addresses prejudice and police brutality for that age group. The characters are not complex and the story is rather simple. It’s a very at-the-surface story. You aren’t going to get the characterization of, say, The Outsiders. You aren’t going to get the twists and turns of the Westing Game. You aren’t going to get the harsh realities of a Walter Dean Myers book. But it does the job and kids will like it. I should warn you, however, that there is a page that mentions Emmitt Till’s body after his murder. His mother famously and bravely had a glass casket so the world “could see what they did” to him. It mentions the character doing a Google image search to see a picture of his body. When I learned about Till in 10th grade—it was troubling even for me. I suggest searching it for your child first, and then deciding if they can handle it. I’m sure there are 10-year-olds who can handle it, there are some who will have nightmares. It will leave a huge impact, though. If your child reads this book, I suggest reading it with them so you can have a discussion with them. I didn’t have to do that with my 7th graders (they understand prejudice at their age), but a ten-year-old might not. The value of the book is lost if a child isn’t able to process the message. I also suggest you do some extra research with your child on Emmitt Till. It’s worth it. If you have an older child, I would suggest having them read Mississippi Trial, 1955 (about Emmitt Till) to see a perspective on hate crimes, or Monster by Walter Dean Myers to see a perspective of prejudice and injustice against Black teenage boys rather than this book.

This was an intelligent and well-executed story for children and adults...phenomenal in addressing its subject, yet also haunting long after the last page. I actually read this book twice, because the layers sucked me in, I felt compelled to revisit the story after I finished. Jerome is an honest and struggling narrator and his tone seems instantly genuine to his circumstance of being slain at the hands of a judgmental (and possibly racist) cop. Instead of focusing on the police officer, though, this book focuses on his daughter...and her deep conflict in empathizing with Jerome (by creating a relationship with his ghost and the ghost of Emmett Till) but also loving and remaining loyal to her father. Largely, this book is hopeful, but it’s mostly a story for children about the unfairness of racism and racial violence and the chain reaction of suffering created by these deaths. Powerful. Excellent. I’ll be teaching it somehow next year.

This was a simple, sad, yet beautiful story. Not realizing how many truly innocent people are killed based on race is an eye opener in this book. Emmett Till 's story stirs all sorts of emotions with anger overpowering what was done to this young man. It is important to teach ALL races, not only bits of history, but all of history, because this is how we try to prevent repetition. Unfortunately, many textbooks leave out these stories, and unless a teacher, or other adult, bring it up, kids are unaware how long many have lived with racism, prejudice, stereotypes, and hate. I like that this book is easy to get through for struggling readers, and brings up so much that can be connected to real events kids can look up and read into on their own, or research in school. Great read.

I got this super randomly because it was on sale and read about 75% of this book in a day, in two separate sittings. It is well-written and is an appropriate level for a lower level YA reader. I would compare it to “The Hate U Give,” “All American Boys,” etc. but there isn’t any language and it’s an easier read. There’s also historical context that connects brutality against black boys over decades.

Jewel Parker Rhodes’s literary expertise has produced a contemporary realistic fiction story that connects with the middle school issues of identity while presenting the universality of these identities across ethnicities, gender, and socioeconomic status. The character development allows for a realistic exploration of the person vs person, person vs self, and persons vs society conflicts. This is a high quality must read.

My 12-year-old son is reading this book it his lit class. He came home and asked me to read the book with him. So I checked it out from my local library. This book was amazing and made me cry at points in the story. My son couldn't put the book down. He kept going past the reading pages for each week. This book was so good that he will read more from this author.

I haven't cried over a book in a long time. This was sad. So very sad but also the reality we live in. I truly think this is a must read.

Ghost Boys is an incredible read that uses a seesaw format to switch perspectives throughout the story. It tells a powerful story about a truth that we need to recognize and work towards solving in our society. Teachers across the world would do well to incorporate this book into a read aloud to foster a healthy discussion on policy, social justice, and bias in society. Parents would do well to do the same at home as this book can introduce a topic to your entire family that you might otherwise have been blind to. Overall, people of all ages, races, and creeds would benefit from a read of this book.