Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles...

How I Heard About It:   It seems like most of the books I'm reading come from the advice of Twitter.  This is the case with Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles.  As I would scan through Twitter each day, I would see people talking about this book and the new companion book Living with Jackie Chan.  The more I saw these two titles, the more I knew I had to read them.  This first book did not disappoint. 

What It Is About:   Meet Ellie, Corinne, Josh, and Caleb; four high school students making their way through their young-adult lives.  Each has their own battles they are dealing with, but Ellie's pregnancy brings them all together in a way they never expected.  Corrinne stands by Ellie and attempts to help her deal with this situation and all the underlying reasons of how she got herself here in the first place.  Josh is trying to be one person in front of his "buddies" and another guy who he truly wants to be.  Caleb is navigating his way with a new relationship with Corrinne and also stand by his life-long friend Josh.  All four must deal with hard life lessons, both in school and at home.  One thing for sure, none of them will be the same by the end of the school year.  

What I Thought Of It:   A completely enjoyable and engaging read.  I pretty much read it in a few sittings.  I was drawn in on page one and the story didn't let me go until the very last page.  Even as an adult reader, I could relate to these four young people and what they were going through.  I thought the alternating viewpoints in each chapter worked marvelously for this work of fiction.  As the reader, I could feel each character's pain and I was rooting for them and a positive outcome from a negative situation.  I'm looking forward to reading the companion book.  

Who Should Read It:   This is definitely a book for high school readers and above.  I will be recommending it to my college freshman daughter as I know she will enjoy the story.  I think any adult reader that enjoys a great solid fiction story, will find this a satisfying read.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 Stars out of 5 Stars



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