Elijah "Jumper" Breeze is settling into his new home in Harlem--though it hasn't been easy since his father died and his mother moved them from the suburbs.
Still, he made friends at summer camp and he's eager to see them at his new middle school. Jumper is looking forward to hitting the books and hitting the court for some serious b-ball. Then his best friend, Kelvin, talks him into running for student council and suddenly life gets a lot more complicated! He needs to out-poll Nia, his fiercest opponent in the student council race, and doesn't want to lose her friendship in the process.
Gr 5-7 The first half of this novel about middle school kids in Harlem sets the scenes, introduces the characters, and describes disjointed events that don't quite work. When Robinson does settle on a plotline, the story moves along well, although it lacks depth. Jumper, 11, introduced in Safe at Home (Scholastic, 2006), has moved from Connecticut to New York, and his dad has recently died. Children who have not read the first book will not understand the dynamics among the characters and the problems Jumper previously experienced with Marcus, a boy he met at baseball camp. When the school announces elections for student-council representatives, Jumper and Nia, Marcus's younger sister, enter the competition. There are campaign slogans, a dance tournament, a boys versus girls basketball game, and some underdeveloped side issues along the way. The kids are too polite, smart, and athletic to be realistic, and there are too many issues that are unresolved. Still, the election campaign makes a good story. Readers might prefer another novel with some strange similarities, Charisse K. Richardson's The Real Slam Dunk (Dial, 2005), with twins Marcus and Mia involved in school and basketball, too.-Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
Anonymous
Posted March 30, 2008
i bought this book at my local book fair and it was the best book i ever had
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Posted January 29, 2012
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Overview
Elijah "Jumper" Breeze is settling into his new home in Harlem--though it hasn't been easy since his father died and his mother moved them from the suburbs.
Still, he made friends at summer camp and he's eager to see them at his new middle school. Jumper is looking forward to hitting the books and hitting the court for some serious b-ball....