---
product_id: 46020935
title: "Ghost (Track)"
price: "£7.42"
currency: GBP
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/46020935-ghost-track
store_origin: GB
region: United Kingdom
---

# Ghost (Track)

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- **What is this?** Ghost (Track)
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A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of the acclaimed Track series from Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award–winning author Jason Reynolds. Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?

Review: Masterfully Written for Middle Grade! - Title: Ghost By: Jason Reynolds Pub. Day: August 30, 2016 Genre: Fiction, Realistic, Sports, Middle Grade, Sports, Recommended Age: 5th-9th grade Trigger Warnings: Violence, Domestic Abuse, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Bullying Favorite Quotes: “You can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.” “Trouble is, you can't run away from yourself." Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. "Unfortunately," he said, "ain't nobody that fast.” “Don't ever let someone call your life, your dreams, little." -Mr. Charles” Review: Castle Crenshaw is a very fast runner, so quick he is nicknamed “Ghost”, in most cases he is escaping with everything he’s got, however, after a challenge with a sprinter Ghost finds running is about more than just escaping, it can be his life saver. Jason Reynolds writes middle grade and young adult fiction masterfully! He knows exactly how to skillfully pack in a wealth of middle grade themes and elements without overwhelming the reader. “Ghost” is the first in this series, and the novel has a dynamic and realistic main character in Ghost. The readers are naturally drawn to him, as he is grounded in real life emotions. Due to his traumatic past, Ghost’s heart learned to run from everything, instead of opening and trusting in others. This novel is so powerful! We read this as a family when it was first published. As a middle school English teacher, I quickly purchased a classroom set and we read it as a class through COVID. It’s life changing!!! Without exception, my students connected deeply with “Ghost”, a novel that continues to be a classroom favorite year after year! I was THRILLED to see it on Netgalley and couldn’t wait to read it again, and quickly write my most favorite book reviews! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AUTHOR!!! ***It should be noted, Jason Reynolds really strikes a powerful chord with boys, even those who usually don’t enjoy reading. Hearing “Ghost” and other novels written by Reynolds, especially read aloud, helps boys instantly relate to the main character, and before long, they’re hooked. It’s a total game-changer!*** Thank you to Jason Reynolds, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review. #Ghost #JasonReynolds #SimonandSchusterChildrensPublishing #Atheneum #CaitlynDlouhyBooks #advancedreadercopies #NetGalley #ARC
Review: Poetry In Motion - Castle Crenshaw — who goes by Ghost — has been running for most of his life. At least ever since his father's gun went off. It was pointed in the general direction of Ghost and his mother, and, like in all track races, the shot was a signal to start running. His father went to jail for it. They went back to a home that stopped feeling like home (they sleep in the living room, near the front door, just in case something else happens and they need to run again). And Ghost feels as if he never stopped. Only this restlessness he has felt inside has no real outlet, and it bubbles up, bursting outwards at times of stress and conflict. He lashes out, and gets in trouble for it often.⠀ ⠀ And then one day, taking the usual long way back to his house, he stops to watch a group of kids his age during a track meet. He scoffs at the notion that people have to work at running, which comes so naturally to him. So he decides to show them up by beating their most promising and arrogant stars in an impromptu race. The coach is impressed and asks him to join, which Ghost, with some reluctance, eventually does.⠀ ⠀ The feeling of running, Reynolds has said, is of your body going through trauma, as it fights against exhaustion and suffocation. Running is about feeling like you are about to die, and getting used to that sensation. And running is about breaking through, and overcoming that feeling.⠀ ⠀ Castle Crenshaw — who goes by Ghost — has been running for most of his life. At least ever since his father's gun went off. It was pointed in the general direction of Ghost and his mother, and, like in all track races, the shot was a signal to start running. His father went to jail for it. They went back to a home that stopped feeling like home (they sleep in the living room, near the front door, just in case something else happens and they need to run again). And Ghost feels as if he never stopped. Only this restlessness he has felt inside has no real outlet, and it bubbles up, bursting outwards at times of stress and conflict. He lashes out, and gets in trouble for it often.⠀ ⠀ And then one day, taking the usual long way back to his house, he stops to watch a group of kids his age during a track meet. He scoffs at the notion that people have to work at running, which comes so naturally to him. So he decides to show them up by beating their most promising and arrogant stars in an impromptu race. The coach is impressed and asks him to join, which Ghost, with some reluctance, eventually does.⠀ ⠀ The feeling of running, Reynolds has said, is of your body going through trauma, as it fights against exhaustion and suffocation. Running is about feeling like you are about to die, and getting used to that sensation. And running is about breaking through, and overcoming that feeling.⠀ ⠀ Running is also, in Reynolds' hands, an exceedingly useful metaphor — not only for the particular issues that Ghost faces, but for life in general. Because what is life if not just a series of races you have to break through in order to breathe again? For Ghost, running is initially a means of escape, useful only when he wants to put as much distance between his problems and himself. He doesn't find the act itself uncomfortable — his life is suffocating enough, after all, what is a little sprinting compared to the day to day? "Running ain't nothing I ever had to practice," he boasts at the beginning. "It's just something I knew how to do." It's only after he joins the team and it becomes an increasingly important aspect of his life that he properly begins to feel this suffocation, as he starts to come to terms with the heavy things he's been carrying inside — this scream, as he calls it — for most of his life.⠀ ⠀ Ghost is about a lot of things, but it is mainly about dealing and living with trauma. There is a talk Jason Reynolds gave where he told the story about a childhood friend who, decades after the fact, recognized that he had been traumatized at a young age, and that he just went through life as if these feelings were normal, only to later realize that they were not supposed to be, and how surprised he was at this understanding. No one, you see, made him aware of the fact. It's a particularly cruel problem, and one we can only address by paying attention to the people around us. This is what Reynolds work does for his audience — his books are all about being seen. In this novel, seeing one another is what Ghost's teammates do, as they accept him as one of their own. It's what his mother does, who, despite demanding job, studies at night in order to give them a better future. It's what Mr. Charles, the elderly owner of the local store shop does every time Ghost pays his store a visit and they fall into an established, familiar — and familial — routine. And most importantly, it's what his track coach does, seeing in Ghost some of the same struggles he faced growing up. The kind of struggles that makes you want to disappear, like a ghost, and run away, instead of being present, the burning in your chest a reminder that you are still alive and able to run free. Ghost may not entirely realize the full extent of his trauma, but he is smart enough to know when the people around him care for and want the best for him, which in turn, of course, makes him want to be better for them. "You can't run away from who you are," the Coach tells him at one point, "but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."⠀ ⠀ The novel ends with a different kind of shot that makes Ghost run. Only this time, instead of running away, you are certain and hopeful that he's running free, breaking through the struggle, towards a better future.⠀ ⠀ Jason Reynolds has written yet another lyrical and poetic book chockfull of meaning, and which helps us see these kids in a better and more understanding light. I loved reading it. ⠀ Ghost is about a lot of things, but it is mainly about dealing and living with trauma. There is a talk Jason Reynolds gave where he told the story about a childhood friend who, decades after the fact, recognized that he had been traumatized at a young age, and that he just went through life as if these feelings were normal, only to later realize that they were not supposed to be, and how surprised he was at this understanding. No one, you see, made him aware of the fact. It's a particularly cruel problem, and one we can only address by paying attention to the people around us. This is what Reynolds work does for his audience — his books are all about being seen. In this novel, seeing one another is what Ghost's teammates do, as they accept him as one of their own. It's what his mother does, who, despite demanding job, studies at night in order to give them a better future. It's what Mr. Charles, the elderly owner of the local store shop (who, in a brilliant example of Reynold's humor, looks like a white James Brown) does every time Ghost pays his store a visit and they fall into an established, familiar — and familial — routine. And most importantly, it's what his track coach does, seeing in Ghost some of the same struggles he faced growing up. The kind of struggles that makes you want to disappear, like a ghost, and run away, instead of being present, the burning in your chest a reminder that you are still alive and able to run free. Ghost may not entirely realize the full extent of his trauma, but he is smart enough to know when the people around him care for and want the best for him, which in turn, of course, makes him want to be better for them. "You can't run away from who you are," the Coach tells him at one point, "but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."⠀ ⠀ The novel ends with a different kind of shot that makes Ghost run. Only this time, instead of running away, you are certain and hopeful that he's running free, breaking through the struggle, towards a better future.⠀ ⠀ Jason Reynolds has written yet another lyrical and poetic book chockfull of meaning, and which helps us see these kids in a better and more understanding light. I loved reading it.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,019 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Children's Track & Field Books #101 in Children's Friendship Books |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,967 Reviews |

## Images

![Ghost (Track) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/713I8DsvrHL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Masterfully Written for Middle Grade!
*by J***E on June 30, 2025*

Title: Ghost By: Jason Reynolds Pub. Day: August 30, 2016 Genre: Fiction, Realistic, Sports, Middle Grade, Sports, Recommended Age: 5th-9th grade Trigger Warnings: Violence, Domestic Abuse, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Bullying Favorite Quotes: “You can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.” “Trouble is, you can't run away from yourself." Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. "Unfortunately," he said, "ain't nobody that fast.” “Don't ever let someone call your life, your dreams, little." -Mr. Charles” Review: Castle Crenshaw is a very fast runner, so quick he is nicknamed “Ghost”, in most cases he is escaping with everything he’s got, however, after a challenge with a sprinter Ghost finds running is about more than just escaping, it can be his life saver. Jason Reynolds writes middle grade and young adult fiction masterfully! He knows exactly how to skillfully pack in a wealth of middle grade themes and elements without overwhelming the reader. “Ghost” is the first in this series, and the novel has a dynamic and realistic main character in Ghost. The readers are naturally drawn to him, as he is grounded in real life emotions. Due to his traumatic past, Ghost’s heart learned to run from everything, instead of opening and trusting in others. This novel is so powerful! We read this as a family when it was first published. As a middle school English teacher, I quickly purchased a classroom set and we read it as a class through COVID. It’s life changing!!! Without exception, my students connected deeply with “Ghost”, a novel that continues to be a classroom favorite year after year! I was THRILLED to see it on Netgalley and couldn’t wait to read it again, and quickly write my most favorite book reviews! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AUTHOR!!! ***It should be noted, Jason Reynolds really strikes a powerful chord with boys, even those who usually don’t enjoy reading. Hearing “Ghost” and other novels written by Reynolds, especially read aloud, helps boys instantly relate to the main character, and before long, they’re hooked. It’s a total game-changer!*** Thank you to Jason Reynolds, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review. #Ghost #JasonReynolds #SimonandSchusterChildrensPublishing #Atheneum #CaitlynDlouhyBooks #advancedreadercopies #NetGalley #ARC

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Poetry In Motion
*by R***G on February 16, 2020*

Castle Crenshaw — who goes by Ghost — has been running for most of his life. At least ever since his father's gun went off. It was pointed in the general direction of Ghost and his mother, and, like in all track races, the shot was a signal to start running. His father went to jail for it. They went back to a home that stopped feeling like home (they sleep in the living room, near the front door, just in case something else happens and they need to run again). And Ghost feels as if he never stopped. Only this restlessness he has felt inside has no real outlet, and it bubbles up, bursting outwards at times of stress and conflict. He lashes out, and gets in trouble for it often.⠀ ⠀ And then one day, taking the usual long way back to his house, he stops to watch a group of kids his age during a track meet. He scoffs at the notion that people have to work at running, which comes so naturally to him. So he decides to show them up by beating their most promising and arrogant stars in an impromptu race. The coach is impressed and asks him to join, which Ghost, with some reluctance, eventually does.⠀ ⠀ The feeling of running, Reynolds has said, is of your body going through trauma, as it fights against exhaustion and suffocation. Running is about feeling like you are about to die, and getting used to that sensation. And running is about breaking through, and overcoming that feeling.⠀ ⠀ Castle Crenshaw — who goes by Ghost — has been running for most of his life. At least ever since his father's gun went off. It was pointed in the general direction of Ghost and his mother, and, like in all track races, the shot was a signal to start running. His father went to jail for it. They went back to a home that stopped feeling like home (they sleep in the living room, near the front door, just in case something else happens and they need to run again). And Ghost feels as if he never stopped. Only this restlessness he has felt inside has no real outlet, and it bubbles up, bursting outwards at times of stress and conflict. He lashes out, and gets in trouble for it often.⠀ ⠀ And then one day, taking the usual long way back to his house, he stops to watch a group of kids his age during a track meet. He scoffs at the notion that people have to work at running, which comes so naturally to him. So he decides to show them up by beating their most promising and arrogant stars in an impromptu race. The coach is impressed and asks him to join, which Ghost, with some reluctance, eventually does.⠀ ⠀ The feeling of running, Reynolds has said, is of your body going through trauma, as it fights against exhaustion and suffocation. Running is about feeling like you are about to die, and getting used to that sensation. And running is about breaking through, and overcoming that feeling.⠀ ⠀ Running is also, in Reynolds' hands, an exceedingly useful metaphor — not only for the particular issues that Ghost faces, but for life in general. Because what is life if not just a series of races you have to break through in order to breathe again? For Ghost, running is initially a means of escape, useful only when he wants to put as much distance between his problems and himself. He doesn't find the act itself uncomfortable — his life is suffocating enough, after all, what is a little sprinting compared to the day to day? "Running ain't nothing I ever had to practice," he boasts at the beginning. "It's just something I knew how to do." It's only after he joins the team and it becomes an increasingly important aspect of his life that he properly begins to feel this suffocation, as he starts to come to terms with the heavy things he's been carrying inside — this scream, as he calls it — for most of his life.⠀ ⠀ Ghost is about a lot of things, but it is mainly about dealing and living with trauma. There is a talk Jason Reynolds gave where he told the story about a childhood friend who, decades after the fact, recognized that he had been traumatized at a young age, and that he just went through life as if these feelings were normal, only to later realize that they were not supposed to be, and how surprised he was at this understanding. No one, you see, made him aware of the fact. It's a particularly cruel problem, and one we can only address by paying attention to the people around us. This is what Reynolds work does for his audience — his books are all about being seen. In this novel, seeing one another is what Ghost's teammates do, as they accept him as one of their own. It's what his mother does, who, despite demanding job, studies at night in order to give them a better future. It's what Mr. Charles, the elderly owner of the local store shop does every time Ghost pays his store a visit and they fall into an established, familiar — and familial — routine. And most importantly, it's what his track coach does, seeing in Ghost some of the same struggles he faced growing up. The kind of struggles that makes you want to disappear, like a ghost, and run away, instead of being present, the burning in your chest a reminder that you are still alive and able to run free. Ghost may not entirely realize the full extent of his trauma, but he is smart enough to know when the people around him care for and want the best for him, which in turn, of course, makes him want to be better for them. "You can't run away from who you are," the Coach tells him at one point, "but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."⠀ ⠀ The novel ends with a different kind of shot that makes Ghost run. Only this time, instead of running away, you are certain and hopeful that he's running free, breaking through the struggle, towards a better future.⠀ ⠀ Jason Reynolds has written yet another lyrical and poetic book chockfull of meaning, and which helps us see these kids in a better and more understanding light. I loved reading it. ⠀ Ghost is about a lot of things, but it is mainly about dealing and living with trauma. There is a talk Jason Reynolds gave where he told the story about a childhood friend who, decades after the fact, recognized that he had been traumatized at a young age, and that he just went through life as if these feelings were normal, only to later realize that they were not supposed to be, and how surprised he was at this understanding. No one, you see, made him aware of the fact. It's a particularly cruel problem, and one we can only address by paying attention to the people around us. This is what Reynolds work does for his audience — his books are all about being seen. In this novel, seeing one another is what Ghost's teammates do, as they accept him as one of their own. It's what his mother does, who, despite demanding job, studies at night in order to give them a better future. It's what Mr. Charles, the elderly owner of the local store shop (who, in a brilliant example of Reynold's humor, looks like a white James Brown) does every time Ghost pays his store a visit and they fall into an established, familiar — and familial — routine. And most importantly, it's what his track coach does, seeing in Ghost some of the same struggles he faced growing up. The kind of struggles that makes you want to disappear, like a ghost, and run away, instead of being present, the burning in your chest a reminder that you are still alive and able to run free. Ghost may not entirely realize the full extent of his trauma, but he is smart enough to know when the people around him care for and want the best for him, which in turn, of course, makes him want to be better for them. "You can't run away from who you are," the Coach tells him at one point, "but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."⠀ ⠀ The novel ends with a different kind of shot that makes Ghost run. Only this time, instead of running away, you are certain and hopeful that he's running free, breaking through the struggle, towards a better future.⠀ ⠀ Jason Reynolds has written yet another lyrical and poetic book chockfull of meaning, and which helps us see these kids in a better and more understanding light. I loved reading it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Are you passionate about a sport?
*by M***O on July 1, 2020*

Ghost Reynolds, Jason. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2016. Are you passionate about a sport? Sometimes your desire to compete in one sport can lead you into enjoying another sport. This Young Adult fictional story is overflowing with action, friendship, bullying, family dynamics, positive role models, character traits, and natural talent in a sport. Ghost, Sunny, Lu, and Patina are four young, diverse teenagers with natural talent and a desire to improve on the track. Ghost a.k.a. Castle Cranshaw, the main character in this fast paced story is passionate about knowing specific World Records and possibly setting one himself. He enjoys watching and playing basketball. As a typical teen, he is not eager to go home, and hangs out around town and at the track. One day, he walks up to the starting line and runs with the track team. The coach is impressed and encourages Ghost to try out for the team. Ghost thinks running might help him get better at basketball so he sticks with it. He runs in his old, no name sneakers and hopes to have new, shiny track shoes like his teammates. Ghost is a likable character even though his life is in chaos and he cannot see a way out of constant punishment. He makes several irresponsible mistakes that become life lessons. Will these numerous mistakes prevent him from running in the big race at school? He hopes to run in the important race with an audience including his mother, aunt and cousin. He has not seen his father in years because he is in jail for domestic abuse. Ghost and his Mother ran from the abuse and into the life of Mr. Charles, a store owner and neighbor who teaches Ghost about being a hardworking citizen. Ghost is running at school from his many fights and mishaps with the school bully. He is running around town, running from his problems, avoiding going home. Luckily for Ghost, he has two strong, positive, male role models in his life who help teach him how to become a respectful young man, and how he can make better choices for his future. The first role model is Mr. Charles who helps hid Ghost and his mother from the abusive father. The second is his track coach, Coach Brody who helps him learn life lessons so he can become a respectful person. Coach Brody shares with Ghost that he too grew up in an impoverished neighborhood but he didn’t let it define him. He worked hard and made a good life for himself and his family. Coach Brody encourages Ghost to make good choices so he can be proud of himself. This encouraging story is appropriate for young children ages 9 and up. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. The part I liked the most was the positive role models that entered Ghost’s life and helped teach him to make better decisions. I liked the part when the coach took the new track members to dinner for team bonding. I look forward to reading the other three books in the series including Sunny, Patina, and Lu.

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*Last updated: 2026-05-19*