Ghost Boys

Set in Chicago, the novel follows the story of Jerome, a 12-year-old black boy who is shot and killed by a white police officer before coming back as a ghost.

[3][1] Rhodes drew heavily from real life instances of violence against black children, such as the cases of Tamir Rice and Emmett Till.

[5] The novel was praised upon its release,[6][1] with Kirkus Reviews labelling it a "timely, challenging book that is worthy of a read, further discussion and action".

[5] Following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, there was renewed interest in a book that explored issues of racism and police violence.

This sentiment was challenged by both Alaina Lavoie (spokesperson for We Need Diverse Books) who pointed out that "research indicates that kids form biases at a young age", and Rhodes, who argued that children are "sophisticated and knowledgeable about inequities in the world".

[12][5][13] Ghost Boys has won a number of awards and accolades, including: In 2021, Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures acquired the rights to the novel.

[17] Rhodes responded to the announcement saying:[18] I'm delighted Byron Allen's movie division will create an inspiring feature film to empower us to be more empathetic and to 'bear witness' against social injustice.