Summary:
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.
My take: 5 looks
Put this one up there with “Required Reading” for middle-schoolers.
What a great premise: Jerome, a black boy with a toy gun, is killed by a white police officer, and his ghost hangs around for a bit, along with the likes of others who have died because of their color, including Emmett Till. Add to this already-intriguing story the fact that the young daughter of the police officer can see and talk with the ghost of Jerome.
This is a wonderful story of friendship, the devastating loss of a child and what it does to a family, overwhelming guilt of a mistake causing the loss of a life, and eventual redemption and moving forward for everyone. It sounds all-too-easy, but the author makes all of the characters work to get to the end, not just the officer.
There are some heavy emotions in this one, as expected, but Rhodes gives every character a voice and writes with great respect for all of the feelings, issues, and processes to be heard. Presenting the historical accuracy of the Emmett Till death in a modern context really hits home that the issue of innocent young black men being killed is still very much with us.
Like I said, this should be required reading. The conversations that would develop chapter after chapter is exactly what we need.
High recommended
Highly recommended.
