An up-and-coming rockstar of a writer takes on a younger audience in this quick, charming book about the healing power of a track team.
Recommended grade level: 4-7
Pages: 192 (for ISBN 9781481450157)
Genre(s) and keywords: realistic, sports, diverse, African-American protagonist, award winner
Tone/Style: conversational, African American Vernacular English (AAVE)
Pace: fast
Topics: running track, shoes, stealing, traumatic past experiences, incarcerated parents
Themes: opening up about difficult life experiences, accountability, causes of misbehavior, hard work and determination, new friends
Summary: Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of a brand-new series from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award–winning author Jason Reynolds.
Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. (Source)
Who will like this book?: At 192 pages and with a sports theme, this should appeal to many reluctant readers. The book also has a fabulously diverse cast that offers representation to readers who may not see enough of themselves in literature. Castle (aka “Ghost”) is an honest and relatably flawed narrator. Ghost weighty enough that teachers should like it, too, making it a great choice for book reports.
Who won’t like this book?: It’s more of a character development book (though an unusually fast-moving one) than a plot-based book, and certain types of readers may reach the end and feel that not much happened in it.
Other comments: I read this as a physical book, but my coworkers tell me the audiobook is excellent. It won an Odyssey Honor this year. Ghost is also a National Book Award Finalist. It looks like this will be the first of several books about different members of the track team.
Sequel(s): Patina (expected August 2017); two more titles forthcoming (presumably called Lu and Sunny).
Readalikes: Jason Reynolds exploded onto the scene a few years ago and hasn’t stopped since. His When I Was the Greatest and The Boy in the Black Suit are a good choices about urban black boys for slightly more mature audience (recommended for grades 7 and up). Ghetto Cowboy and Chess Rumble by G. Neri and Riding Chance by Christine Kendall are also books about black boys who find outlets in new hobbies. Readers interested in track can also try the ever-popular The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen.
-Kylie Peters
Image credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28954126-ghost
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