Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 

Ghost Boys

by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Historical Fiction

Summary:

        Ghost Boys tells the story of a 12-year-old black boy named Jerome who was wrongfully killed by a police officer who mistakenly perceived him as a threat because of his personal bias. Jerome dies but discovers he is now a wandering ghost, whom no living person can see, except the daughter of the officer who killed him. He interacts with the ghosts of other black boys who were murdered just like him, including that of Emmett Till, who helps him figure out why he is a wandering ghost and what he is supposed to do with this opportunity as a wanderer. 

Justification:

        Librarians are always seeking new books with diverse characters to include in the collection. This is a great one to include because it mixes history with fiction to create an incredibly educational and harrowing tale. Though the themes of death, police brutality, and family relationships are intense, the book is written with a simple prose to be easily understandable by a 6th grade student. 

Characters:

        The characters within this novel are very well-developed and realistic. The dialogue sounds like what you might actually overhear between a conversation made up of seventh graders. Jerome is a sweet kid who acts more grown-up than he is, but you see his childlike nature in the way he gets excited about playing outside. Carlos is also just a sweet young kid who wanted to make a friend, and the friendship depicted between him and Jerome is a testament to how innocent kids are, and how quickly they are to jump into being best friends. 

Style and Language:

        The language within this book is extremely simple. The easy nature of the writing makes this story more accessible to a variety of learners and grade levels. The content within this book makes it a great one to study for upper middle school grades (7th, 8th), but the easy-to-understand writing also makes it a great class study for the lower middle grades, too (5th, 6th). The straightforward writing also highlights the childlike nature and innocence of Jerome, which only makes the book more impactful. 

Setting:

        This book takes us to a variety of different places, and even different planes of existence. We see both Jerome's living and ghostly existence. One of the more fascinating parts of this book is that we get to see how Jerome experiences the same physical locations differently based on his state of life. His home when he is alive is warm, cozy, and comfortable. When he passes on to his ghostly form, his home is cold, lonely, and sad. 

Overall, this is a wonderfully written book that discusses such important topics for middle-school-aged children. I would be hesitant to give this book to a 5th or 6th grader as an independent read without first giving them some information on the themes and topics covered within this book, but as a class novel, this book works well for all grades of middle school, and possibly even upper elementary, as well. 

Rhodes, J. P. (2018). Ghost boys. Little, Brown and Company.