Sauerkraut

You know, there are a lot of ghost stories out there that just aren t that realistic. Maybe somewhere there s a ghost that wants to spend all their time clanking chains around or whatever. But I bet most ghosts have better things to do.
They re busy people, after all, and they re pretty focused on what they need to do.
Kind of like me. Only, more ghostly.
My full name is Hans Dieter Schenk. My dad s name is Hans Peter Schenk. Before him came Hans Frederich Schenk, and before that came Hans Franz Schenk. (He wanted to be called Franz, because, come on, would you introduce yourself as Hans Franz? It would not be good, not even in olden times.) Before him came more guys back in Germany called Hans Something too. They all looked pretty much the same in old photos, with pale skin and pale hair and square chins and eyes that were probably blue, like my dad s. All except for Hans Franz, who had a bigger nose than the rest.
They all fit their names exactly.
Mom says I got my chin from my dad. But honestly, I look a lot more like her and my little brother, Asad. I have short black locs, and medium- brown skin, and brown eyes, and no one ever thinks my dad is my dad unless they know us. (Sometimes they even think my dad is my best friend Eli s dad, not mine, just because they re both white. It s . . . awkward.)
So, people call me HD.
My mom s name is Kikora Davis Schenk. She has darker skin than me and much longer locs, and she is a no- nonsense person. She says that knowing where you came from is important, but so is knowing who you are, and what kind of person you want to become.
I ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
Right now, most adults know me as Kikora s son the older one (because everybody knows my mom) or Hans Peter s son the older one, or Gregor s oldest nephew, or that boy who takes care of Mr. Ziedrich s goats for him. Most kids know me as that Black kid with the white dad and the weird name the older one, or even Asad s older brother.

KELLY JONES has been a librarian and a bookseller and is a raiser of (much-loved but fairly ordinary) chickens. She is now a novelist and the author of Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer; its sequel, Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?; and the feminist Regency romp Murder, Magic, and What We Wore. You can find her at her website, curiosityjones.net, or on Twitter and Instagram at @curiosityjones.

"A ghost story full of nuance and depth." Kirkus Reviews

This thoroughly quirky tale highlights the importance of mutual respect, community, and family heritage . A ghost story about family heritage and obligations that will appeal to fans of family-driven, slice-of-life tales.   School Library Journal

Ingenious, rascally, and still deeply empathic will elicit knowing smiles. Publishers Weekly