Jewell Parker Rhodes’ Middle Grade Novels Bring Recent History Beautifully Alive

Ghost Boys
Jewell Parker Rhodes’ most recent book is the story of Jerome, a black boy killed by a white policeman in Chicago. Bullied at school, Jerome is glad to make friends with Carlos, a new kid. Carlos has a toy gun, and after he uses it to scare off the bullies he lends it to Jerome to play with. Jerome is fooling with the toy in the park on his way home when he’s seen by a white policeman as a danger and not as a kid at play. Shot in the back, Jerome dies and becomes a ghost, one of a legion of black ghost boys unjustly killed. Emmett Till is Jerome’s guide to his strange new life spent seeing his family grieve and visiting with the policeman’s daughter, Sarah, the only person who can see and hear him. Alongside Jerome’s growing awareness of his place as one of the many ghost boys is Sarah’s struggle to comprehend why her father shot a child, told in intermeshed perspectives of past and present. Though Jerome’s murder cannot be undone, and the book leaves the reader sad and angry, there is hope that understanding can bring justice and an end to the tragedy of systemic racism.

Towers Falling
For kids today 9/11 is something learned about in history class. Dèja Barnes has never thought much about 9/11; she has lots to worry about in the present—her family lives in a homeless shelter, she’s starting a new school, and her father is sick. But she’s forced to revisit that day when her fifth-grade teacher starts a series of lessons that mix stories of home and community with what happened. With her friends, Mexican-American Ben and Muslim Sabeen, joining her in exploring the past, and just as importantly, experiencing 5th grade together, Dèja starts finding answers to questions about her family’s own story that she’d never asked before. Her father was at work in one of the towers on that day and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s a great introduction to 9/11 for young readers, blending the history and context of what happened, and why it mattered, with the believable, relatable life of a middle school kid today.

Bayou Magic
Several of Jewell Parker Rhodes’ middle grade books have supernatural elements, but this one is true fantasy and young readers who like magic and the natural world combining beautifully in a coming of age story will love it! Maddy is the youngest of five girls, and each of her sisters in turn has spent the summer alone with Grandmère in her home in a bayou far from the familiar world of New Orleans. Now it is ten-year-old Maddy’s summer, and her sisters have spooked her with stories of their grandmother’s peculiarities. But Maddie is charmed by the fireflies who greet her (are they magic?) and by her grandmother’s stories. When she thinks she sees Mami Wati, the water spirit who followed the slave ships to the Americas, the stories become real. And as she explores the bayou with her new friend Bear, a lonely boy who’s glad to share all he knows about his home, she grows to love the place and its creatures. When all this is threatened by a terrible explosion on an oil rig out in the Gulf Maddy must call on the magic of her family to convince Mami Wati to help save the bayou. Maddy is a heroine to cheer for, the bayou comes vividly to life, and the magic woven gently in is lovely as well.

Sugar
The Civil War may be over but the end of slavery has not brought much freedom for ten-year-old Sugar. Her father was sold before the end of the war, her mother has died, and she and the other former slaves work just as hard on the sugar plantation as they ever did. Sugar hates her name; sugar, for her, is something that means brutal and unending labor. Then a break in the harsh monotony of her narrow life comes when Chinese workers are brought in to work on the plantation, and as Sugar gets to know them, she begins to believe that there might be more in store for her than endless sugar cane. The hardships of her life are not glossed over, but they are not unbearable either, mostly because Sugar is so tremendously engaging, and because both she and the reader believe by the end of the story that she has a better future ahead. Sugar’s sharpness of mind and goodness of heart make her a great character with whom to visit this part of history.

Ninth Ward
Lanesha has lived all her twelve years in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans secure in the love of Mama Ya-Ya, the wise old woman who was the midwife at her birth. Her mother may have died giving birth to her but she hasn’t quite left her daughter; she is just one of many ghosts that Lanesha can see. Lanesha’s suffered through a lot of teasing from other kids who call her crazy and spooky, but she knows she is loved. Though Lanesha might not have any friends at school, she loves learning and dreams of being an engineer. And this year she might actually make friends. All seems to be going gloriously well…until Hurricane Katrina arrives, and drowns her city. The courage and determination of Lanesha and her friend TaShon are put to a test that no child should have to endure. The book becomes a gripping story of children on their own, facing the reality that they will have to save themselves. This is perfect for kids who love great adventure-type of stories, in which ordinary kids are heroes, and must do extraordinary things, and the supernatural element of the ghosts adds a magic that makes it even more memorable.