Ghost Boys

Compare and contrast Sarah’s life as a White child and Jerome’s life as a Black child. What impacts do class, race, and neighborhood have on the reality of their daily lives?

Jerome comes to a better understanding of why he haunts people connected to him as a result of his death. What tasks must he complete before moving on, and what do these tasks tell us about what Americans must do to come to terms with the killing of Black children?

Sarah moves from not knowing anything about the murders of Black children to building a website about these deaths. What enables her to make this move from ignorance to knowledge, and how does building the website help her heal?

Discuss the evolution of Jerome’s perspective on the actions of Officer Moore when he shot and killed Jerome.

What does Emmett Till mean when he tells Jerome that people must bear witness? How does bearing witness help each of the characters in the novel? How does the novel itself serve as an act of bearing witness?

What is unconscious bias? What role does it play in Officer Moore’s actions on the day he shoots Jerome?

Emmett Till’s death was publicized using photos of his open casket and of his grieving mother, while Jerome’s death is publicized using video. These images are powerful and painful to watch and hear, but they sometimes inspire real action in people who encounter them. Have you seen or heard mass media images of Black men or boys who have been killed by the police? How did you feel as you confronted these images, or did you choose not to see or hear them? What impact did these images and sounds have on you and your understanding of racial stereotypes in America? If you are a young person, an adult might have made this choice for you. Do you agree with the decision of this adult? Why, or why not?

Ghost Boys is a book for young readers, but it includes direct presentations of the deaths of Emmett Till and Jerome. Why do you think Parker Rhodes chose to include these deaths? Make an argument for whether including direct presentations of the deaths is age appropriate.