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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Timely, important read for today’s youth. As noted by the author at the end of the book, discuss this book with the young adults reading. A lot to process but so important.
This book shook me and brought healing at the same time. Great for 6th grade and up. I am worried it would be too hard on my 5th graders. WOW. I loved giving a Book Talk for it on the anniversary of Emmett Till's birthday.
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellent connections btwn past and present situations. A good thought provoking story for middle graders
I found the writing and story telling to be amateurish and not that effective. Other books in this genre do much better: All American Boys and The Hate You Give
Heartbreaking and beautiful. The ghost of a 12 year old boy shot by a police officer sees how it tears his family apart and the family of the officer. A unique angle on the story.
The short sentences were hard to read, but appropriate to the age and thought process of Jerome.
I definitely cried throughout and then I had to read everything about Emmett Till I could find.
My problem: Carlos was such a generic Latinx side character while also being a main one, story wise?? Idk I wish there was a bit more w him.
I definitely cried throughout and then I had to read everything about Emmett Till I could find.
My problem: Carlos was such a generic Latinx side character while also being a main one, story wise?? Idk I wish there was a bit more w him.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
All young people should read this book!
A young adult novel that teaches important lessons about racism and seeing eye to eye with people different from you. I love how the author wrote from the perspective of the young black boy that is now a ghost and also from the daughter of the police officer that shot him. Some information about Emmett Till is even sprinkled in throughout the book! It is a different take on such an important topic, and has the potential to generate some fantastic conversations among middle school aged students, especially.
This book is absolutely heartbreaking. I finished it in less than 4 hours and I just couldn't believe that a 200 pages book could make me feel so many things. Anger, sadness, frustration. It's a great, great book. As a white person who want to be more educated when it comes to the history of black people, this book was a great start for me.
It's the story of a 12 year old black kid, Jerome, who is murdered by a white police officer because he thought Jerome was holding a real gun. He was not, it was a toy gun. The police officer shot Jerome in the back without asking him to put the gun down. Without actually telling him that the police was there. Without giving him a chance to explain. And that's all because Jerome had the skin darker than the police officer's.
Jerome becomes a ghost and is a witness to all that happens after his tragical death. How his family is suffering, how the police officer isn't found guilty of murder. He is saying that he was scared for his life, that he thought Jerome was a "big, scary man". But he was a 12 YEAR OLD BOY.
One of the most powerful things in this book, for me, was this quote: "Color shouldn't make anybody scared. Is it because slavery happened? Is that why some whites are afraid of black people? I don't know. Wake up, people, I want to tell everyone. Fear, stereotypes about black boys don't make the world better."
This book shows the true face of racism. It is sad, it is terrifying, but it should be something we learn from. We, white people. Because we need to stand together and FIGHT against racism.
It's the story of a 12 year old black kid, Jerome, who is murdered by a white police officer because he thought Jerome was holding a real gun. He was not, it was a toy gun. The police officer shot Jerome in the back without asking him to put the gun down. Without actually telling him that the police was there. Without giving him a chance to explain. And that's all because Jerome had the skin darker than the police officer's.
Jerome becomes a ghost and is a witness to all that happens after his tragical death. How his family is suffering, how the police officer isn't found guilty of murder. He is saying that he was scared for his life, that he thought Jerome was a "big, scary man". But he was a 12 YEAR OLD BOY.
One of the most powerful things in this book, for me, was this quote: "Color shouldn't make anybody scared. Is it because slavery happened? Is that why some whites are afraid of black people? I don't know. Wake up, people, I want to tell everyone. Fear, stereotypes about black boys don't make the world better."
This book shows the true face of racism. It is sad, it is terrifying, but it should be something we learn from. We, white people. Because we need to stand together and FIGHT against racism.