Stories provide an opportunity to go somewhere, be someone different, look through a new lens, and much more. These same stories can encapsulate the lessons that history has provided us without making the same follies in their own lives. Miss Phelan’s reading class was able to read and discuss the life-altering actions made by different characters in Jewell Parker Rhodes’ book, Ghost Boys. The story addresses topics such as prejudice, racial bias, and various injustices that have occurred throughout history. As they read, students learned the story of Emmett Till which happened in the 1950s. Although this seemed like a long time ago to them, the story of Tamir Rice was not. In 2014, Tamir Rice was a 12-year-old, African-American boy playing with a toy gun at a local park. Without warning, a police officer drove onto the scene and shot Tamir. The main character in Ghost Boys had a similar experience to Tamir and students were stunned to learn what happened less than a decade ago.
While books are helpful tools that allow students to take a step into the past or into someone else’s shoes, some individuals believe certain stories and books should be taken off the shelves and banned in schools. Furthermore, select books are deemed not appropriate for students at specific ages. This exact topic is even mentioned between two characters in the story. As a class, students discussed their views and opinions on it as well. One seventh-grade student, Jordan Voelkel, stated, “If we couldn’t read this book we would have less of an idea of the world we are living in right now. How are we supposed to change the world without knowing what to change?”
Although prejudice, racial bias, and real-life stories of injustice may seem like a daunting topic to address, they are nevertheless crucial to the lives and growth of students. Books that talk about these issues are a great stepping stone for change and development for students of all ages. With every story a person reads, they multiply their experiences immensely. Without Ghost Boys and other books, students may lack the knowledge and awareness of the major events that occur in their world today. Rhodes includes the Chinese proverb, “Better to light a candle than curse the darkness,” to help depict this idea of urging readers to gain knowledge and understanding from all avenues, especially sensitive topics. If the world is going to become a better place, then people need to do something about the problems. Students are the driving force for what lies ahead and through books, they can have a brighter future.