Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Publisher & Date: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 10 Sep 2019
Page Count: 240 pages
ISBN: 978-0316262262
Age/Reading Level: 10-13/Grades 5-8
Representation: Black main character
Other Information:
Book Information
A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.
Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.
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’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an 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 towards 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 grapples with her father’s actions.
Once again Jewell Parker Rhodes deftly weaves historical and socio-political layers into a gripping and poignant story about how children and families face the complexities of today’s world, and how one boy grows to understand American blackness in the aftermath of his own death.
Challenges & Bans
This book has been challenged for concerns about its content, including its portrayal of police officers, violence, anti-police/anti-white propaganda, and the potential impact on white children.
Specific Challenges*:
Kingsberg Elementary School District, Fresno County, Colorado (2021): After a parent complaint regarding the particular political views expressed in the book, school district removed the book without going through a reconsideration process.
Wauneta-Pallisade Public Schools, Chase County, Nebraska (2022): The Protect Nebraska Children Coalition brought a list of over 30 books to a school board meeting, wanting the books removed from both elementary and high school libraries. The books were removed for evaluation.
*Source: Marshall University Library Banned Books webpage
Awards & Accolades
William Allen White Children’s Book Award, Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, E. B. White Read Aloud Award, NAIBA (New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association) Book of the Year, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice (nominee), Truman Readers Award (final nominee), Kids’ Book Choice Awards, Trinity Schools Book Award, Black-Eyed Susan Award, We Need Diverse Books Walter Award (Young Readers Category), Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction
