Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Knowles, Jo Jumping Off Swings, 230 p. Candlewick, 2009. Language: R (75+ swears, 10 ‘f’); Sexual Content: R (sexual encounters, intimate touching, body talk); also includes lots of teen drinking. Every time a boy speaks nicely to her, Ellie, 16, is sure that he is the one and allows herself to be used and discarded. Her best friend, Corinne, knows that this is not healthy, but can’t get Ellie to stop. This last encounter, however, results in pregnancy and Ellie will need more than Corinne’s help to make it through the hard choices. For all of its harsh language, there is something very beautiful about this book. Knowles shows so many sides of complicated teen thoughts on sex and love and blends them skillfully. We see the girl who thinks that sex will bring her love, the callous boys who see girls as trophies, but we also see the sensitive boy who realizes that he shouldn’t have treated a girl that way. There is nothing idyllic about the outcome of this book, no fairy tale ending. But it is a very honest look at the intricate dance of human emotions. I wish I could say yes, but I will have to leave this to public libraries or for brave parents. I had my daughter read it right away, but there is no way I could keep this in my school library without know that I would get challenged right away. PUBLIC. Cindy, Library-Teacher.