Ghost Boys
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 360L. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Ghost Boys is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 360L
- Grade range
- Grades 4–7
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
- Age range
- Ages 10–13
- Pages
- 224
- Reading time
- about 4h 5m (est.)
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780316262286
Reading difficulty: At 360L, Ghost Boys reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot and killed by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real one. As a ghost, Jerome meets the spirits of other Black boys lost to violence — and the officer's daughter, the only living person who can see him. Jewell Parker Rhodes's spare, powerful novel is widely assigned in grades 4-7 for units on justice and empathy.
Why widely assigned
This Realistic Fiction title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on race and justice.
Content notes
gun violence · racism · death
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like Ghost Boys→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Ghost Boys?
- Ghost Boys is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 360L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Ghost Boys?
- Ghost Boys has a Lexile measure of 360L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Ghost Boys?
- It takes about 4h 5m to read Ghost Boys (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Ghost Boys hard to read for 4th grade?
- At 360L, Ghost Boys reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- Is Ghost Boys banned in schools?
- Ghost Boys does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 360L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.