Entering 5th grade (Knox Trail)
Upcoming 5th Grade Summer Reading (2024): Ghost by Jason Reynolds
A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
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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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Choose 1 of the following activities to complete:
1. Throughout the novel, Ghost has a number of adults who act as advocates for
him: Mr. Charles, Coach, his mom, and even Principal Marshall. Consider the
importance of each of these figures in Ghost’s life. Then write an essay or
prepare a speech about a trusted adult in your own life. Why do you trust this
person?
2. Jason Reynolds uses world records as a framing motif in the novel. Research
world records and create a poster about some of the most interesting world
records that you find. If you were going to try to break a world record, which one
would you attempt?
For more information visit:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Ghost/Jason-Reynolds/Track/9781481450164