Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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Figure 1. Ghost Boys book cover (2019).

Evaluation of Book

In Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, Jerome Rogers, age 12, dies when Police Officer Moore mistakes his toy gun for a real one and shoots him. As a ghost, Jerome gets to watch is family deal with his death, see the preliminary hearing on if Officer Moore should face a trial, interact with Officer Moore’s daughter, Sarah, and meets Emmett Till’s ghost. This moving story covers how to cope with, learn from, and move on after Jerome’s death.

Ghost Boys draws a line in the sand, stating that dead boys will be a focus during this story. Then the first chapter starts off with Jerome’s ghost seeing himself dead. The reader now knows that at least one ghost exists. Then over time, Emmett Till’s ghost appears, a true historical person whose death acted as a catalyst to the Civil Rights movement. And as the story of Jerome’s death unfolds, the reader understands how the two ghost boys relate to each other and hundreds to thousands of other black boys because racism caused their deaths.

Jewell Parker Rhodes orchestrates a plot that provides hope despite the heart wrenching topic covered at its core. From the start, it is understood that something is off when Jerome dies. He is of slight build and a bit short for his age. He does not look like a threat. However, Officer Moore kills him during the day, shooting him in the back twice. The big questions of why this happened and how to stop it reoccurring guides the reader through the story with an ending that gives a touch of hope. And the moments of love, friendship, and acceptance make the future seem brighter. In the end, ‘bearing witness’ (p. 208) helps end the pain and make a difference (Rhodes, 2018).

For Ghost Boys, the settings for key events make a different. First, where Jerome dies matters. Green street houses drug dealers, “out-of-work men,” and a meth lab blew up there in the past (p. 14). Because of the danger of the area, Jerome walks his sister, Kim, to school every day. And after he dies, Grandma and/or Carlos, Jerome’s new friend, walk Kim to and from school. Because of the location, Officer Moore honestly feared for his life. This does not make his actions acceptable, but it does paint the picture of where the seed of bias began. Another place is Money, Mississippi, where Emmett Till died at the hands of two white men. They felt zero remorse for their actions, while Officer Moore falls apart when he realizes he killed a kid with a toy gun. Other key places, like Sarah’s room where she creates a website to share the stories of racism and injustice with the hope of ending it all and Jerome’s grave on the Day of the Dead, also matter. These locations provide hope for the future because healing happens at these places for key people in the story. (Rhodes, 2018)

Response

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes helped me learn and better understand the ideas of the Black Lives Matter movement. The twelve-year-old boy that died in the book did nothing wrong, except being black and living in the wrong neighborhood. This should not matter. And this relates to me because I teach at a school with about 43 percent African Americans. When the movement began, some of the students stated that I, as a white woman, could never understand. And while I agree with them, watching them gain confidence filled me with pride. Therefore, the text agrees with my view of the world. That people should stand up and be seen and heard. The stories of the past matter, especially when they impact todays world.

Conclusion

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes should appeal to those that enjoy historical fiction and a story with hope. The events laid out are realistic, and they open your eyes to what happens due to different people’s fears. Out of four stars, this book earns all four.

Citation

Rhodes, J. P. (2018). Ghost boys. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Willis, C. (2019). Ghost boys book cover (photo). Retrieved April 28, 2019 from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NY9fgfg5NsNcpsK-WOqX8JY7FI_zO76P/view?usp=sharing