Ghost

Ghost

Jason Reynolds

Publisher

Atheneum Books For Young Readers

Publication Year

2016

ISBN

9781481450157

Pages

181 pages

Genre

realism

Format

novel

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

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. Ghost has a crazy natural talent, but no formal training. If he can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons -- it all starting with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems -- and running away from them -- until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who blew his own shot at success by using drugs, and who is determined to keep other kids from blowing their shots at life.

Grade Level

6-8; 9-12

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; Family violence; Single parent; abusive parent; abusive father; violent parent; rage; domestic abuse; single mother

Main Character

boy

Race/Ethnicities

Black

Family Formation

single mother

Awards

Best of the Best Books, 2016
New York Times Notable Children's Books, 2016
YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, 2017
YALSA Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Youth, 2017
Lone Star Reading List, 2017
Nominee
Cybils Awards, 2016, Winner, Middle Grade Fiction
National Book Award, 2016, Finalist, Young People's Literature
Odyssey Award, 2017, Honor, Children (13-18)

Keywords

coaches; friendship; track and field; self-realization; drinking; guns; anger; running

Diversity Impact

direct

Ghost

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