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Track #1
Ghost
Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of a brand-new series from Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe Award-winning author Jason Reynolds.
Ghost, Lu, Patina, Sunny-four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team-a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other but to themselves.
Running-that's all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons. It all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems-and running away from them-until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy, natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed or will his past finally catch up to him?
Ghost, Lu, Patina, Sunny-four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team-a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other but to themselves.
Running-that's all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons. It all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems-and running away from them-until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy, natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed or will his past finally catch up to him?
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First published August 30, 2016
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About the author
Jason Reynolds
75 books10.2k followersJason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, Jason Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,052 reviews
August 11, 2016
This is a generalization, but in my experience librarians really enjoy reading within their comfort zones. They’ll travel outside of them from time to time but always they return to the books that they like the most. Children’s librarians are just the same. The fantasy readers stick to fantasy. The realism fans go with realism. Graphic novel readers with comics. When I served on a yearly committee of librarians in New York I’d notice that some books were difficult to get anyone to read. Horse books, for example, just sat on our shelves untouched. Nonfiction could take some prodding. And as for sports books . . . forget about it. Nobody ever got near them. Still, you can’t give up on them. Mike Lupica and Tim Green may rule the field but that doesn’t mean other people don’t make a lot out of athletics. If our Newbery winning The Crossover by Kwame Alexander taught us anything, it was that. Now Jason Reynolds, a young adult author until this year, has produced a middle grade novel centered on that must unlikely of sports: track. It skirts the clichés. It dodges the usual pitfalls. It makes you care about a kid who keeps messing up over and over and over again. It’ll make you like sports books, even if you can’t generally stand them. And now we’ve got to find a way to get a lot of it into the hands of kids. Stat.
Call him Ghost. You can call him Castle Crenshaw if you want to (that’s technically his name) but he’s been calling himself Ghost ever since the night his dad got drunk and threatened Castle and his mom with a gun. Ghost learned to run that night and you might say he’s been running ever since. He’s got a load of anger inside that he doesn’t know how to deal with so he tends to take it out on others at school. Then one day he spots a track warm-up and takes an instant dislike to the albino kid in the expensive tracksuit. Without thinking about it twice Ghost beats the guy on the track, running on the outside, which gets the attention of the coach. Coach begs Ghost to join and Ghost reluctantly agrees but it isn’t what he expected. The other kids there all have their own lives, few of them easy. The running is much harder than anything Ghost has ever experienced before. And then there’s the fact that no matter how fast he is, Ghost can’t run away from trouble. It follows him and if he’s not careful it’s going to follow him right onto the track.
Baseball. Basketball. Even football. These are the sports of fiction. I doubt anyone has ever run any statistics on it, but if you were to gather together all the children’s sports books and group them by type, the baseball books would undoubtedly outweigh all the others 2:1. That’s because baseball is a game with a natural rise and fall to its action. Basketball has speed and football has brute force, all good things when writing a story. Track? In track you run and then you stop. At least that’s how I always looked at it. For Jason Reynolds, though, it’s different. He didn't write this book with track as a single focus. He looks at what the sport boils down to. Basically, this is a book about running. Running from mistakes (forgive the cliché), from very real threats, for your life, and for your team. Why you run and where you run and how you run. And if that's where you're coming from, then track is a very good choice of a sport indeed.
On paper, this book looks like it’s the sort of story that’s all been done before. That’s where Reynolds’ writing comes in to play. First off, it’s worth noticing that Mr. Reynolds is blessed with a keen sense of humor. This comes to play not just in the text but also in little in-jokes here and there. Like the fact that one of the runners (that, I should mention, gets cut later in the book because his grades are slipping) is named Chris Myers. Christopher Myers is the son of Walter Dean Myers, and a friend to Jason Reynolds. I love Jason's descriptions too. Mr. Charles at the corner store, “looks just like James Brown if James Brown were white. . .” Or Ghost saying later, “… for something to make you feel tough, you gotta be a little bit scared of it at first.” There are some pretty fantastic callbacks hidden in the story as well. Right at the start, almost like it’s some kind of superhero origin story, we hear how Ghost heard the gun go off that night he ran away from his home with his mom and “I felt like the loud shot made my legs move even faster.” That ties in beautifully with the starter pistol that goes off at the very very end of the book.
But maybe what I like the most about Jason Reynolds’ books is that he applies this keen sense of the complexity to his characters. I don’t think the man could write a straight one-dimensional villain to save his soul. Even his worst characters have these brief moments of humanity to them. In this case, Ghost’s dad is the worst character. You don’t get much worse than shooting at your wife and kid after all. Yet for all that, Ghost still can't help but love the guy and eats sunflower seeds in his memory. Each character in the book has layers that you can peel away as the story progresses. Even Ghost, ESPECIALLY Ghost, who makes you want to yell and him and cheer for him, sometimes at the same time.
There’s been a monumental push for increased diversity in children’s literature in the last few years. Diversity can mean any number of things and it often focuses on race. In a weird way, increasing the number of racially diverse books on a given publisher’s release calendar isn’t hard if the publisher is dedicated to the notion. Far more difficult is figuring out how you increase the economic diversity. Middle grade characters are almost always middle class. If they’re working class then they tend to be historical. Contemporary lower income kids in realistic novels are almost unheard of. For example, how many books for children have you ever read with kids living in shelters? I’ve read just one, and I’m a children’s librarian. So I watched what Reynolds did here with great interest. Ghost isn’t destitute or anything but his single mom makes ends meet by working long hours at a hospital. Middle class kids are remarkably good at ignoring their own privilege while kids like Ghost become almost invisible. In the book, Ghost’s decision to initially race Lu isn’t solely based on how Lu struts around the track, thinking he’s the bee’s knees. It’s also on his clothes. “…Lu, was decked out in the flyest gear. Fresh Nike running shoes, and a full-body skintight suit . . . He wore a headband and a gold chain around his neck, and a diamond glinted in each ear.” Later Ghost makes a decision regarding a particularly fancy pair of running shoes. That’s an economic decision as well. Those are the most obvious examples, but the book is full of little mentions, peppered throughout, of where Ghost’s class comes in to things. It’s nice to see an author who gets that. We are often affected by forces outside our control, forces we don’t even necessarily notice, particularly when we’re children. If young readers see it, they’ll be reading between the lines, just like Reynolds wants them to.
Right at the beginning of the book, when Coach is trying to convince Ghost’s mom that he should be running, Ghost realizes that he’s in a situation that’s played out in loads of sports films. He thinks, “If this went like the movies, I was either going to score the game-winning touchdown (which is impossible in track) or . . . die.” Sometimes you can gauge how good a book is by how self-aware its characters are. But sometimes you just read a book, put it down, and think, “Man. That was good. That was really good.” This is a book that actually made me tear up, and there aren’t a lot of middle grade books that do that. I was rooting for Ghost hard, right until the end. I was caring about a sport that I’d never otherwise think about in a million years. And I was admiring it from start to finish for all that it accomplishes in its scant 180 pages. This is the book you hand to the kids who want something real and good and honest. There are a lot of Ghosts out there in the world. Hopefully some of them will discover themselves here. Run, don’t walk, to pick this book up.
For ages 10 and up.
Call him Ghost. You can call him Castle Crenshaw if you want to (that’s technically his name) but he’s been calling himself Ghost ever since the night his dad got drunk and threatened Castle and his mom with a gun. Ghost learned to run that night and you might say he’s been running ever since. He’s got a load of anger inside that he doesn’t know how to deal with so he tends to take it out on others at school. Then one day he spots a track warm-up and takes an instant dislike to the albino kid in the expensive tracksuit. Without thinking about it twice Ghost beats the guy on the track, running on the outside, which gets the attention of the coach. Coach begs Ghost to join and Ghost reluctantly agrees but it isn’t what he expected. The other kids there all have their own lives, few of them easy. The running is much harder than anything Ghost has ever experienced before. And then there’s the fact that no matter how fast he is, Ghost can’t run away from trouble. It follows him and if he’s not careful it’s going to follow him right onto the track.
Baseball. Basketball. Even football. These are the sports of fiction. I doubt anyone has ever run any statistics on it, but if you were to gather together all the children’s sports books and group them by type, the baseball books would undoubtedly outweigh all the others 2:1. That’s because baseball is a game with a natural rise and fall to its action. Basketball has speed and football has brute force, all good things when writing a story. Track? In track you run and then you stop. At least that’s how I always looked at it. For Jason Reynolds, though, it’s different. He didn't write this book with track as a single focus. He looks at what the sport boils down to. Basically, this is a book about running. Running from mistakes (forgive the cliché), from very real threats, for your life, and for your team. Why you run and where you run and how you run. And if that's where you're coming from, then track is a very good choice of a sport indeed.
On paper, this book looks like it’s the sort of story that’s all been done before. That’s where Reynolds’ writing comes in to play. First off, it’s worth noticing that Mr. Reynolds is blessed with a keen sense of humor. This comes to play not just in the text but also in little in-jokes here and there. Like the fact that one of the runners (that, I should mention, gets cut later in the book because his grades are slipping) is named Chris Myers. Christopher Myers is the son of Walter Dean Myers, and a friend to Jason Reynolds. I love Jason's descriptions too. Mr. Charles at the corner store, “looks just like James Brown if James Brown were white. . .” Or Ghost saying later, “… for something to make you feel tough, you gotta be a little bit scared of it at first.” There are some pretty fantastic callbacks hidden in the story as well. Right at the start, almost like it’s some kind of superhero origin story, we hear how Ghost heard the gun go off that night he ran away from his home with his mom and “I felt like the loud shot made my legs move even faster.” That ties in beautifully with the starter pistol that goes off at the very very end of the book.
But maybe what I like the most about Jason Reynolds’ books is that he applies this keen sense of the complexity to his characters. I don’t think the man could write a straight one-dimensional villain to save his soul. Even his worst characters have these brief moments of humanity to them. In this case, Ghost’s dad is the worst character. You don’t get much worse than shooting at your wife and kid after all. Yet for all that, Ghost still can't help but love the guy and eats sunflower seeds in his memory. Each character in the book has layers that you can peel away as the story progresses. Even Ghost, ESPECIALLY Ghost, who makes you want to yell and him and cheer for him, sometimes at the same time.
There’s been a monumental push for increased diversity in children’s literature in the last few years. Diversity can mean any number of things and it often focuses on race. In a weird way, increasing the number of racially diverse books on a given publisher’s release calendar isn’t hard if the publisher is dedicated to the notion. Far more difficult is figuring out how you increase the economic diversity. Middle grade characters are almost always middle class. If they’re working class then they tend to be historical. Contemporary lower income kids in realistic novels are almost unheard of. For example, how many books for children have you ever read with kids living in shelters? I’ve read just one, and I’m a children’s librarian. So I watched what Reynolds did here with great interest. Ghost isn’t destitute or anything but his single mom makes ends meet by working long hours at a hospital. Middle class kids are remarkably good at ignoring their own privilege while kids like Ghost become almost invisible. In the book, Ghost’s decision to initially race Lu isn’t solely based on how Lu struts around the track, thinking he’s the bee’s knees. It’s also on his clothes. “…Lu, was decked out in the flyest gear. Fresh Nike running shoes, and a full-body skintight suit . . . He wore a headband and a gold chain around his neck, and a diamond glinted in each ear.” Later Ghost makes a decision regarding a particularly fancy pair of running shoes. That’s an economic decision as well. Those are the most obvious examples, but the book is full of little mentions, peppered throughout, of where Ghost’s class comes in to things. It’s nice to see an author who gets that. We are often affected by forces outside our control, forces we don’t even necessarily notice, particularly when we’re children. If young readers see it, they’ll be reading between the lines, just like Reynolds wants them to.
Right at the beginning of the book, when Coach is trying to convince Ghost’s mom that he should be running, Ghost realizes that he’s in a situation that’s played out in loads of sports films. He thinks, “If this went like the movies, I was either going to score the game-winning touchdown (which is impossible in track) or . . . die.” Sometimes you can gauge how good a book is by how self-aware its characters are. But sometimes you just read a book, put it down, and think, “Man. That was good. That was really good.” This is a book that actually made me tear up, and there aren’t a lot of middle grade books that do that. I was rooting for Ghost hard, right until the end. I was caring about a sport that I’d never otherwise think about in a million years. And I was admiring it from start to finish for all that it accomplishes in its scant 180 pages. This is the book you hand to the kids who want something real and good and honest. There are a lot of Ghosts out there in the world. Hopefully some of them will discover themselves here. Run, don’t walk, to pick this book up.
For ages 10 and up.
September 21, 2016
You could pass this book to hundreds of kids and they will love it. Delighted that Jason Reynolds is writing a series for middle grade readers, so kids can grow up with his books.
May 3, 2017
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Ghost is a deeply moving book with several important messages for young readers.
Castle Crenshaw goes by the name Ghost, because he's a wicked fast runner. The first time he ran -- truly ran -- he was running for his life: running ain't nothing I ever had to practice. It's just something I knew how to do.
Now that he's older, Ghost puts his natural talent to work by running track. But he's not just running toward the finish line, he's running away from his past and the anger he's got buried inside.
"Trouble is, you can't run away from yourself." Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. "Unfortunately," he said, "ain't nobody that fast."
Ghost must come to terms with what he's running from and decide where he's running to: "you can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."
Jason Reynolds always manages to squeeze numerous topics into his books without making the narrative feel over crowded. Ghost touches on thievery, drug abuse, gun violence, bullying, honesty, family dynamics, friendship, and finding healthy ways to channel anger and hurt into positive action.
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Ghost is a deeply moving book with several important messages for young readers.
Castle Crenshaw goes by the name Ghost, because he's a wicked fast runner. The first time he ran -- truly ran -- he was running for his life: running ain't nothing I ever had to practice. It's just something I knew how to do.
Now that he's older, Ghost puts his natural talent to work by running track. But he's not just running toward the finish line, he's running away from his past and the anger he's got buried inside.
"Trouble is, you can't run away from yourself." Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. "Unfortunately," he said, "ain't nobody that fast."
Ghost must come to terms with what he's running from and decide where he's running to: "you can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."
Jason Reynolds always manages to squeeze numerous topics into his books without making the narrative feel over crowded. Ghost touches on thievery, drug abuse, gun violence, bullying, honesty, family dynamics, friendship, and finding healthy ways to channel anger and hurt into positive action.
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
September 2, 2025
Update (03/2021): I mean at this point do we expect me do give Mr. Reynolds anything less? Absolutely not. This book was just as good as I remembered and definitely one that needs to be in the hands in as many kids as possibly. As I've stated in my previous thoughts, Ghost (Castle) is such a complex character and it's through his complexity that readers are truly able to appreciate the story as a whole. Ghost definitely isn't always an easy read, but it's a necessary read. It's a book that will resonate with a lot readers and not just children, but adults as well. I have already put the second book on hold at my library. It's about time that I finish this series and figure out what happens with all of the other characters.
Jason Reynolds is such an amazing man. This is the second book that I've read by him and was not let down by a long shot. Ghost focuses on the challenges faced by a young boy who goes by the nickname of Ghost. Ghost is a complex character that deals with some pretty hefty issues. It is through these issues that he joins a track team and learns more about himself and others. This book was heartfelt and definitely teaches kids a great lesson about not letting certain situations define your character. If you're looking for a good place to start with Jason Reynolds I definitely recommend this book.
Jason Reynolds is such an amazing man. This is the second book that I've read by him and was not let down by a long shot. Ghost focuses on the challenges faced by a young boy who goes by the nickname of Ghost. Ghost is a complex character that deals with some pretty hefty issues. It is through these issues that he joins a track team and learns more about himself and others. This book was heartfelt and definitely teaches kids a great lesson about not letting certain situations define your character. If you're looking for a good place to start with Jason Reynolds I definitely recommend this book.
December 27, 2017
Wish I would have had this book alongside all my Beverly Cleary books back in middle school. Like Cleary, Jason Reynolds clearly remembers what it was to be a kid — the private humiliations, the silliness, the outsized misconceptions, the way the tiniest bit of support can change a day.
Want to read
December 10, 2018When a 13-year-old boy tells me, "I hate to read. But. Have you read Ghost by Jason Reynolds? 'Cause that's awesome!" I am absolutely adding that to my stack.
July 30, 2025
I just LOVED this one!
November 11, 2016
I saw this on some award nomination list--I can't remember which one. And I don't really care which list it was--Ghost ought to win. It should win all the awards. It's a spectacular book with a perfect voice and exquisitely told story. I cried through the last 20% or so of the book. It's not sad--it's just beautiful enough to move a cracked chunk of concrete to tears. Despite the fact that the protagonist, Castle, is a dirt-poor black kid and I grew up in a middle-class white family, I could identify so strongly him--with his overpowering black and red emotions--that I was transported back my own sometimes challenging middle school years.
The first thing I did when I finished Ghost was to shove it into my wife's hands, babbling incoherently about how she just had to read it now, now, now, and order a copy for her library so her students could read it too. The second thing I did was to write this review. And it's going to be a short review, because I've got things to do. I'm going to get off of Goodreads and order literally every other book Jason Reynolds has published. If they're half as good as Ghost, I'm going to love them all.
The first thing I did when I finished Ghost was to shove it into my wife's hands, babbling incoherently about how she just had to read it now, now, now, and order a copy for her library so her students could read it too. The second thing I did was to write this review. And it's going to be a short review, because I've got things to do. I'm going to get off of Goodreads and order literally every other book Jason Reynolds has published. If they're half as good as Ghost, I'm going to love them all.
March 7, 2019
I read this after my middle daughter recommended. She's 12 and an athlete in her own right. The voice is realand perfectly depicts the challenges kid face on and off the field. It shows them how to face those challenges in an approachable way, and I love that it features characters who look like my kids and that they can directly relate to.
October 1, 2025
I love the way Jason Reynolds writes. He is so tender and his characters are so loveable. This a great book for young people with humor and heart. Jason loves a cliff hanging ending.
Reread
I read this book on audio with my kids and they loved it so much it made me love it even more. Jason is so good at capturing the imagination of kids and finding levels for adults to tap into too.
Reread
I read this book on audio with my kids and they loved it so much it made me love it even more. Jason is so good at capturing the imagination of kids and finding levels for adults to tap into too.
April 28, 2019
What a great story!
I was at the library looking for another book to read and I have seen this cover several times and I decided I wanted to read it. I haven't read about the track world, so I thought, let's learn about running.
Ghost is a great character. He is into the Guinness book of World records and he likes sunflower seeds. He has a great insight into life as well. He wants to be on the team and one day he decides to show up these fancy people on the track and show them he can run too. He runs so well that the coach takes an interest in him and convinces him to join the track team.
Ghost loves being on a team and he really gets into it. I love the bits about Usain Bolt. Great stuff. The one grip and it's a good grip is that the book leads up to the 1st track meet and he leaves us hanging. Seriously, the ending made me smile and I wanted to know more. How could he leave it hanging? He does. It's actually an ok ending.
I knew nothing of this and I hadn't heard of Jason Reynolds and this was a fantastic surprise. A great story that has great characters, so well written, easy to read and a fast read. I loved this book and I'm going to read more of the series. I'm so pleasantly surprised. Seriously.
I love it when you just happen upon a gem and you are so glad you found that book. Yes.
I was at the library looking for another book to read and I have seen this cover several times and I decided I wanted to read it. I haven't read about the track world, so I thought, let's learn about running.
Ghost is a great character. He is into the Guinness book of World records and he likes sunflower seeds. He has a great insight into life as well. He wants to be on the team and one day he decides to show up these fancy people on the track and show them he can run too. He runs so well that the coach takes an interest in him and convinces him to join the track team.
Ghost loves being on a team and he really gets into it. I love the bits about Usain Bolt. Great stuff. The one grip and it's a good grip is that the book leads up to the 1st track meet and he leaves us hanging. Seriously, the ending made me smile and I wanted to know more. How could he leave it hanging? He does. It's actually an ok ending.
I knew nothing of this and I hadn't heard of Jason Reynolds and this was a fantastic surprise. A great story that has great characters, so well written, easy to read and a fast read. I loved this book and I'm going to read more of the series. I'm so pleasantly surprised. Seriously.
I love it when you just happen upon a gem and you are so glad you found that book. Yes.
May 5, 2021
Well that was a great middle school novel about overcoming challenges and believing in yourself.
Ghost is an endearing character who is struggling to move past a traumatic event. Whilst people have particular perceptions of what kind of person he is, his own self worth and expectation that he will be let down are also a major theme in this book. I loved that he found a strong supportive role model in his coach and the determination of his mother to make her own success. I thoroughly recommend this for NZ Y6-9.
Ghost is an endearing character who is struggling to move past a traumatic event. Whilst people have particular perceptions of what kind of person he is, his own self worth and expectation that he will be let down are also a major theme in this book. I loved that he found a strong supportive role model in his coach and the determination of his mother to make her own success. I thoroughly recommend this for NZ Y6-9.
December 30, 2018
I thought this was utterly fantastic. In my opinion, this should be required reading in schools everywhere.
I'm excited to read more by Jason Reynolds. He's an outstanding author.
I'm excited to read more by Jason Reynolds. He's an outstanding author.
January 2, 2024
Love this story. The coach is a fantastic character. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Read
July 18, 2017This was just a pitch perfect middle grade / youngish YA book that was a total delight from start to finish. I’ve been trying to read some boys marketed to boys to round out my librarian knowledge and this was a great start. I have to say that as someone who has very little interest in sports, I was surprised at how much I liked this story about a 13-year-old urban black kid Castle Crenshaw, aka “Ghost,” joining a track team. More than just a sports story, it was a sensitive, realistic look at a young person dealing with trauma and trying to avoid the crushing effects of racism, poverty, and abuse. But at the same time the novel was never preachy or heavy. It also didn’t provide easy answers, or present sports as a magical solution for black teen boys. Great in audiobook!
— Casey Stepaniuk
from The Best Books We Read In April 2017: http://bookriot.com/2017/05/01/riot-r...
____________________
This book is the first of Jason Reynolds’s middle grade series about track, and what a beginning this is. Ghost, otherwise known as Castle Crenshaw, is a boy on the run, a kid who runs fast and doesn’t look back. But when he wanders onto a field where a track team is training, Ghost proves he has what it takes to run with the best of them. Quickly, Ghost realizes that being a part of a team is more than running faster than everyone else. The question is, will he run toward the challenge or away from it? This middle grade book, on the long list for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, is a must read for kids ages ten and beyond.
–Karina Glaser
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
December 30, 2019
I am posting this review late because I read it earlier in the year for a postal bookswap, which was hush hush until everyone had seen all the titles.
I've always heard of Jason Reynolds in the context of being a good choice for what we in librarianship call "reluctant readers." I can definitely see the appeal here with sports, single parent, outsider, urban, black representation and more. I loved that Ghost isn't perfect but that the consequences take a while to show up (not as didactic as some middle readers can be.)
I've heard the author also does some superhero novelizations for young readers, so those are probably great too, but I love the "found family" element of this one best.
I've always heard of Jason Reynolds in the context of being a good choice for what we in librarianship call "reluctant readers." I can definitely see the appeal here with sports, single parent, outsider, urban, black representation and more. I loved that Ghost isn't perfect but that the consequences take a while to show up (not as didactic as some middle readers can be.)
I've heard the author also does some superhero novelizations for young readers, so those are probably great too, but I love the "found family" element of this one best.
July 27, 2025
This is a wonderful YA book written by the author of Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds, which made an impact on me. So, I decided I’d try another one of his books and I came across this mini-series called Track. It’s about a group of kids who are each struggling with hardships in their lives and they are able to use the track team to let off steam, become a team and push theirselves to become better people.
Each book takes on a separate child on the team. I really liked Ghost. It’s told from his point of view and by the ending I had a big smile on my face! It was only three hours on audio from Libby and I plan to continue the series.
The fith book in the series is due to publish in October and it’s about the coach.
Each book takes on a separate child on the team. I really liked Ghost. It’s told from his point of view and by the ending I had a big smile on my face! It was only three hours on audio from Libby and I plan to continue the series.
The fith book in the series is due to publish in October and it’s about the coach.
September 20, 2016
It's no secret that I love everything with Jason Reynolds's name on it, but GHOST was really something special. It follows an impoverished kid name Castle "Ghost" Cranshaw who accidentally joins a recreational track team after beating the team's fastest sprinter in an impromptu race. Castle's been through a major trauma, and as his self-given nickname--GHOST--suggests, he does his best to move through the world under the radar to avoid trouble.
Of course he fails. And that's what I loved about this book. You have this kid who does a number of "bad" things, but it's hard to get mad at him because his reasons, for the most part, are good. Jason Reynolds does an amazing job of getting this kid's heart onto the page, and even when you're like "Nooooo, Ghost! Don't do it!", you're rooting for him.
And then there's Coach. Who Ghost describes as having a head that makes him look like a turtle (LOL!). Coach stands in brilliant contract to Ghost's father (who is at the center of the trauma Ghost has suffered), and when HIS backstory is finally revealed, the story coheres into this perfect, multifaceted-diamond start to what is sure to be an incredible middle grade series. Can't wait for the next book!
Of course he fails. And that's what I loved about this book. You have this kid who does a number of "bad" things, but it's hard to get mad at him because his reasons, for the most part, are good. Jason Reynolds does an amazing job of getting this kid's heart onto the page, and even when you're like "Nooooo, Ghost! Don't do it!", you're rooting for him.
And then there's Coach. Who Ghost describes as having a head that makes him look like a turtle (LOL!). Coach stands in brilliant contract to Ghost's father (who is at the center of the trauma Ghost has suffered), and when HIS backstory is finally revealed, the story coheres into this perfect, multifaceted-diamond start to what is sure to be an incredible middle grade series. Can't wait for the next book!
August 11, 2020
I first became aware of this book while watching Public Broadcasting System’s Great American Read. It is a short middle grade novel about a black youth who joins a track team. Castle Cranshaw, nicknamed “Ghost,” is the narrator of his own story. Castle is a likeable character. Though he experiences family trauma, resulting in his father going to prison, and has committed a crime himself, the reader can tell he is sensitive and has a conscience. He wants to do the right thing but does not always succeed. The track coach becomes a positive role model and the track team bonds over shared experiences. It portrays how sports can become a motivational force in a young person’s life. It has a ring of authenticity. I listened to the audio book, read by Guy Lockard. He does an excellent job of making it seem that Castle is speaking directly to the listener. Recommended for ages twelve and up.
September 3, 2025
another phenomenal book by jason reynolds, and the first in a five book series about students on a track team!
heartfelt and beautifully written as always, ghost emphasizes the importance of community in children’s lives, as well as the importance of strong male figures to guide and uplift the next generation of young men.
heartfelt and beautifully written as always, ghost emphasizes the importance of community in children’s lives, as well as the importance of strong male figures to guide and uplift the next generation of young men.
May 14, 2025
“You can’t run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.”
1 Sentence Summary: When Castle Cranshaw (nickname: Ghost) joins the track team, he finally starts to learn how to run toward the future instead of away from the past.
My Thoughts: This was short and sweet, with a good message. Ghost had to learn a lot of important lessons. It’s hard to be a kid and it’s hard to grow up, but having good friends and support makes it easier. I thought the relationship between Ghost and his track coach was very interesting and sweet.
A heartwarming middle grade book with well-written characters that you can root for.
Recommend to: Fans of middle grade novels about overcoming challenges.
May 30, 2018
Jason Reynolds' dialogue and characters feel so real to me, and when the characters do things, even things I don't particularly like, as Ghost does at one point in this story, I follow along, knowing Reynolds will take me on an interesting journey.
Ghost and his mother are not well off; his father attempted to shoot them one drunken night, and Ghost retains a certain amount of fear and desire to run from that traumatic night. His mother, meanwhile, is struggling financially, and is studying to become a nurse.
One day, Ghost sees kids trying out for a track team, and races one of the boys. When he beats him, the Coach encourages Ghost to join the team. Ghost eventually does, with his mother's approval, becoming friends with three other newbies to the team. While the outcome of a big race that concludes the novel is left untold, Ghost learns self-discipline and responsibility from training with the team. And there are other books in this series, with stories told from the other newbies' perspectives, so I'm pretty excited.
Ghost and his mother are not well off; his father attempted to shoot them one drunken night, and Ghost retains a certain amount of fear and desire to run from that traumatic night. His mother, meanwhile, is struggling financially, and is studying to become a nurse.
One day, Ghost sees kids trying out for a track team, and races one of the boys. When he beats him, the Coach encourages Ghost to join the team. Ghost eventually does, with his mother's approval, becoming friends with three other newbies to the team. While the outcome of a big race that concludes the novel is left untold, Ghost learns self-discipline and responsibility from training with the team. And there are other books in this series, with stories told from the other newbies' perspectives, so I'm pretty excited.
September 7, 2025
A touching story about an akward, bullied boy from a poor family, touched by domestic violence. His father is in jail for said violence. Castle (the boy) or Ghost (his nick name) tries to keep the family secret and duck when the Bullies come around.
Then, he accidently discovers running and joins a track team. He feels like he belongs, which for him is an alien concept. His Coach offers paternal guidance, something Ghost is also unfamiliar with. This experience transforms him. Lesson: watch out for the Castles out there.
Then, he accidently discovers running and joins a track team. He feels like he belongs, which for him is an alien concept. His Coach offers paternal guidance, something Ghost is also unfamiliar with. This experience transforms him. Lesson: watch out for the Castles out there.
August 30, 2021
“You can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.”
I don't actually have much to say, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
I don't actually have much to say, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
May 20, 2017
BOOM! Third time reading this and it still pulls me straight through each time.
from a 5th grader today: "I loved how you feel like you're Ghost. You get mad at someone, then forgive them. It feels like your emotions are building up until Ghost takes the shoes. Then they break when his coach brings him back to the store." definitely reaching kids in Berkeley!
from a 5th grader today: "I loved how you feel like you're Ghost. You get mad at someone, then forgive them. It feels like your emotions are building up until Ghost takes the shoes. Then they break when his coach brings him back to the store." definitely reaching kids in Berkeley!
August 30, 2018
Our hero is a young boy who is braver than he knows. He is a natural runner. As a child he ran for his life and as a teen his gift is discovered by a track coach. The sport gives him purpose and helps him uncover his courage.
September 28, 2016
I haven't been reading a lot of MG, but GHOST was awesome. The voice and the writing were just outstanding. GHOST was fantastic.
February 11, 2021
I just finished reading this book for my class, and I loved it. Jason, you did it again.
I loved Ghost, Patina, Lu, and Brandon. The writing in this novel made me feel like I was 10 again, and I was just a little kid who liked to read books about sports. And the characters were great. Ghost, Patina, Lu, and Otis (Coach), and Brandon had a lot of development. They all developed in their own unique ways, and it was amazing to see that. But I'll tell you right now. My favorite character had to be Mr. Charles because he was just the MVP in this book.
This novel was just so satisfying because Jason really introduced Ghost's struggles, and everyone else's, in a way that a younger child could understand. Y'all probably won't catch me reviewing another middle grade novel, but just know, this book was an exception for a reason.
I loved Ghost, Patina, Lu, and Brandon. The writing in this novel made me feel like I was 10 again, and I was just a little kid who liked to read books about sports. And the characters were great. Ghost, Patina, Lu, and Otis (Coach), and Brandon had a lot of development. They all developed in their own unique ways, and it was amazing to see that. But I'll tell you right now. My favorite character had to be Mr. Charles because he was just the MVP in this book.
This novel was just so satisfying because Jason really introduced Ghost's struggles, and everyone else's, in a way that a younger child could understand. Y'all probably won't catch me reviewing another middle grade novel, but just know, this book was an exception for a reason.
January 13, 2021
A beautifully written middle grade that should be passed on to every kid in my opinion. Even though I slightly exceed the middle grade age (no like literally...) I adored what this book did. It kept me engaged and it was enthralling to read from the perspective of Ghost (Castle Cranshaw) , about his thoughts and choices made which were closely linked to his circumstances and past events.
I am definitely going to delve into more of Jason Reynolds' books if they are as good as Ghost!
I am definitely going to delve into more of Jason Reynolds' books if they are as good as Ghost!
March 31, 2017
A total delight from start to finish, Ghost is a deceptively simple story about 13-year-old urban black kid Castle Crenshaw, aka “Ghost.” One day while killing time in the park, he stumbles upon a track practice and ends up racing one of the fastest kids on the team—and winning. Impressed, the coach offers Ghost a spot on the team. Kind of against his better judgement—he’s always thought of himself as a basketball player even though he’s not on a team—Ghost joins up. He soon discovers that the other newbies on the team and his new coach are pretty cool, and that he’s actually really into running.
But it’s not that simple. Ghost has a lot of other stuff going on in his life that are obstacles to his success: the reason his dad’s in jail (for shooting at him and his mom), the fact that his mom’s overworked and they’re still poor, and a whole lot of anger. It turns out his nickname is pretty apt, given how haunted by the past he is. This is a sensitive, realistic look at a young person dealing with trauma and trying to avoid the crushing effects of racism, poverty, and abuse; but the novel is never preachy or heavy. It also doesn’t provide easy answers, or present sports as a magical solution for black teen boys, and it resists tropes associated with this kind of narrative. It shows how powerful the influence of supportive, understanding adults can have on so-called at-risk kids. The audiobook narrator Guy Lockard is superb, delivering authentic voices especially for Ghost and the coach. Ghost would be at home both in a middle grade and YA section, and thus is of interest to pre-teens and younger teens, especially ones who will see some aspect of their own lives reflected in Ghost’s.
But it’s not that simple. Ghost has a lot of other stuff going on in his life that are obstacles to his success: the reason his dad’s in jail (for shooting at him and his mom), the fact that his mom’s overworked and they’re still poor, and a whole lot of anger. It turns out his nickname is pretty apt, given how haunted by the past he is. This is a sensitive, realistic look at a young person dealing with trauma and trying to avoid the crushing effects of racism, poverty, and abuse; but the novel is never preachy or heavy. It also doesn’t provide easy answers, or present sports as a magical solution for black teen boys, and it resists tropes associated with this kind of narrative. It shows how powerful the influence of supportive, understanding adults can have on so-called at-risk kids. The audiobook narrator Guy Lockard is superb, delivering authentic voices especially for Ghost and the coach. Ghost would be at home both in a middle grade and YA section, and thus is of interest to pre-teens and younger teens, especially ones who will see some aspect of their own lives reflected in Ghost’s.
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