Jason Reynolds

Aspiring to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school's track team, gifted runner Ghost finds his goal challenged by a tragic past with a violent father.

Ghost

Sarah Sammis

Amanda Kordeliski

I loved this one and can't wait to read the next in the series. With Ghost, Jason Reynolds shows he can write for middle grade in addition to YA. The characters are authentic, the issues and reactions to situations are believable and the list of middle school kids I could give this to is endless. I hope it wins the Newbery and will be devastated if it doesn't walk away with a CSK and at least a Newbery Honor.

Nadine 

Every now and then I read a book and think "this is really well written" - amongst the 100s of books I read, this is such a book.
Compelling yet easy to read and just keeps you engaged and wanting more. Sure to be a hit.

Emily

The overwhelming thought I had while reading this was: I'm so glad that kids are reading this. 

Obviously, I still adored this from the perspective of someone older than the target audience, but I can't even imagine how much kids today must cherish these books. Even for kids who can't relate to Ghost's home life, his voice is so undeniably relatable to any kid reading. I'm so glad Jason Reynolds put these incredibly heartwarming, yet important books into the world, and I'm so glad kids are reading them. 

This book is about so much more than track, and I truly do believe that any kid could find themself within these pages, some even more than others. And for many, finding themself in these pages might help them get through things in the real world.

I read this for my "The Great American Read" challenge to read all of the 100 books on the list.

I liked it! I bet if I were still a kid, reading this would have made me think about a lot of things because of the subject matter involved. As an adult, I did tear up a bit during the climax where we uncover why Ghost did something. Very real and could be raw for children. I can see why this made the PBS list.

Jeni Enjaian

I thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. It's not that I did not enjoy it; I definitely did. It always seemed to skim the surface though, the surface of all the issues that many of the characters deal with, especially Ghost. Upon reflection, it also appeared that he got off easy every time he got in trouble. Everyone gave him a second chance. I like Ghost so part of me was glad that he kept getting second chances. On the other hand, he will never learn unless he has to face the harsh consequences of foolish actions.
I absolutely loved the running aspect though, which should come as no surprise for a runner.

Katy B

Reread. I wanted to reread this book before finally reading the other 3 books in the series even though I don't think you really need to read them in order. Jason Reynolds has a way with words that pulls readers into the realistic world he's created and making you feel like you're experiencing what his characters are. He also feel like the king of pacing; he's descriptive enough to make you feel in the story, but also succinct. There is no extra fluff or unnecessary details.

Ghost

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