It's been awhile since I've read a middle grade book. I didn't even really know that's what I was getting when I started this. It was a quick, but enjoyable listen. ( )

A boy named Castle Cranshaw whose dad is in prison for trying to shoot Castle. Mom works hard to make a better life for her son. Kid is bullied because he is poor. But then he gets on the track team, but he doesn’t have nice running shoes compared to the other kids on the team and struggle with that. He goes and steals running shoes, and of course gets caught. Then the coach tells Castle that he grew up a similar life. Of course and makes friends and wins the race.
My teacher read Ghost at the beginning of the semester, and the teacher brings it back all the time by relating it to other books or stories we are reading.

Castle Crenshaw earned the nickname "Ghost" from running from things in everyday life. Castle has had a natural talent for running. Ghost and his mother had to run away from a situation and his father end up going to prison. A track coach sees him running and is determined to make him part of the team. Can Ghost quit running away from everything and use his talent to change his life? Can he deal with his anger in healthy ways to become part of a team? ( )

Well that was a great middle school novel about overcoming challenges and believing in yourself.

Ghost is an endearing character who is struggling to move past a traumatic event. Whilst people have particular perceptions of what kind of person he is, his own self worth and expectation that he will be let down are also a major theme in this book. I loved that he found a strong supportive role model in his coach and the determination of his mother to make her own success. I thoroughly recommend this for NZ Y6-9. ( )

This was book was a choice in my daughter's middle school reading program. Both me and the kids enjoyed the book, though I was a bit disappointed in the ending. ( )