jumping off swings by Jo Knowles

jumping off swings is a story about a young girl desperately looking for love by having sex with boys...until the inevitable happens.
The story is told in four voices: those of Ellie, the young girl who gets pregnant; Josh, the troubled father of her baby; Corinne, Ellie's best friend; and Caleb a boy who likes Ellie but ends up falling for Corinne.
We see how each character copes with Ellie's difficult situation and with the reaction of parents and students alike.
Even though Ellie has a poor view of herself, she takes her first steps towards understanding what she did and why, and begins to change.Ellie finally decides to turn things around by saying "no" in a life-changing decision. Her situation also serves as lesson to Corinne and Caleb.
Knowles characters are believable and I liked how she presented Ellie as making another "choice" when pregnant! Jumping off swings touches on many interesting issues in this book including those involving sex, love, teen pregnancy, teens and families.

Book Details:

jumping off swings by Jo Knowles
Massachusetts: Candlewick Press 2009
230pp.