Welcome to Book Trailer of the Week where I spotlight a trailer you can show your students.
Today’s book needs no introduction. It’s the first book in Jason Reynolds’ Track series which has been a timeless hit with many kids who love fast-paced sports stories. I love Reynolds’ writing and his ability to bring characters who feel real to life. Interestingly, though my first Jason Reynolds’ book was not Ghost. I first encountered the author’s writing in the book, The Boy in the Black Suit. Here’s my five-star review of that book from 2022:
My first book by Jason Reynolds — I loved it! Matt is a teenager dealing with the loss of his mother to breast cancer and his father’s relapse into alcoholism. He begins working as a funeral home attendant and finds himself attending strangers’ funerals as a way to cope with his grief. My favorite things about this book are Matt’s vulnerability, his friendship with Chris, Lovey (as a character), and all the wonderful subplots, from his parents’ history to Mr Ray’s. Jason Reynolds is undoubtedly a gifted writer, and I’ve bought two books in his [Track] series as proof of my conviction.
After reading Ghost, I enjoyed it so much that I built a novel unit around it (if you ever want to teach it to grades 4-7, you can get a free sample of that unit here) and made today’s book trailer. Reynolds packs in so much symbolism and characterization into that story and I truly think of it as a narrative masterclass packed into under 200 pages.
This week, I’m highlighting one of my most popular book trailers: Ghost by Jason Reynolds. This book is the story of a boy who finds community and healing when he joins a local track team. It does reference gun violence, but is appropriate for readers ages 10 and up.
Ghost is one of few truly engaging books about running track. It stars a character with many flaws who’s finding his way in the world with support from an adult mentor biologically unrelated to him and a group of other kids who couldn’t be more different but share his passion for track. It’s also the first book in a series of five books, each told from the perspective of another runner and the latest one, about their coach’s childhood. If your students fall for Reynolds’ storytelling, they’ll have a whole world of characters to discover in this series.
This book is for the readers who like realistic fiction—sports fans or not—and want to plopped straight into the action. Hand to kids who have a reputation for being “difficult” or who know other kids like that. Readers who love books about friendship and found family and who can handle seeing a character recover from past trauma will love this book, too.
What’s your favorite Jason Reynolds book? :)
❤️ Like this post
🔁 Share my work with your network.
If you’re on Substack, restack this post to your friends and followers, and if you’re getting this in your inbox, use the link below to share my Substack with your friends who need good books for kids in their lives.
Consider becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack. You’ll gain access to free Book Matchmaking, my monthly new release and recap posts, and my annual Summer Reading Guide.
Thanks for being here,
Afoma.
This post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through my links.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.