GHOST, by Jason Reynolds

The story: Ghost comes out of nowhere to challenge the fastest runner on the team. Everyone's amazed when he turns out to be fast--really fast. Coach wants him on the track team, but there's more chasing Ghost than just the other runners: mostly, his own bad choices. Can he outrun his past and find a better path to the kid he wants to be?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental violence and incarceration, bullying) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Jason Reynolds is on a hot streak right now. It's nice to have him move over to middle grade fiction. Hand this one to boys who want sports stories, or any kid who wants to believe that poverty and bad choices don't have to define who you are forever.