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So begins an eye-opening, life-changing journey for Levi. First lesson: there are different rules for African Americans in the South than there are in Chicago. And breaking them can have serious consequences. But with the help of some kind strangers, and despite the hindrances of some unkind ones, Levi makes his way across the United States—searching for his father and finding out about himself, his country, and what it truly means to belong.
Shelley Pearsall has created an unforgettable character in Levi and gives readers a remarkable tour of 1945 America through his eyes. Jump into the Sky is a tour de force of historical fiction from a writer at the very top of her game.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 14, 2012 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780449014059
- File size: 241866 KB
- Duration: 08:23:53
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 5.8
- Lexile® Measure: 940
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 4-6
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Reviews
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Fourteen-year-old Chicagoan Levi Battle, who was abandoned by his mother as a baby and raised by his aunt, is sent to live with his father in North Carolina. His dad was a rarity during WWII, a black paratrooper. Narrator J.B. Adkins skillfully recounts how Levi's urban background and na•veté poorly prepare him for the Jim Crow South. Since his dad is no longer in North Carolina, Levi is befriended by a military couple, Calvin and Peaches. They make a home for him until he's reunited with his father. Adkins particularly shines as Calvin and Peaches, black Georgians who help the boy navigate the cruel and confusing South. Levi grows up, and along with him listeners learn about war, 1940s America, and how to jump from an airplane. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine -
July 2, 2012
Pearsall’s impressively detailed and voice-driven piece of historical fiction is set in the unstable year of 1945. Thirteen-year-old Levi Battle knows about abandonment: his mother left him on the seat of a car before skipping town when he was an infant, and his father, a paratrooper, left him with his Aunt Odella in Chicago after joining the military a few years ago. Now, out of nowhere, Aunt Odella has decided to send Levi by train to North Carolina, where his father is stationed. Levi has led a sheltered life, and the discrimination and violence he faces as an African-American in the South come as a shock. Unaware of Levi’s trip, his father is long gone when Levi arrives, so Cal, an injured soldier, and his pregnant wife, Peaches, take Levi in. Soon, the trio heads west to Oregon where Levi is reunited with his father. Pearsall (All Shook Up) constructs a tense and authentic portrait of WWII-era segregation and prejudice. The well-drawn setting, dynamic cast of characters, and Levi’s moral musings will command readers’ attention. Ages 10–up. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.
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