Jumped (by Rita Williams-Garcia)
common sense media says
Chilling book about girl-on-girl violence will leave mark.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this National Book Award finalist is about a girl-on-girl fight that's so severe that one girl ends up in a coma. Careful readers will understand that this book not only examines how much more "personal" girl violence is -- but more importantly, it also reveals the importance of getting
involved before events get out of hand. The most chilling character is the one who knows about the planned attack but does nothing -- and doesn't really seem to care after an innocent girl is left in a coma. There is some frank language and one girl admits, "I was mad and had to do something and mad sex is some good s--t, yo."
Educational value:
Readers may appreciate comparing this book to their own high school experience, and also talking about what they would have done in Leticia's situation.
Positive role models:
The main characters are not meant to be role models, but high school readers may relate to some of their feelings about school life -- both its chaos and its strict rules can leave students feeling out of control.
Violence:
There is a menacing atmosphere: a police officer greets students at the front door and a teacher starts stuttering when Dominque confronts him about her grade. The book culminates in a student being beaten into a coma.
Sex:
There is mild flirting and discussion of two girls who are presumed to be gay. One girl admits, "I was mad and had to do something and mad sex is some good s--t, yo."
Language:
Some swearing like "s--t," "ass" and "bitch." One girl uses a slur to describe two girls who may be lesbians. Some other vulgar language describing bodies, etc.
Consumerism:
A few mentions of brand names like Juicy and M.A.C.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
More on Jumped
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Most useful reviews by all members
dnoristz
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Easier to understand and enjoy for teenage children.
This story, though it may portray bad plot involving violence, greatly explains the true sides of school bullying. Being a reader of this book at age 14 and being able to analyze it further as more than just the text on the pages, I can see that there is more to the book. In the book, the three parties of bullying are shown. In every act of bullying, there is the bully, the victim, and the bystander. Towards the end of the novel, you learn that had any one of those girls in the bullying act taken the time to think about what was going on or why they were doing what they were doing, the whle story would hve ended differently. This book in my opinion was entertaining and enjoyable to read because teenage children can sometimes relate to situations like this whether more serious or less dramatic. In all, it was a good book and when rating please remember that this is a fictional story but the author did spend many hours roaming various highschools and interpreting behavior amongst the students in order to develop the story.
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MISTY.F.
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
CHILDREN IN THE SHADOWS OF VIOLENCE!!!!
i think this book is trying to teach kids that if they are having a confrontation with another kid in school or anywhere that they shouldn't go straight to violence like the girls did in this book and that they should go to a teacher and let them deal with the situation.
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