Ghost Boys

By: Jewell Parker Rhodes

Narrated by: Miles Harvey

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that's been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.

Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey toward recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father's actions.

Once again Jewell Parker Rhodes deftly weaves historical and sociopolitical layers into a gripping and poignant story about how children and families face the complexities of today's world and how one boy grows to understand American blackness in the aftermath of his own death.

©2018 Jewell Parker Rhodes (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Rhodes captures the all-too-real pain of racial injustice and provides an important window for readers who are just beginning to explore the ideas of privilege and implicit bias." (School Library Journal)

Fantastic

I chose this book to read to my 5th grade class. They absolutely loved it and connected with it!!! They kept wanting to know more and lore because it triggered their curiosity.

powerful

good blend of past and present events to tell a covert and overt story. good book

Not bad

Made me cry several times in the middle. The idea of losing a child is unthinkable and the book really highlights it.

AMAZING story for our youth

We should all take time to read this with our youth and their families. The life lessons are valuable.

Truth

Wonderfully sad story that mirrors the truth in our world. This truth needs to be changed. All humans are valued!

Interesting and information

My son really enjoyed listing to the narration of this boys story. The dialogue was nicely written and the plot was emotionally captivating. Thank you

Amazingly done!

This is a wonderful depiction of the emotions of a tragic situation from both sides. A must read!

powerful and necessary.

we are all connected and must keep that front and center in our lives. this book shows both the tragedy when that's ignored and the potential when compassion and justice drive us.

Powerful Listen

A must listen for all to bear witness and effect change, understand unconscious bias and for the futures of all BIPOC children.

A good book that has a good lesson to learn from

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.