Ghost Boys

I liked this book, it taught me all about rasicism

I like how this book taught me a little more about racism and that black lives have been treated very horribly throughout history and are still being treated that way today.

A thought provoking book. This would be a great book to use in Year 6 to stimulate discussion around racism and prejudice .

I liked Sarah Moore because 1. she think opposite of her dad who killed Jerome, the main character and 2. she's the only one who could see the ghost of the protagonist. I would recommend it to someone who hasn't read it.

Thought provoking and handled well for the target-audience. I understand why this is read in school and I am glad I read it

bad

I enjoyed reading this book as it was interesting and fun to read. It was sad when the police killed the boy for no reason. I would recommend this book for 8-13 year olds.

This really made me think about the world and how we can help everyone in it.

It was very sad story about how a black boy was killed by a white cop because he had a fake plastic toy gun

An eerie book that involves life, death and ghosts after a boy gets shot

I loved the complexity of the narrator and non linear timelines. A very important read that addresses difficult themes in an accessible way.

What an amazing book!! It is told by the ghost of a black boy shot by a white policeman. Whilst in this limbo he can communicate with other black people killed by white people. He can also communicate with the daughter of his killer. The first murder case mentioned did happen. Recommended!

A hard-hitting yet accessible and age-appropriate book for Year 7 on a really emotive subject - racist attitudes and police killings of black boys in America - the 'ghost boys' of the title. Has a hopeful ending with the message that people can change.

A very thought provoking book. I liked how the chapters alternated between alive and dead.

Fantastic book that gives the reader an insight into the struggles people can face because of the colour of their skin. The story reflect how there is not always justice in the word, however as a society we can change the way we act towards others and fight for what is right.

I would recommend this! My favourite character was Carlos because he was Jeromes friends and he was caring.It was about a boy called Jerome who got shot because he had a toy gun. It was mistaken for a real one…

This story was so moving, right from the begining as Jerome coped with the bullies in his neighbourhood and school, keeping his problems from his family.
The sad and preventable circumstances in which he was shot thus becoming a ghost boy. The perspective of the daughter of the police man who had shot him was an interesting addition. I hugely recommend this book.

A short but devastating story, written in alternate 'dead' and 'alive' sections from the point of view of Jerome, a 12 year black Chicagan shot in the back by a white police officer.

This is a brilliant work of fiction which beautifully weaves in the all too real and awful story of 14 year old Emmet Till, killed by a racist lynchmob in Mississippi in August 1955.

Read it. Read it with your children and students. Recommend it to everyone you can. Make it part of your ongoing conversation about racism.

Excellent take on a sadly current topic. Great book.

Books are often called important. But this one genuinely feels like it deserves the word. Really heavy, relevant topics are dealt with in such powerful, moving ways that they break your heart and make you see how very real they are for so many. Jerome could be the boy who lives down the road from you and what happens to him is both shocking and so achingly unfair. But the book isn’t angry, it makes you pause and see the world, not only as a hopeful 12 year old who is bullied but loves his family sees it, but also as the ghost boy he becomes, one who can still help to change the world by helping others.

It is powerful and empathetic and introduces themes such as racism, diversity and death, as well as important historical figures in a way that is suitable for lower secondary students.

This book is about a boy who was killed by a police officer because he thought his toy gun was a real one. I thought this book was very sad.

A beautifully written story that gets to the heart of a deep rooted issue from the viewpoint of a young boy. The relationship between Jerome and Sarah, and the subtle yet poignant reality of how different their lives are, is embedded into the narrative.
A brilliant book to begin conversations about the subconscious bias that exists and the damage it causes.

A very powerful read about a black boy shot by a white police officer. Heartbreaking story of many real life stories of young black men killed by white people for no reason at all. Would be an excellent book to read with upper KS2 classes and will bring lots of discussion points about racism, white privilege and being people to make a difference.

An interesting book, with factual information easily digested by a young/reluctant reader. Although there were facts relating to a crime commited many years ago the relevance in todays society is powerful.

An emotional read as this looks at the prejudices which still happen today

Such a thought provoking read. We studied this with Year 8. It was a real hit. So many themes explored in such a sensitive way by JPR. What really lingers in my mind is the strong narrative voice of Jerome that really pulled me through the book. Great for class talk on racial bias, friendship, loyalty, racism in society, bullying, family values. I loved it.

A thought- provoking, powerful and heartbreaking novel. I will definitely be encouraging my own children to read this as well as introducing it to our KS3 curriculum.

Was interested in the book as a potential class reader. Some aspects were interesting and current, however I feel it just missed the mark to engage a pupil cohort. Will ask some of my pupil librarians to give it a go.

I rated this book with a three because it was interesting to read however, there were a lot of words that I didn't understand the meaning of. The book was fiction but was based on a real story. My favorite person from the story was Jerome Rogers because he was the main character and the novel was based on him. I would recommend this book to someone else.

This is a thought-provoking and emotional story of racism and how people's perceptions can destroy the lives of others.
I would recommend this book to young people (aged 11+) but I feel the story and the messages within it would be so much more powerful with the input and discussion of an adult.
I liked the dual narrative aspect of the story as the it was told from Jerome's point of view both alive and as a ghost.
A powerful read.