Ghost Boy

I picked this up because I had thought about teaching it to my students, and I found that I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. At first glance, I expected this to be a stereotypical “don’t judge a book by its cover” or “it’s what’s on the inside that truly matters” type of book--and it was--but I found that it was also so much more than that.

“Ghost Boy” by Iain Lawrence tells the story of Harold Kline, a boy growing up in the small town of Liberty, struggling to find his place in the world after losing both his father and his brother to the war. Holding out hope that they will one day return, Harold, and his trusty canine companion Honey, venture to the train depot each day just in case there is to be a miraculous return. Harold is a bit of an outsider in his small town considering the fact that Harold is an albino. Harold is an outcast in his small town that finds the peace of solitude to be his only comfort. Often bullied by the other children, Harold and Honey spend their days fishing and dreaming of what life could be like if only Harold were “normal.”

It just so happens that Harold may not be the only outcast in town afterall. When a traveling circus makes a stop in Liberty, Harold realizes that there are others out there who are different--others like him. Although he knows that it will break his mother’s heart, Harold is determined to make his way along the Oregon trail to the mountains--a dream that he shared with his brother--and the best way to do that is by joining the circus.

Harold’s makes his journey with a colorful cast of “freaks” that include Thunder Wakes Him, a wise Native American man; Princess Minikin (Tina), the smallest princess in the world; Samuel, the caveman fossil; and the Gypsy Magda, a wise soothsayer who found the circus after escaping the Holocaust. It wasn’t until Harold spent more time at the circus that he began to question what set the “freaks” apart from everyone else.

Always good with animals, Harold was tasked with working with the elephants; more specifically, Harold was tasked with teaching the elephants how to play baseball. What seemed like an impossible task at first actually became the very act that was going to save the struggling circus. The elephants, known collectively as “The Roses” because they were all named after variations of the flower, took to Harold immediately, and with a little patience and some alternative thinking, Harold was able to begin showing these animals the joys of baseball.

As Harold spent more and more time at the circus, the more he struggled with his identity. Always thinking of himself as a one of the “freaks,” Harold began to realize that he wasn’t as different from the “normal” people that worked with the circus as he originally thought he was. Harold was forced to straddle the line between valuing what a person has on the inside vs. what they appear to be on the outside. Harold found himself forced to choose between his friends and a “normal” life, but when an unexpected tragedy hits the circus, Harold finally accepts what is truly important.

For starters, any teachers out there who are looking for a good read aloud or whole-class text, I would highly recommend this book. “Ghost Boy” is not only a great read, but it offers so many teachable moments and opportunities to have discussions about personal identity, empathy, and what is truly important in life. This book is equally heartwarming and heart wrenching, and I found myself laughing, crying, and everything in between. For those of you who aren't teachers, but are looking for an entertaining read that offers some humor, sadness, adventure, and drama, then look no further.

4 out of 5 stars