Skip to main content

Ghost Boys

Image
By DeeDee

Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Little Brown & Co, 2018. fiction. 214 p.
Jerome is a 12 year-old-boy from the ghettos of Chicago.  The story starts when he is shot in the back by a white police officer.  The story follows Jerome over the next year as he wanders as a ghost around the city, unseen by everyone but Sarah, the daughter of the police officer that shot him.  At first he is angry but over time he sees how grief is affecting everyone who cared about him. With the help of other Ghost Boys, like Emmett Till, a boy whose murder jump started the civil rights movement, he gradually learns what he must do so that he, and those he left behind, can move on.

This is a very emotionally charged book relevant to recent events and issues in the news media.  Rhodes doesn't sugar coat a single line of the difficult narrative.  She thankfully resists the temptation to vilify the white police who shoots Jerome, but instead shows that his family is in need of healing as much as Jerome's family.  Even though Rhodes doesn't flinch with her descriptions of the tragedy, she does an amazing job of keeping things on a level that I think most 12-year-olds could emotionally process. Throughout the book the reader is hoping that Jerome and Sarah will be able to forgive, and in the end, they do. This is certainly on my potential Newbery list for this year, but children and parents need to be aware that it might be upsetting to a sensitive reader.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

By
From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.  Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance?  From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.  --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017.  Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...
Post a Comment
Read more

An ABC of Flowers

By
An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Teddy's Top Picks

By Suzanne
  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...
Post a Comment
Read more