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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
A beautiful, terrible, necessary book. Although it is written for children, the author captures the complexity and senselessness of racial injustice without watering down the tragedy of it, and yet somehow manages to make it accessible to her audience. Many kids will see themselves reflected in these pages and learn, maybe for the first time, that the problem is not THEM.
This line in particular stood out to me as relevant in this moment. “It’s okay that Sarah’s still troubled; she should be. It’s how Sarah helps herself and the world” (p. 184). In my humble opinion, Ghost Boys should be a required text for all Americans.
This line in particular stood out to me as relevant in this moment. “It’s okay that Sarah’s still troubled; she should be. It’s how Sarah helps herself and the world” (p. 184). In my humble opinion, Ghost Boys should be a required text for all Americans.
I bought a copy of this book for one of my 5th grade students who was having a hard time finding a book at our school library that interested him enough to read for independent reading time, and of course, I had to read it myself. The subject matter in the book is heavy, but I think it's important not just for middle grade students, but adults too.
This audiobook had me ugly crying while shelving books in the library. Not an easy read, but an important, vital one.
Jewell Parker Rhodes gets so many things right in this novel. I remember sobbing the first time I read this two years ago. Seeing everything unfold through Jerome's, a child, eyes is so powerful. He is not the most eloquent of speakers, but I feel everything he tells us as a narrator.
Oftentimes we try to shield young people from the bad parts of the world, but they need to know. They need to know so they can do better, which we see through the character of Sarah. Is this novel perfect, no, but nothing ever is. But it is a great read that makes you think, and will challenge perspectives. This is a must for middle-grade classrooms.
Oftentimes we try to shield young people from the bad parts of the world, but they need to know. They need to know so they can do better, which we see through the character of Sarah. Is this novel perfect, no, but nothing ever is. But it is a great read that makes you think, and will challenge perspectives. This is a must for middle-grade classrooms.
This wasn’t bad, although not exactly what I expected. I thought there would be more interactions with the other “ghost boys” (and why no “ghost girls”?) in addition to Emmet Till. I enjoyed Jerome’s connection to Carlos and his sister and grandmother but the interactions with the police officer’s daughter left me cold. (Admittedly this may be personal bias.)
Obviously I’m not in the target audience but given the subject matter. I found this surprisingly...dull.
Obviously I’m not in the target audience but given the subject matter. I found this surprisingly...dull.
This book was excellent! I was so engrossed that I finished it in a matter of hours. This story was so heartbreaking but it needs to be told. It delivered the truth in a way that children could understand. Jerome's story was sadly like a lot of others in that he wasn't even given a chance to live his life before it was unfairly taken away. Also again like a lot of the other ghost boys that came before him he didn't receive any justice. This story made me very emotional. My only complaint about this book is that it made no mention of the unarmed girls and women who were killed by police. They're being murdered too and also not receiving any justice. I appreciated the dynamic between Jerome and Sarah and it gave me hope that there will be more people like Sarah in this world. I think that this book should be required reading for every elementary school in the United States.
Although this book is based on a very topical issue, it felt less like a story and more like a PSA about racism and racial bias. The same few ideas were hammered out over and over again. It is a very important message, but there are other ways to get that across!
This book is so important and well written. It is the story of a ghost Jerome. He is a young black boy that was shot by a police officer. His story of life and death is so moving and should spur change.