Ghost
Book 1 of the Track Series
by Jason Reynolds

Ghost

Grades 6 & up

Realistic Fiction: Sports

All-American Boys
Long Way Down
As Brave As You
When I Was the Greatest
Stamped
The Boy in the Black Suit
Look Both Ways

Book Summary:
His real name is Castle Cranshaw, but people call him Ghost. He's fast, and he knows it, and it's pretty convenient for times when he needs to get away from trouble. A track coach who just happens to have his own Olympic medal offers Ghost a way out of his most recent trouble - but only if Ghost joins his track team. Team isn't the most commonly used word in Ghost's vocabulary.

The second book in the Track series is called Patina.
The third book (see below) is called Sunny, and the fourth book is called Lu.

 Book Review:
Castle's penchant for rule-breaking and his struggle to fit in with the team make an interesting, page-turning story for most middle school readers. His mistakes make you wince, but you also get to see his feelings about them, and he faces the consequences without narrative lectures. This is a book that's easy to like, even if you care very little for sports.

The third book in the Track series is Sunny, who is missing his mom. His Dad works a lot and always has advice for Sunny's track meets, where he dependably wins the first place ribbon for the mile. The thing is, Sunny would rather dance. Nobody ever asked him if he wanted to run; he just happens to be good at it. With a lot of onomatopoeia to describe moves, feelings, and events, and almost stream-of-consciousness writing in places, Sunny's story, told to his diary, is unique from other characters' tales.

"I was just so mad, and I couldn't get it to go away."  p.37

Running; High School Track
Kids Making Mistakes

Defining Yourself; Teamwork
Competition
Personal Responsibility
Deception vs. Trust/Honesty

2017 - Odyssey Honor Book
2018 - Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee

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