A New York Times Bestseller
This was one of my most anticipated 2018 books and I was not disappointed. A must read.” -Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give
‘tender, timely … surprising and hopeful’ – Observer
A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a white police officer, drawing connections with real-life, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.
ALIVE
Twelve-year-old Jerome doesn’t get into trouble. He goes to school. He does his homework. He takes care of his little sister.
Then Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat.
DEAD
As a ghost, watching his family trying to cope with his death, Jerome begins to notice other ghost boys.
Each boy has a story and they all have something in common…
Bit by bit, Jerome begins to understand what really happened – not just to him, but to all of the ghost boys.
A poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today’s world.
This was one of my most anticipated 2018 books and I was not disappointed. A must read.” -Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give
‘tender, timely … surprising and hopeful’ – Observer
A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a white police officer, drawing connections with real-life, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.
ALIVE
Twelve-year-old Jerome doesn’t get into trouble. He goes to school. He does his homework. He takes care of his little sister.
Then Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat.
DEAD
As a ghost, watching his family trying to cope with his death, Jerome begins to notice other ghost boys.
Each boy has a story and they all have something in common…
Bit by bit, Jerome begins to understand what really happened – not just to him, but to all of the ghost boys.
A poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today’s world.
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Reviews
This is an incredibly moving and at times harrowing story with unbelievable moments, some sadly based on true events. A thought provoking story for older, mature juniors offering much to discuss.
This story will absorb you and break your heart.
This is one of those books that you love, but it's uncomfortable. It's upsetting and it's disconcerting. You feel helpless and angry. The writing is fantastic [...]
This is a beautiful and tragic book that is unfortunately very necessary right now.
A thought-provoking and timely read for children aged 11 and up.
This was one of my most anticipated 2018 books and I was not disappointed. A must read.
...the protagonist of Jewell Parker Rhodes's tender, timely Ghost Boys (Orion £6.99) - 12-year-old Jerome - dies on page one. Unmoored from life, he switches between the events that led to his death (borrowed toy gun, trigger-happy white police officer) and its surprising and hopeful aftermath.
...heartbreaking. [...] This is a strong book.
This is a must-read book, an opportunity to talk about race, as well as an emotional and involving story.
A powerful story about police violence in the United States, invoking the real life killings of Tamir Rice and Emmett Till. Jerome's story is a call to action, told unflinchingly but with great humanity.
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement comes this novel by an African American writer whose writing has been too long delayed in reaching UK readers [...] a fast-paced and gripping, as well as thought-provoking, read.
Rhodes achieves a lot in this relatively short book, dealing with grief, history, the idea of biases (both conscious and unconscious) and the fight for justice. This is a beautiful and tragic book that is unfortunately very necessary right now.
This is a truly eye-opening story equality and racism.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.