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I loved this book - beautiful artwork and a wonderful story. It addresses complex issues, but the story was simple enough that my five year old enjoyed reading it with me.
Basically, Cat’s family moves to a new town to improve her sister’s health. They soon realize that the town is full of ghosts. While her sister Maya is thrilled, Cat is terrified, which makes life difficult for everyone.
The thing I appreciated most about the book is how it represents diverse characters - not only are there characters from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds, but also a character with a severe health condition. And far from being in the background, Maya and her medical needs are detailed repeatedly.
To me, Maya and her story are perhaps the most valuable teaching tool in the book. While lots of books deal with race/culture (although possibly not as well as Ghosts*), very few that I’ve seen include children who aren’t in generally good health. So it’s an excellent opportunity to teach children about kids with bodies that work differently from their own.
*There is an alternative school of thought out there about Telgemeier’s handling of race and history in Ghosts. At one point the children visit an old Spanish mission, but the story does not address the role of the Catholic missions in subjugating indigenous peoples. Some people understandably feel that the story is whitewashing history and invalidating the experiences of native peoples. If Ghosts was written for an older audience, I might agree; as it is, given that it’s for younger children, I think delving into that aspect of history would distract from the already complex themes in the book.
As it is, Ghosts addresses cultural inheritance and how different families may assimilate, lose, maintain, or adapt their customs over generations. We see two families, both with Mexican heritage, with totally different approaches to traditional culture, food, and language.
Basically, Cat’s family moves to a new town to improve her sister’s health. They soon realize that the town is full of ghosts. While her sister Maya is thrilled, Cat is terrified, which makes life difficult for everyone.
The thing I appreciated most about the book is how it represents diverse characters - not only are there characters from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds, but also a character with a severe health condition. And far from being in the background, Maya and her medical needs are detailed repeatedly.
To me, Maya and her story are perhaps the most valuable teaching tool in the book. While lots of books deal with race/culture (although possibly not as well as Ghosts*), very few that I’ve seen include children who aren’t in generally good health. So it’s an excellent opportunity to teach children about kids with bodies that work differently from their own.
*There is an alternative school of thought out there about Telgemeier’s handling of race and history in Ghosts. At one point the children visit an old Spanish mission, but the story does not address the role of the Catholic missions in subjugating indigenous peoples. Some people understandably feel that the story is whitewashing history and invalidating the experiences of native peoples. If Ghosts was written for an older audience, I might agree; as it is, given that it’s for younger children, I think delving into that aspect of history would distract from the already complex themes in the book.
As it is, Ghosts addresses cultural inheritance and how different families may assimilate, lose, maintain, or adapt their customs over generations. We see two families, both with Mexican heritage, with totally different approaches to traditional culture, food, and language.