Rating: 4 for reaching readers in a multimodal world
My Thoughts:
This story, by Jewell Parker Rhodes navigates a healing journey to police brutality and young, black bodies being gunned down in the streets. The opening scene is Jerome, face down on the road, blood coming out, dead, alone, just a police officer standing over him and his toy gun.
Jerome speaks to us as a ghost, and he is witness to his family’s suffering and anger. He is also visited by a ghost boy (Emmet Till) and eventually other young ghost boys who were similarly killed. Emmett helps Jerome make sense of the racism and white fear that continues to see young black boys as dangerous and feared.
In addition, the daughter of the officer that shot Jerome (still living) can also see Jerome. Through her, the readers see a different perspective of the officer, especially when even his daughter questions his decision making after seeing the video.
This story, as a graphic novel is immediate and visceral. Words are sparse and important. The graphics bring life to the characters and tell a story that needs to be remembered. We are not thriving as a society and this is a reminder of that fact.
From the Publisher:
Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that is unleashed on his family and community in the wake of this unjust and brutal killing.
Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey toward recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who shot him, as she grapples with her father's actions.
Now gorgeously a graphic novel with gripping artwork from Black Panther illustrator Setor Fiadzigbey, Ghost Boys once again deftly explores the historical and sociopolitical layers involved in how children and families face the complexities of today’s world—and how one boy, in particular, comes to understand American Blackness in the aftermath of his own death.
Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey toward recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer who shot him, as she grapples with her father's actions.
Now gorgeously a graphic novel with gripping artwork from Black Panther illustrator Setor Fiadzigbey, Ghost Boys once again deftly explores the historical and sociopolitical layers involved in how children and families face the complexities of today’s world—and how one boy, in particular, comes to understand American Blackness in the aftermath of his own death.
Publication Information:
Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Illustrator: Setor Fiadzigbey
Publisher: Little, Brown, Ink (December 2, 2025)
Print length: 264 pages
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