Listen to the author, Jewell Parker Rhodes, on what inspired her to write Ghost Boys.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rhodes, Jewell Parker. GHOST BOYS. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-316-26228-6.

PLOT SUMMARY

Jerome was only twelve years old when he is shot by the police while playing with a toy gun.  After death, Jerome stays as a ghost.  He witnesses the aftermath of his death with his family’s suffering as well as the family of the cop that shot him.  Jerome also meets, Sarah, the cop’s daughter and another ghost, Emmett Till, who was another black young boy that was brutally murdered in the 1950s. Since Sarah is the only live person that can see Jerome, Emmett makes Jerome realize that he can do something, to help with change, through Sarah, so tragedies like his do not continue happening.  Sarah then starts her work as a young activist to tell Jerome, Emmett and other black boys’ stories to make sure they are never forgotten and to help avoid situations like this due to prejudice and racism.  Knowing that his story has been told, Jerome is able to wander off and help other ghost boys tell their stories. 

ANALYSIS

Jerome is a boy who alive is a good boy who does not get into trouble.  He goes to school  and tries to stay away from trouble and the kids who are bullying him.  He loves his family to include his grandmother who lives with his family.    He tries to comfort his grandmother when she has bad premonitions.

Emmett Till is a fourteen-year-old African American boy who was brutally murdered while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.  He lived in Chicago where things were much different from the south regarding the interaction between Blacks and Whites.  The results of Emmett’s actions show how Blacks were treated unjustly at that time in the South. 

SETTING

The neighborhood where Jerome lived with his family is a neighborhood where drug dealers are present during the day as Jerome and his sister walk to school.  His mother even comments that brining up a child in their neighborhood is risky.  As Jerome roams around after this death, he realizes how different his house is from Sarah’s house.  Sarah has an abundant of things that Jerome knows his sister would love to have. 

HEME

The theme of this book is social awareness.  The author is trying to convey that people should not be judged by their skin color but by their character.  Jerome’s death is an event that regrettably is still frequently heard on the news regarding Black men and the police.  A small but powerful change can be created through awareness of similar situations. 

CULTURAL MARKERS

Authenticity in description of the diversity within the book:

Family unity and extended family:  Both of Jerome’s parents work leaving his Grandma in charge of the cooking, cleaning and to make sure Jerome and his sister are not alone.  Both Jerome and his sister show much respect for their grandmother as well as their parents. 

Jerome’s mother’s belief that their neighborhood is a risky place to bring up a child to adulthood.  Dealers in the neighborhood which Jerome and his sister try to avoid on their way to school. 

Description of All Saint’s Day for Jerome’s family and the Day of the Dead celebrations for Carlos’ family.   

Author’s qualifications:  Jewell Parker Rhodes was a young child when Emmett Till was murdered.  She has heard many stories like this in her life that have resulted in her hope that today’s youth will be able to make a difference through awareness.  She writes to inspire social justice and does research for each of her books that she writes.  She has received various awards such as the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, The Walter Award and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. 

CONNECTIONS

Students can create a double bubble thinking map to compare characters.  They can choose to compare Jerome with either Emmett or Sarah.  Through this activity they can see how both are similar and how they are different.