Ghost Boys: Jewell Parker Rhodes

Title: Ghost Boys

Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes

Published: April 17. 2018

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 241

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Buy Book: Amazon

Review: Library book

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.

This review is from me. K and A did not read this book. A is too little and K is not mentally ready.

When I was processing books in the library I noticed we had this one and for some reason, it just called me to pick it up and read it. I know that sounds really weird though that is what happened. Anyway, I wanted to let my oldest read this book yet, as I started reading, I realized that this is not a book he would be ready for. He is super sensitive, and this would probably have him in tears. So I chose to read it myself. I am thankful I did. It broke my heart that this is pretty much like real life for black children. We hear about it on the news, we see it when there is video footage, and we read about it in books. Police brutality happens to more people of color than anything. Now, now, now, before anyone gets upset, I do have respect for the law. Yet, as we all know, there are some officers that are considered bad seeds and we have some officers that are amazing and respect everyone. It happens in our society; you all know this. 

In this story, we are introduced to Jerome who almost reminds me of my son in the way she described him and how innocent he is so I could almost relate. When Jerome dies at the hands of an officer he doesn't understand why he has not crossed over, he is a ghost. His eyes will be opened thanks to Emmett Till. Now we get information on Emmett if you remember he was the young man who died at the hands of white men and it was horrible, tragic, horrific. He was only 14. You know I never remember learning about Emmett Till in school so of course I looked it all up and I was in tears. How could anyone do that to another human, let alone a child? My heart was broken. I am glad I did not let my son read this book as he is not mentally prepared for this. Jerome ends up meeting Sarah who is the daughter of the police officer that murdered him and, as the story goes on we see how Sarah truly wants to try to change things as she learns that this is unfair. She is torn between loving her father and knowing that what he is did was wrong.

As it unfolds and we get to the end we get the true answers to what really happened to Jerome and we see what happens to the officer. It is what we see what happens in real life. I really wish this was a story that all people had to read. Though I know we can never force anyone to, but it is was an eye-opener. The author did such an amazing job with this story and bringing it to life. The message given within the words is powerful when you read stop and truly absorb what the author is writing. Racism is real, it is ugly, it kills and children are affected. 

Jewell Parker Rhodes has always loved reading and writing stories. Born and raised in Manchester, a largely African-American neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, she was a voracious reader as a child. She began college as a dance major, but when she discovered there were novels by African Americans, for African Americans, she knew she wanted to be an author. She wrote six novels for adults, two writing guides, and a memoir, but writing for children remained her dream.
Now Jewell has published six children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller Ghost Boys. She's also the author of Ninth Ward; Sugar; Bayou Magic; Towers Falling; and her newest middle grade novel Black Brother, Black Brother. She's also published six adult novels, two writing guides, and a memoir. When she’s not writing, she’s visiting schools to talk about her books with the kids who read them, or teaching writing at Arizona State University, where she is the Piper Endowed Chair and Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.
Jewell has received numerous honors including: the American Book Award, the National Endowment of the Arts Award in Fiction, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Outstanding Writing, and two Arizona Book Awards. Ninth Ward was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, a Notable Book for a Global Society, and a Today Show Al’s Book Club for Kids Selection. Her work has been published in China, Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and reproduced in audio for NPR’s “Selected Shorts.”