Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
Tragic tale that is beautifully written. Highly recommended.
Read for librarian book group
Jerome is twelve and he becomes a ghost boy when he is shot by the police while playing with a toy gun near his home. As a ghost boy, he meets up with Emmett Till, hangs around his family's apartment, and meets some new people. Chapters in the present are interspersed with chapters from the past and as time moves forward, we see how Jerome's last day shaped up.
This is a short book--I read half of it on my lunch break and half of it on the commute home--and well worth the read.
Jerome is twelve and he becomes a ghost boy when he is shot by the police while playing with a toy gun near his home. As a ghost boy, he meets up with Emmett Till, hangs around his family's apartment, and meets some new people. Chapters in the present are interspersed with chapters from the past and as time moves forward, we see how Jerome's last day shaped up.
This is a short book--I read half of it on my lunch break and half of it on the commute home--and well worth the read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Update 7/17/2018
Had a very powerful conversation today that affirmed my three stars. I'm keeping it.
---
Ghost Boys is an important story with a gorgeous cover that will invite lots of readers. While I try to keep my Goodreads reviews positive, I feel the need to share that Jewell Parker Rhodes' writing doesn't engage me. The abundance short staccato sentences prevent me from achieving a flow. I felt like one of the few who didn't rave about Towers Falling. I don't like talking ghosts in my books. Not because I'm all religious. Anyone who follows me on Goodreads knows that I am not. That element of fantasy doesn't appeal to me, and I especially don't like talking animals. I'm intrigued by JPR's decision to make Jerome 12, not 13 or 14. I would like to talk through that with another reader. Enough rambling... feeling sheepish about my decision to below 4 stars. Relieved to see my friend Leigh Ann did and eager to see what my new friend Shari eventually gives it.
Had a very powerful conversation today that affirmed my three stars. I'm keeping it.
---
Ghost Boys is an important story with a gorgeous cover that will invite lots of readers. While I try to keep my Goodreads reviews positive, I feel the need to share that Jewell Parker Rhodes' writing doesn't engage me. The abundance short staccato sentences prevent me from achieving a flow. I felt like one of the few who didn't rave about Towers Falling. I don't like talking ghosts in my books. Not because I'm all religious. Anyone who follows me on Goodreads knows that I am not. That element of fantasy doesn't appeal to me, and I especially don't like talking animals. I'm intrigued by JPR's decision to make Jerome 12, not 13 or 14. I would like to talk through that with another reader. Enough rambling... feeling sheepish about my decision to below 4 stars. Relieved to see my friend Leigh Ann did and eager to see what my new friend Shari eventually gives it.
This is a hard book to read through your tears. As soon as 12-year-old Jerome is shot and killed by a white police officer in Chicago who mistakes Jerome's toy gun for a real one (but that's not the whole story -- keep reading), the tears start flowing. The parallels to the shooting of Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio are explicit, although the story is historical fiction.
Jerome makes a friend at school, Carlos, who pulls out a "gun" on the school bullies who attack them in the restroom. It turns out the gun is a fake, a toy, but it looks real. Carlos offers it to Jerome to play with, run around outside his apartment on a beautiful day, pretending and having fun with his little sister outside.
It ends so badly, and at first Jerome can't make sense of it. He begins haunting Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who shot and killed him. She can see him and talk to him and they learn from each other. The ghost of Emmett Till guides Jerome on his journey to discovering how historical racism led to his death and the deaths of so many other ghost boys -- a legion killed because of prejudice and racism.
I especially loved and appreciated how the story ended.
This is a powerful narrative, and there's a powerful free educator's guide to accompany it, as well, developed in collaboration with the author and Boogie Down Books.
This is not your typical free teaching guide. It's FULL of great teaching methods, resources and links. It features several close reading questions for pivotal scenes, author's craft, characterization, historical and literary allusions. There are historical links to key Civil Rights references in the book, such as Emmett Till's death, the Children's Crusade of 1963, the Sit-Ins, and the Movement for Black Lives.
The back of the book features 16 discussion questions, an afterword about Emmett Till, a note about why she incorporated the Day of the Dead into the work, and the significance of bearing witness.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Jerome makes a friend at school, Carlos, who pulls out a "gun" on the school bullies who attack them in the restroom. It turns out the gun is a fake, a toy, but it looks real. Carlos offers it to Jerome to play with, run around outside his apartment on a beautiful day, pretending and having fun with his little sister outside.
It ends so badly, and at first Jerome can't make sense of it. He begins haunting Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who shot and killed him. She can see him and talk to him and they learn from each other. The ghost of Emmett Till guides Jerome on his journey to discovering how historical racism led to his death and the deaths of so many other ghost boys -- a legion killed because of prejudice and racism.
I especially loved and appreciated how the story ended.
This is a powerful narrative, and there's a powerful free educator's guide to accompany it, as well, developed in collaboration with the author and Boogie Down Books.
This is not your typical free teaching guide. It's FULL of great teaching methods, resources and links. It features several close reading questions for pivotal scenes, author's craft, characterization, historical and literary allusions. There are historical links to key Civil Rights references in the book, such as Emmett Till's death, the Children's Crusade of 1963, the Sit-Ins, and the Movement for Black Lives.
The back of the book features 16 discussion questions, an afterword about Emmett Till, a note about why she incorporated the Day of the Dead into the work, and the significance of bearing witness.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
This book made me cry. It was painful and heartbreaking, but a great read.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An excellent book about the death of a young black boy fatally shot by a police officer. The ghost of 12-year-old Jerome meets the ghost of Emmett Till, and through the telling of their stories are able to examine the issues of race and prejudice from multiple perspectives. A fantastic read for middle school students.
A short but powerful read especially during these times right now with such unrest and so many lives being taken without cause! Highly recommend!