Ghost by Jason Reynolds

A: Bibliography

Reynolds, Jason. 2016. GHOST. New York, NY; Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1481450166.

B: Plot Summary

Castle Crenshaw, otherwise known as Ghost, is a troubled little boy that comes from a difficult

neighborhood. He finds comfort in the structure of running track. With the help of his coach,

Ghost learns to turn away from anger and the difficulties that come from living where he does,

and focus on improving his talents and athletic abilities.

C: Critical Analysis (Including cultural markers)

What a whirlwind of a read! I am so glad this is just book one of a series, because I wasn’t

ready for the story to be over when I reached the end. My heart went out to Ghost and

everything he had to deal with that was way beyond his maturity level.

Culturally speaking, nearly every character in this novel was African American. The difficulties

that these characters faced due to their race and poverty stricken neighborhood all play factors

into how these characters perceived life.

D: Review Excerpts

Kirkus: “Ghost’s narration is candid and colloquial, reminiscent of such original voices as Bud

Caldwell and Joey Pigza; his level of self-understanding is both believably childlike and

disarming in its perception. He is self-focused enough that secondary characters initially

feel one-dimensional, Coach in particular, but as he gets to know them better, so do readers,

in a way that unfolds naturally and pleasingly.”

School Library Journal: “This is the book you hand to the kids who want something real and

good and honest. There are a lot of Ghosts out there in the world. Hopefully some of them will

discover themselves here. Run, don’t walk, to pick this book up.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Reynolds (As Brave As You) uses a light hand to delve into topics that

include gun violence, class disparity, and bullying in this compelling series opener.”

E: Connections

Look for these other books for young people by Jason Reynolds:

Reynolds, Jason. PATINA. ISBN 1481450190.

Reynolds, Jason. SUNNY. ISBN 1481450220.

Reynolds, Jason. LU. ISBN 1481450255.

Ms. Nichols Reads