Ghost Boys - Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Boys

By Jewell Parker Rhodes

  • Release Date: 2018-04-17
  • Genre: Culture, Places & People in Young Adult Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 220 Ratings

Description

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 towards 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 socio-political 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.

Reviews

  • awsome

    5
    By miami queennn
    This book is awesome and very inspiring
  • Also black live don’t matter all lives do 🤦

    1
    By WeisseWolf45
    I don’t get how they say he is racist when he thought it was a gun that’s not his fault the cop thought it was a gun it happens to a lot of cops when a person tries to shoot them
  • Amazing and Empowering Book!!!

    5
    By Everett Peters
    This book is a beautiful mix of sadness, information and throws a spotlight on racial bias that is hard to find in a book. A must read!
  • Worth Reading

    3
    By Yourmomisgorgeous
    It was a good book. It wasn’t very realistic though. In real life, white cops don’t feel bad for shooting black people. But I still liked the book, it was pretty sad, and it felt a little rushed at times.
  • Amazing

    5
    By 😍love🤩is😝all🥳you😇need
    This book is amazing! It is so meaningful and it really helps people learn that what was happening way back when Emmet Till was a boy is still happening now!
  • Excellent

    5
    By Curt1911
    In Short - Very relatable from a young Teen”s perspective
  • Inspiring

    5
    By Victoriads08
    As a child reading this book for a school assignment, I have been arguing with my family about this since the death of George Floyd. I just finished this book and it really made me cry. I’m definitely sharing this with my younger siblings because it it important for them to know the struggles of America. Immigrants come from all over the globe to make a “better life” in America. It’s called the “American dream.” Then when they are here they are discriminated against. I feel strongly for this subject.
  • Powerful, painful, real and inspiring

    5
    By MalSpear2020
    Highly recommended.
  • Soo awesome

    5
    By fgcuc
    Im shocked at how awful but so relieved that things have got better highly recomd
  • Awesome

    5
    By Jhanav
    Amazing book I loved it is very on topic I would honestly recommend this to everybody. Good topic if you are talking about racism in school

Comments