Ghost
Book description
Running. That's all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons -until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medallist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter…
Why read it?
4 authors picked Ghost as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Although Ghost is heavy on hardship (angry kid, incarcerated father), and a struggle story for sure, it’s such a tight, fast-paced one with a voice that you can’t help but fall right into the narrative.
Add to that sports (track), bad choices (stealing shoes), and all the intense emotions of a seventh-grader, any kid will have a hard time putting it down.
From Jennie's list on boys for middle graders whose reading is falling off.
Eleven-year-old Castle Crenshaw, the protagonist of Ghost, reminds me a lot of my protagonist Solo Hahn in Avenging the Owl. Both boys “have a lot of scream inside.” Castle suffers from PTSD because he’s witnessed so many fights between his parents. His family has one heck of a total meltdown when his father threatens to shoot him and his mother, and they have to hide in a convenience store. Castle finds adult mentors and begins to run track, which helps him to deal with anxiety and depression. Running cross-country and track saved me, as well; I still run…
From Melissa's list on total family meltdowns.
This sport might not be as non-traditional as some of those from my other recommendations, but before Ghost came out, readers were pretty hard-pressed to find a book featuring a track team. Thankfully, Jason Reynolds gave us the story of Castle “Ghost” Cranshaw. This book is written in such a conversational tone, it felt like Ghost was talking directly to me, telling me all about his life, his father, and why he’s no stranger to running. This book packs a wallop of an emotional punch, but you’re never left without a smile on your face as you learn about how…
From Brooks' list on featuring non-traditional sports.
Castle Crenshaw, better known as Ghost, is the dirt-poor, Black son of a single mother. The two of them have fled the family home with Ghost’s father shooting at them (“But the craziest thing was, I felt like the shot - loudest sound I ever heard - made my legs move even faster”). A coach spots Ghost’s exceptional talent when he takes an instant dislike to an albino kid in an overpriced tracksuit and races him in a burst of anger. Ghost joins the team, and struggles with a sport that proves to be demanding and exhausting, as well as…
From Madelaine's list on sport for 8-12 year olds.
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