Author: Jason Reynolds
Genre: Middle Grade Novel
Target Audience: Middle School and Older
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2016
Ghost: that's the nickname of Castle Cranshaw, the fleet-footed central character of Ghost, the first in Jason Reynold's Track series. Ghost is a character whose past pains and current predicaments have made life flat-out tough but whose future may be beaming with potential if he can stay on the right track (pun-intended). And with the help of Coach Brody, Ghost and the other athletes might see that competing in those striped lanes may be the key to overcoming the hurdles in their lives (no pun intended).
As a fan of track and field, it's good to see the sport get its due in literature, and young people involved in track and field will gravitate toward Ghost. And so will young people who are trying to navigate past hurts while trying to nurture their natural gifts.
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