Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 Ghost Boy by Jewell Parker Rhodes was written in 2018 and is an interesting story that blends the contemporary shooting of twelve-year-old Jerome who is shot by a white cop who mistakes his toy gun for a real one. Although Jerome's life ends at the beginning of the story, his ghost lives on, and he is able to observe the lives of those he loves, the family of the police officer who shot him, and he is joined by the ghost of Emmitt Till. 

I like how Rhodes weaves the stories of the two boys together and how she addresses the effects of this shooting on the police officer and his family - especially his daughter. 

This story brings up many great discussion topics that are important today in our world. "Only the living can make the world better" (203).

Rebecca Belliston sent us these darling board books for our NICU babies. These are so appreciated! Thank you, Rebecca. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Link to our NICU book registry to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.