Book Review Alert: Ghost Boys
Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Paperback edition
Published: April 17, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ASIN: 978-0316262262
5 stars
📖 When the present echoes the past, it answers the lingering questions of a 12-year-old in the afterlife. 👻
Jerome is a 12-year-old African American boy who is killed by a white police officer. This is where his story begins. As a ghost 👻, Jerome can see everything that happens after his death—from the moment his life is taken to the trial that follows ⚖️. He witnesses the deep pain 💔 and devastation his death brings to his family and his neighborhood.
Only one person can see Jerome: Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who killed him. Through this unexpected connection 🤝, Jerome begins to understand the impact of his death beyond his own family. He is soon introduced to a community of boys like himself, known as the Ghost Boys 👦🏾👦🏿👦🏽. One of them helps Jerome adjust to death and explains why Jerome has become the most well-known among them ⭐.
Join Jerome and Sarah on an emotional journey 🛤️ as they uncover the truth about what really happened and discover that Jerome’s death mirrors the tragic deaths of young boys from the past 🕊️.
✨ Ghost Boys is a powerful and timely book. It is an essential read for parents who want to bridge the gap between past and present conversations about race 🖤🤎🤍. Many children may not know the story of Emmett Till but are familiar with Tamir Rice. This book connects both histories in a way that is accessible and impactful. It can be described as The Hate U Give for a younger audience—thought-provoking 🧠, emotional 😢, and absolutely necessary 📚.
