Book
Ghost boys / Jewell Parker Rhodes.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780316262286
- Physical Description: 214 pages ; 22 cm
- Publisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2018.
- Copyright: ©2018.
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| Topic Heading: | Coast Reads 2020-2021 > Sunshine Coast (BC) |
Available copies
- 5 of 5 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Grand Forks and District Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 5 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | J FIC RHO (Text) | 35142002678141 | Juvenile Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2018 February #1
*Starred Review* Jerome, a young black boy gunned down while playing in a park with a toy gun, invites readers to bear witness to his story, to the tragedy of being dispatched simply because of a policeman's internalized prejudice masquerading as fear. One day at school, while he and his new friend Carlos are being bullied, Carlos pulls out a toy gun to scare their attackers. Afterward, he gives it to Jerome so he can have a chance to play with it, to pretend that he is in charge. But when he is shot in the back while running from the police, his soul leaves his body and he becomes one of the army of ghost boys hoping to communicate with those still consumed with racial bias. While looking in on the preliminary court hearing, Jerome realizes that the police officer's daughter can see and talk to him, and together they try to understand how the world around them could be so cruel. Rhodes (Sugar, 2013; Towers Falling, 2016) beautifully weaves together the fictional and the historicalâJerome comes across the ghosts of real-life individuals like Emmett Till and Trayvon Martinâin this gripping and all-too-necessary novel about police brutality, injustice, and the power of bearing witness to the stories of those who are gone. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2018 Fall
Like the real-life Tamir Rice, twelve-year-old African American boy Jerome is killed by a white policeman while playing with a toy gun on a playground. Jerome's ghost is joined by that of Emmett Till, who helps him process what happened; Jerome also befriends Sarah, daughter of the policeman, who can see him. Although the book is timely and quite powerful, the upbeat, forgiveness-filled ending is facile. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2018 February #2
In a story that explicitly recalls the murder of Tamir Rice, Jerome, a 12-year-old black boy killed by a white Chicago cop, must, along with the ghosts of Emmett Till and others, process what has happened and how. With the rising tide of today's Movement for Black Lives, there has been a re-examination of how the 1955 murder of Emmett Till became the fuel for the mid-20th-century civil rights movement. With this narrative in mind, Rhodes seeks to make Till's story relevant to the post-millennial generation. Readers meet Jerome, who's bullied at his troubled and underfunded neighborhood school, just at the time that Latinx newcomer Carlos arrives from San Antonio. After finding that Carlos' toy gun may help keep the school bullies at bay, Jerome is taken by surprise while playing in the park when a white arriving police officer summarily shoots him dead. The police officer's daughter, Sarah, is the only character who can truly see the ghost boys as they all struggle to process that day and move forward. Written in nonlinear chapters that travel between the afterlife and the lead-up to the unfortunate day, the novel weaves in how historical and sociopolitical realities come to bear on black families, suggesting what can be done to move the future toward a more just directionâalbeit not without somewhat flattening the righteous rage of the African-American community in emphasizing the more palatable universal values of "friendship. Kindness. Understanding." A timely, challenging book that's worthy of a read, further discussion, and action. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2018 February #3
Set in an impoverished Chicago neighborhood, this somber story blends history with current events. Jerome Rogers, a black 12-year-old, is playing outside with a toy gun when he is shot and killed by a white policeman who views him as a threat. Now Jerome wanders the earth with other "ghost boys" whose deaths are all connected to bigotry. Ironically, the only human who can see Jerome is Sarah, the young daughter of the officer who took his life. Jerome meets the ghost of Emmett Till and learns the horrific details of his murder. Emmett, like the other ghost boys, cannot rest until the world is swept clean of discriminatory violence; maybe Jerome can help if he can make Sarah understand that her father's act was a result of deeply ingrained racism. Rhodes writes in short, poetic chapters that offer graphic depictions of avoidable tragedies; her hope for a better world packs a powerful punch, delivering a call to action to speak out against prejudice and erase harmful misconceptions. Ages 10âup.
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.) - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2018 January
Set in an impoverished Chicago neighborhood, this somber story blends history with current events. Jerome Rogers, a black 12-year-old, is playing outside with a toy gun when he is shot and killed by a white policeman who views him as a threat. Now Jerome wanders the earth with other "ghost boys" whose deaths are all connected to bigotry. Ironically, the only human who can see Jerome is Sarah, the young daughter of the officer who took his life. Jerome meets the ghost of Emmett Till and learns the horrific details of his murder. Emmett, like the other ghost boys, cannot rest until the world is swept clean of discriminatory violence; maybe Jerome can help if he can make Sarah understand that her father's act was a result of deeply ingrained racism. Rhodes writes in short, poetic chapters that offer graphic depictions of avoidable tragedies; her hope for a better world packs a powerful punch, delivering a call to action to speak out against prejudice and erase harmful misconceptions. Ages 10âup.
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.) - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2018 April
Jerome is shot and killed by a white police officer. His body lies in a pool of blood in the African-American neighborhood park by his family's apartment, a toy gun next to him. Jerome's ghost, however, remains next to his body, unsure as to why he is still there. He witnesses the pain of his family coping with his death, and he notices another ghost observing him. At the court hearing to determine whether the police officer should be charged with murder, Jerome is shocked when he realizes that the officer's daughter, Sarah, is able to see him. The second ghost introduces himself as Emmett Till, an African-American teen who was killed in Mississippi in 1955, and tells Jerome stories of young African-American teens who have been murdered. Both grieving for different reasons, Sarah and Jerome must learn to trust each other so that they can find closure. Rhodes's Ghost Boys contributes to the discussion of race relations and the Black Lives Matter movement by providing a look at the impact Jerome's death has on both families involved in this shooting. Jerome's story is told through a series of vignettes, mixing his previous life with the court case and reactions that ensue, and allowing for the exploration of how and why his death occurred. The characters are well rounded and realistically portrayed. Historical context behind the death of unarmed African Americans is explicitly presented, and the novel feels didactic at times; however, it remains a potent story that deserves to be read.âEtienne Vallée. It is a boy's chance to move on, except he has to find out why he died first. In Ghost Boys, Jerome tries to find the reason he was shot and killed by a police officer on duty, leaving his family distraught and torn. Was his death due to racism or an accident? Jerome meets another ghost and learns more about himself. Mystery lovers will enjoy this tale rooted in today's news. 4Q, 3P.âKobi Dostie, Teen Reviewer. Ghost Boys is a compelling story about a twelve-year-old black boy named Jerome who is killed by a police officer while playing in his neighborhood. This book shows the effects of the incident on Jerome's family and the rest of his community. Although some aspects of the book undermine its central idea, the message it spreads is powerful and important. People of all ages can learn from Jerome and his story. 3Q, 4P.âZoe Norton, Teen Reviewer. 4Q 3P M J S Copyright 2018 Voya Reviews.
