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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
A 12-year-old black boy named Jerome is killed by a white police officer. The book opens with Jerome's death. It's a first-person narrative, and both chapters and time alternate between Jerome narrating events after his death as a ghost, and Jerome narrating events before his death as they unfolded while he was alive. As a ghost, Jerome watches his family mourn, and he gets to know both the police officer's daughter, who struggles to come to terms with her father's actions, and Emmett Till, who tells Jerome his story.
Jerome is just a regular boy, but sadder than the average main character of a children's book, because even though he's bullied - which is common in children's books - he doesn't have any friends. This detail stood out to me, because characters in books always have at least one or two good friends, but when we meet Jerome, he really had no friends.
I appreciated having the window into the police officer's family, which I didn't expect.
The writing is evocative, sometimes poetic. Other times sentences seem abbreviated, almost cut short. I've read a couple other books by Jewell Parker Rhodes, and this just seems to be her style.
As I read this book, I was not quite sure how to categorize it. It's a children's book, available in the library's "Y" section, and yet I think some kids would get more out of it by reading it in middle school, or even high school. On the one hand, there is a lot of difficult content that even adults have a hard time processing; I teared up every few pages. Part of me feels like maybe children in elementary school shouldn't be "exposed" to this kind of heavy truth at so young an age. But then right away I know that is my privilege talking; the black victims of police brutality, and their families and friends, don't get to choose when they are exposed to racism and gun violence and murder. Jewell Parker Rhodes actually says herself, in the afterword, that her "hope is that parents and teachers will read Ghost Boys with their children and students." (p. 206) So maybe that's it; this book is an important and valuable read for all Americans, but it's best if kids have someone they can talk about the book with, and ask questions.
Jerome is just a regular boy, but sadder than the average main character of a children's book, because even though he's bullied - which is common in children's books - he doesn't have any friends. This detail stood out to me, because characters in books always have at least one or two good friends, but when we meet Jerome, he really had no friends.
I appreciated having the window into the police officer's family, which I didn't expect.
The writing is evocative, sometimes poetic. Other times sentences seem abbreviated, almost cut short. I've read a couple other books by Jewell Parker Rhodes, and this just seems to be her style.
As I read this book, I was not quite sure how to categorize it. It's a children's book, available in the library's "Y" section, and yet I think some kids would get more out of it by reading it in middle school, or even high school. On the one hand, there is a lot of difficult content that even adults have a hard time processing; I teared up every few pages. Part of me feels like maybe children in elementary school shouldn't be "exposed" to this kind of heavy truth at so young an age. But then right away I know that is my privilege talking; the black victims of police brutality, and their families and friends, don't get to choose when they are exposed to racism and gun violence and murder. Jewell Parker Rhodes actually says herself, in the afterword, that her "hope is that parents and teachers will read Ghost Boys with their children and students." (p. 206) So maybe that's it; this book is an important and valuable read for all Americans, but it's best if kids have someone they can talk about the book with, and ask questions.
What an important book for kids to read. Many people do not want to have conversations with kids about police brutality because they don't know where to start. This is a place to start. This is not an easy book by far, but it's a start with these topics that are written in a way that students can understand. It's lovely. I will be buying this book for my classrom.
Librarians: warning, do not read at the desk unless you want to be seen crying at the desk.
White people: we have to do better. give this to a 9, 10, 11 year old and help them understand why we have to do better. (Give it to someone older, too, but keep this title in particular mind for kids who aren't ready for The Hate U Give and other woke books for teens)
White people: we have to do better. give this to a 9, 10, 11 year old and help them understand why we have to do better. (Give it to someone older, too, but keep this title in particular mind for kids who aren't ready for The Hate U Give and other woke books for teens)
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Note: My professional goal for this year is to read 50+ diverse books. As I attempt to read and review these books, I will be answering the following questions for each book:
Brief plot summary
Jerome, a twelve year old boy, who was holding a toy gun is shot and killed by a police officer. Jerome becomes a ghost to view what happens in the aftermath. Along the way, he meets Emmett Till who died a long time ago but due to similar reasons. He is also able to interact with the daughter of the police officer, so we can see the other perspective of this tragic event.
How is the book diverse?
African American author and characters
Opinion & reason for rating
This book is very deserving of five stars. It tackles a topic which impacts our society every single day. Young black males continue to be shot and killed by the police and this story is based off of one of those shootings. The author wrote this story beautifully creating empathy for both sides but particularly for all of these ghost boys who tragically lost their lives. Jerome also helps the officer’s daughter process it and gives her a voice to make a change in our world. As a mom, this book made me cry for his parents who lost their only son, and this type of murder needs to stop.
How does the book impact me? Why does this book matter?
This book greatly impacted me and was very eye-opening. I have taught many African American boys at this age and they are kids who should be protected by the police! In general, we have a whole community of people in our society that are terrified of getting killed by the police every single day and for no justifiable reason. This book would be great to teach in the classroom because it would help African American students process these events and it would help other students realize that this is not ok and that they have a voice. We all need to stand up and speak out - this cannot keep happening again and again. The shootings need to stop!
I would recommend this book to...
Police officers! Every police officer should read this book because it explores this timely issue and shows both sides of the event. All white people should also read this book because you quickly develop a lot of empathy for Jerome and the other boys. Plus, so many people do not care about these shootings or are glad they happen. I think these are the people that desperately need to read this book.
Note: My professional goal for this year is to read 50+ diverse books. As I attempt to read and review these books, I will be answering the following questions for each book:
Brief plot summary
Jerome, a twelve year old boy, who was holding a toy gun is shot and killed by a police officer. Jerome becomes a ghost to view what happens in the aftermath. Along the way, he meets Emmett Till who died a long time ago but due to similar reasons. He is also able to interact with the daughter of the police officer, so we can see the other perspective of this tragic event.
How is the book diverse?
African American author and characters
Opinion & reason for rating
This book is very deserving of five stars. It tackles a topic which impacts our society every single day. Young black males continue to be shot and killed by the police and this story is based off of one of those shootings. The author wrote this story beautifully creating empathy for both sides but particularly for all of these ghost boys who tragically lost their lives. Jerome also helps the officer’s daughter process it and gives her a voice to make a change in our world. As a mom, this book made me cry for his parents who lost their only son, and this type of murder needs to stop.
How does the book impact me? Why does this book matter?
This book greatly impacted me and was very eye-opening. I have taught many African American boys at this age and they are kids who should be protected by the police! In general, we have a whole community of people in our society that are terrified of getting killed by the police every single day and for no justifiable reason. This book would be great to teach in the classroom because it would help African American students process these events and it would help other students realize that this is not ok and that they have a voice. We all need to stand up and speak out - this cannot keep happening again and again. The shootings need to stop!
I would recommend this book to...
Police officers! Every police officer should read this book because it explores this timely issue and shows both sides of the event. All white people should also read this book because you quickly develop a lot of empathy for Jerome and the other boys. Plus, so many people do not care about these shootings or are glad they happen. I think these are the people that desperately need to read this book.
After I read this, I was thinking about how important it is for the young people in my life to read it, so they could get a perspective and a topic that they don't normally receive. (The scene where the librarian says Sarah will learn more about Emmett Till and civil rights during Black History Month felt spot on; kids in predominantly white schools simply don't learn anything about Black life until February, and it's usually reduced to MLK having a dream and George Washington Carver growing peanuts. Not trying to be flippant, but seriously). I wanted the kids to know about all of the "ghost boys," and think about how white kids get to dream about never growing up (ala Peter Pan), but black kids have this shared trauma of worrying about never growing up. I wanted them to think about how the police that they are taught to respect and trust are just people, with biases and prejudices who sometimes do some pretty messed up things. I was left musing over Jerome's question: 'When truth's a feeling, can it be both? Both true and untrue?" There's alot of good in here and I think its heart is in the right place.
But something was nagging at me, and I'm still struggling with putting my finger on it. Forgiveness is powerful, but it's so personal. Jerome was a murdered child. Shot in the back and left to bleed out. If he wants to forgive anyone, I guess that's his choice; but... saying of the officer 'he made a mistake' kind of took my breath away. And while Sarah's inclusion felt like a way to reach white readers, and appeal to what is often our genuine desire to do better and be better, I don't know that it really felt right to put her in the position of helping to save the day. And Jerome being bothered that she was mad at her dad, the cop who murdered him, didn't feel right. Like... if Sarah wants to be mad and/or hold that man to a different standard, that's her right. Maybe it feels like it's unresolved to not have them hug and cry it out, but that ending felt kind of gross to me. Considering, oh you know, that Jerome was murdered and his parents will never get to have a hug and cry with their son every again.
I don't know; I'm still mulling this one over. Is it better for a kid to read this and maybe reevaluate their worldview, or to not read it because it's not as well-done as I would like it to have been? No answers, just thinking, still.
But something was nagging at me, and I'm still struggling with putting my finger on it. Forgiveness is powerful, but it's so personal. Jerome was a murdered child. Shot in the back and left to bleed out. If he wants to forgive anyone, I guess that's his choice; but... saying of the officer 'he made a mistake' kind of took my breath away. And while Sarah's inclusion felt like a way to reach white readers, and appeal to what is often our genuine desire to do better and be better, I don't know that it really felt right to put her in the position of helping to save the day. And Jerome being bothered that she was mad at her dad, the cop who murdered him, didn't feel right. Like... if Sarah wants to be mad and/or hold that man to a different standard, that's her right. Maybe it feels like it's unresolved to not have them hug and cry it out, but that ending felt kind of gross to me. Considering, oh you know, that Jerome was murdered and his parents will never get to have a hug and cry with their son every again.
I don't know; I'm still mulling this one over. Is it better for a kid to read this and maybe reevaluate their worldview, or to not read it because it's not as well-done as I would like it to have been? No answers, just thinking, still.
Ghost Boys is a book that is based on stories and events that have happened in the last several years, the murders of young black men and boys. Jewell Parker Rhodes' writing weaves between the current event the death then provides background on why and how Jerome was killed. The book goes deep into the raw emotions and feelings of how the biases we have, plus what we make ourselves see. The story for a black man is all too common, but for another reader, it can be a lesson as to what is regular everyday life for so many African Americans. You have to act a certain way. You should be careful of what you do around the police, don't say certain things, etc. Her examination of the struggle that a family has to deal with after the death, something not a lot of people knows or think about.
She delves into the story of Emmett Till and also provides updated information, which is extremely helpful. Rhodes' hope that this book could be used as learning material is thoughtful and I think it could be used in some cases as a template for teaching race issues and why certain people view people in a certain way. Overall this is a good book, it should be read or listened to, whichever you are able to do, you won't be sorry for it.
She delves into the story of Emmett Till and also provides updated information, which is extremely helpful. Rhodes' hope that this book could be used as learning material is thoughtful and I think it could be used in some cases as a template for teaching race issues and why certain people view people in a certain way. Overall this is a good book, it should be read or listened to, whichever you are able to do, you won't be sorry for it.
This was so good. A quick but not super easy read. Everyone needs to read this book right now!
This book is a really important read, and awesome conversation starter for older kids (think 10-13). It raises really tough issues in a way that is tactful and respectful. It also is primarily about healing, but also not forgetting. An interesting resolution to a story that doesn’t really have a resolution!
