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July Read - Black Brother, Black Brother
By Kristen · 15 posts · 173 views
By Kristen · 15 posts · 173 views
last updated Aug 24, 2020 01:38PM
What Members Thought
Skinny book, big ideas.
Jewell Parker Rhodes does it again. Ninth Ward. Towers Falling. Bayou Magic. And now Ghost Boys. She has an uncanny sense of when to float books out into the world.
Lyrically written, as we have come to expect from her, this is more than a tale of injustice; it's a unique mix of both historical AND realistic fiction. Sadly, the lines between what has happened in the past are all too close to the present ones. This is an important book at an important time. My question is, ...more
Jewell Parker Rhodes does it again. Ninth Ward. Towers Falling. Bayou Magic. And now Ghost Boys. She has an uncanny sense of when to float books out into the world.
Lyrically written, as we have come to expect from her, this is more than a tale of injustice; it's a unique mix of both historical AND realistic fiction. Sadly, the lines between what has happened in the past are all too close to the present ones. This is an important book at an important time. My question is, ...more
After being killed by a white police officer, a 12 year old black boy returns as a ghost to process what has happened and how it is affecting his family. The ghost of Emmett Till, a black boy murdered in 1955, and other "ghost boys" who have been murdered, help Jerome understand the larger historical context. The chapters jump back and forth in time, weaving together the social and political framework to help young readers grapple with the impact of police violence on communities of color.
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Ghost Boys is a must-read middle grade novel! It tackles the tough issues of racial bias, bullying, and justice in present-day America.
It begins with the death of 12 year-old Jerome, who was shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. The narrative alternates between Jerome when he was alive, prior to the accident, and Jerome's ghost after his death. Jerome's ghost is there to witness the gut-wrenching grief of his family, the trial of the police officer who shot him, and ...more
It begins with the death of 12 year-old Jerome, who was shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. The narrative alternates between Jerome when he was alive, prior to the accident, and Jerome's ghost after his death. Jerome's ghost is there to witness the gut-wrenching grief of his family, the trial of the police officer who shot him, and ...more
powerful. An important book for middle grade readers.
Wow! Just Wow! What a story! I picked this book up on audio, but now know I need to purchase it for my school. It should be a read aloud for every class from grades 5 and up to help spread Jewell Parker Rhodes' message that we all need to do what we can to make things right.
The story is told by dead Jerome and live Jerome. A boy growing up in a poverty stricken area of Chicago who is shot by a policeman who believes he has a gun and fears for his life. But the boy didn't have a gun...well, not a ...more
The story is told by dead Jerome and live Jerome. A boy growing up in a poverty stricken area of Chicago who is shot by a policeman who believes he has a gun and fears for his life. But the boy didn't have a gun...well, not a ...more
When I give a five star rating, a personal rule of mine is that the book must encourage me to learn more about something (a theme, a person, a place) that was an integral part of the story. "Ghost Boys" did, in a powerful and changing way -- and I expect that other readers would feel the same way.
This is a story for kids, aimed at 9-12 year olds, and I think this is probably an appropriate range. The main character, Jerome, is a 12 year old black boy, who has been shot and killed by a police off ...more
This is a story for kids, aimed at 9-12 year olds, and I think this is probably an appropriate range. The main character, Jerome, is a 12 year old black boy, who has been shot and killed by a police off ...more
4.5 stars. After 12-year old Jerome is killed by a police officer who mistakes a toy gun for a real one, his spirit doesn't move on, but stays around with other ghost boys killed unjustly--including that of Emmett Till. Even though I felt as though the writing went just a bit off the rails every now and then, I think that is the author's style. It didn't change the fact that this is a powerful, moving and heart-breaking story. It is important and timely. Even though it is pretty short and a quic
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Nov 30, 2019
Holly Foley (Procida)
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult-juvenile
In this creative depiction of the Ghost of Jerome, there was so much sorrow and sympathy for every character. When I was a child there were a few accidental shootings in my small town. None were racially based, but, all were catastrophic situations full of regrets and what-ifs, the outcome of young lives lost too soon was the same for the families, regardless of the intent and the circumstance. The character Carlos and the guilt he feels is one of the saddest parts of this book. This is a very
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This is another stand out book by Jewell Parker Rhodes. She has such a gift for writing about tough subjects, and we are all better off for it.
Jul 08, 2018
Karen
marked it as to-read
Jul 21, 2018
Sara Card
added it
Sep 13, 2018
Kimberly
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
middle-grade-lit,
favorite-middle-grade-books
Oct 20, 2018
Pat Bashir
added it
Jan 17, 2019
Katy Marie
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2019
Library Maven
marked it as to-read
