Jumping Off Swings

by Jo Knowles

Book Overview

One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel. Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they begged for more.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763652962
• Release Date: October 2011
• Publisher: Candlewick
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.7" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Knowles inspires readers to look at the secrets they share or hold inside

In Jo Knowles's well-received first novel, LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL, the author examined how patterns of abuse and dysfunction formed in childhood can have unforeseen implications years down the road. In her second work of fiction, JUMPING OFF SWINGS, Knowles also explores the surprisingly wide-reaching influence of a single event. Ellie is a good girl --- a quiet girl, the kind who has never caused her parents any trouble. But she has quickly become the kind of girl she never thought she would be: the kind the boys talk about in the locker room, the kind whose bad reputation is known to kids in other grades, the kind who finds ugly words scrawled on her locker, the kind whose parents would be shocked to know what she does at many parties. Ellie's big problem is that she has never learned how to say no, never learned to value herself the way the boys seem to when she's with them: "Their hands felt so good, wanting me. Needing me. Their words made me feel beautiful. Irresistible. Even powerful for that one brief moment before it was over. But I was none of those things. I was nothing." Josh has known Ellie since elementary school. But when he has the chance to have sex with her at a high school party, he jumps at the opportunity --- he is one of the last of his friends to lose his virginity, and has heard that Ellie will have sex with anyone. He doesn't realize until too late, though, that having sex with Ellie will not only ruin any friendship they ever had, but also might change his relationship with his good friend Caleb. Caleb has loved Ellie forever, but unlike his other guy friends, he respects her enough to keep his hands off her. So when he hears Josh and the other guys bragging about their exploits, he's not sure how to feel. And when Ellie grows increasingly distant, he's worried that he's lost her, too. He and Ellie's best friend, Corinne, share the bond of loving Ellie and trying to help her however they can. Corinne knows that Ellie's parents don't respect her --- the fact that everyone is aware that her older sister, Ava, had an abortion seems to rub off on Corinne's reputation, too, at least with Ellie's family. But when Ellie reveals that she's expecting a baby after her night with Josh, Corinne knows she needs to help Ellie in any way she can, whether Ellie makes the same choice as Ava or a different one altogether. Told in chapters from each character's point of view, JUMPING OFF SWINGS provides glimpses into each of their lives. It illustrates not only their interactions with each other, but also the personal and family challenges each faces, challenges that are often wound up in this new pregnancy crisis that affects each of them in different ways. Young adult novels about teen pregnancy can sometimes seem to be a dime a dozen. In JUMPING OFF SWINGS, however, Knowles takes a refreshing approach to the subject, vividly illustrating how a single event --- one that is too often cloaked in silence and shame --- actually has

Jo Knowles writes the truth

I picked up this book on a Friday night. I only intended to read for 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, I had to force myself to put the book down. I finished the rest in one gulp on Saturday. I write entertainment. Jo Knowles writes the truth. Jumping Off Swings is about what happens when a high school girl gets pregnant after a one-night stand (more like a five-minute stand). The choices she made and makes affect her, the father of the child, and their friends. The book is told from their alternating first-person points of view. It made me cry. I think many girls and women can relate to Ellie, who is looking for love but finds sex instead. And I think guys could relate to Josh, who isn't a jerk, but instead trying to figure out what it means to be a man. I understand there have been some challenges to the book. I am unhesitatingly giving this to my 14 year old.

Richie's Picks: JUMPING OFF SWINGS

Ellie (in September) "I can still feel a trace of his warm lips against mine as he slips away from me and fumbles for the door to his father's van. I stay lying under the scratchy wool blanket on the backseat, wishing he'd stay. When he slides the door open, the ceiling light blinks on and exposes our faces to each other. His hair is rumpled. His brown eyes avoid mine. "'Thanks, Ellie. See you inside?' "I nod. "He slides the door shut and leaves me in the dark." Who can forget the exhilarating sensation of jumping off a swing and soaring through the air? Of course, the trick is to then land safely. The four teens who narrate JUMPING OFF SWINGS -- Ellie, Josh, Caleb, and Corinne -- have grown up knowing each other and are now together in high school. The one constant and common denominator in their lives is the park that lies at the center of their neighborhood. I did hear some stories but was never a witness to those adolescent male bonding "rituals" through which guys encourage each other to follow through on their hormonal urges at the cost of whichever vulnerable, gullible, exploitable female is at hand. To Caleb's horror, his best friend Josh has succumbed to that peer pressure and has not only taken advantage of Ellie, but has returned to the party to be enthusiastically congratulated on his conquest. He is unaware that Ellie sees some of the celebrating as she escapes the scene. And little does Josh know what the cost of losing his virginity in the van will be for the quartet. Josh (in December) "The swings and slide and other playground stuff are covered with snow. I stand there like an idiot, wondering how this all happened. Cars go by, splashing slush at the backs of my legs. My right hand is throbbing inside my pocket. I pull my other hand out and open my fist. The note is squeezed into a tiny ball now. I hurl it over the playground fence. It lands in the snow near the merry-go-round and disappears. I'm numb but stinging all over at the same time, and all I hear is my own voice in my head. What have I done? What have I done?" As the days and weeks go by, we come to learn about the family dynamics of each of these four teens and begin to gain insight into why each behaves as he or she does. Where, in the past, young people could often rely on the extended family, the tribe, or the community for support when parents failed to provide love, advice, and modeling, the way we now live so often fails to provide young people with a comparable safety net of adult guidance and wisdom. And so you have many teens who have no one except for their emotionally absent parents; teens who hope that someone else can give them what they are lacking; teens who can so easily become exploited. Ellie has permitted herself to be victimized in hopes that the boys will provide what her parents have not given her. She has made some bad decisions and now has to make the biggest decisions of her life. Meanwhile, Josh has parents who never speak to one anothe

Realistic Look at the Life of a Teenager

I am typically a slow reader because it takes a LOT to capture my attention. I read this book in one sitting! Jo Knowles is absolutely brilliant! By alternating this story from four characters' perspectives, this book moved at a quick pace. Often, we only see how one or two characters' actions affect themselves. In Jumping Off Swings, we see how the decision made by two characters affects the lives of many people. In this novel, the characters are truly brought to life. I was very emotionally involved while reading Swings. I could sympathize with each of the characters and their personal battles. It was almost as though I was placed in their shoes. As one would assume, the character I felt most connected with was Ellie, the teenager who becomes pregnant. She faces many interpersonal conflicts, and while I was reading I actually cried (with real tears) for her. In Swings, Jo Knowles tackles not only teen pregnancy, but she brings to surface issues of peer pressure, family issues, friendship, romantic relationships, and the importance of confidence in one's self. She has articulately written a book that should be discussed. Not only is it captivating, but it causes you to think at a deeper level. In my opinion, Jumping Off Swings is one of the best books of 2009, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Haunting & Real

Once I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Knowles present at the NESCBWI agent/author panel and she was simply lovely - intelligent, gentle, and giving. Then I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of her latest novel JUMPING OFF SWINGS and that forever imprinted her in my mind. Her talent is evident here - the prose straightforward, but powerful, while the dialogue is natural and emotionally charged. I stayed up until I finished it, because I couldn't wait for morning to discover the ending. This YA novel examines the tragedy of teen pregnancy from four points of view - Ellie, the girl who becomes pregnant; Josh, the teen father, and Corinne and Caleb, their two best friends. That choice of having four first-person narratives is perfect, as we see how the pregnancy impacts each one. The chapters alternate between them, each labeled. Knowles' writing is so clear and her voices so distinct, however, that I found myself actually ignoring the titles as I rushed to see what would happen next...and I always knew whose voice I was hearing. The imagery in JUMPING OFF SWINGS is well done, too. I especially loved the scenes in the playground, tender, laced with regret. Knowles makes each setting distinct and provides the reader with enough variety to keep it interesting, but not so much that it confuses. The structure of the novel is even, with a nice flow from beginning to end. The plot arc pulls us through each scene, tugging us toward the ending, as we yearn for answers to Ellie's situation. As an educator and writer, I always love a book for teens that has a vital message and strong themes. Often times, unfortunately, authors feel they need to beat the reader over the head with both to get them to understand. Jo Knowles knows better. She understands her readers. She doesn't say, "Hey, kids, let's all remember: don't have a baby when you're still a kid yourself!" Instead, she shows us the pain it causes, the chasms it creates, and the scars it leaves. She gently takes us by the hand and leads us along the darkened path, illuminating the characters' souls, exposing their needs and wants to all. We are left to make our own decisions, but her writing is so poignant and lyrical - and true - that there is really only one path we can follow after the last word is read. Sadly, I had a friend who experienced a similar situation to Ellie's when she was young. Her gut-wrenching sobs came back to me as I read this novel. Knowles captures that angst perfectly. Her characters wrestle with the same torments, made all the worse when Ellie's pregnancy becomes known. At one point, I actually clutched the book to me and cried, as if I was consoling my friend all those years ago. The dialogue throughout is thoughtful and natural, and even though there are surprises with the plot, it is all so realistic. Teens will love this novel for the straightforward way it deals with a sensitive topic and the path Knowles takes in capturing the anguish. Although the subject matter is