Fiction - African American, Fiction - Social Issues, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Fiction - U. S. People, Places & Cultures

Jump into the Sky

Name: Jump into the Sky
Author: Shelley Pearsall
ISBN: 9780440421405

by Shelley Pearsall

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

Levi Battle's been left behind all his life. His mother could sing like a bird and she flew away like one, too. His father left him with his grandmother so he could work as a traveling salesman—until Levi's grandmother left this world entirely. Now Levi's staying with his Aunt Odella while his father is serving in the U.S. Army. But it's 1945, and the war is nearly over, and Aunt Odella decides it's time for Levi to do some leaving of his own. Before he can blink, Levi finds himself on a train from Chicago to Fayettville, North Carolina, where his father is currently stationed—last they knew.

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.

Synopsis

It's May 5, 1945. Carrying nothing but a suitcase and a bag of his aunt's good fried chicken, 13-year-old Levi Battle heads south to a U.S. Army post in search of his father—a lieutenant in an elite unit of all black paratroopers. The fact that his father doesn't even know he's coming turns out to be the least of his problems.

As Levi makes his way across the United States, he learns hard lessons about the way a black boy is treated in the Jim Crow South. And when he arrives at his destination, his struggles are far from over. The war may be ending, but his father's secret mission is just beginning—and it's more dangerous than anybody imagined. . . .

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.

About the Author, Shelley Pearsall

A former teacher and museum historian, SHELLEY PEARSALL is now a full-time writer. Her first novel, Trouble Don't Last, won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. To learn more about the author and her work, visit ShelleyPearsall.com.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Publishers Weekly

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. (Aug.)

VOYA - Ava Ehde

Being left behind was commonplace for thirteen-year-old Levi Battle. His mama, the jazz singer "Queen Bee" Walker, left him wrapped in her fur coat on the front seat of the car when he was just a baby with a short note which read, "I Am Levin." Her misspelling became Levi's shortened name. His daddy, Lieutenant Charlie "Boots" Battle, has made a lifelong habit out of leaving Levi. He has spent years as a door-to-door salesman, a baseball player, and then with the Army. In 1945, at nearly the end of the war, his aunt Odella has decided she has spent enough time raising him, so she has bought him a ticket and sent him from his home in Chicago to the North Carolina U.S. Army post where his father is currently stationed. Levi's journey thrusts him, for the first time, amidst the mistreatment and difficulties of being black in the South. Is it really possible that all the tales he has heard of his father's secret missions as a "triple nickel" of the 555th colored parachute regiment are true? This well-written fictional account of the 555th, a highly skilled historic parachute regiment comprised of African Americans, was created from first hand stories. It is a very interesting and inspirational read, well-researched and edifying. The story moves along at a good pace, despite the fact that there is not a lot of action. This is a great historical story with important notes of bravery, which will hook readers if enticed. Reviewer: Ava Ehde

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

Twelve-year-old Levi Battle had been living with his Aunt Odella in Chicago. His mother left when he was only a few months old, and his father had been serving in the U.S. Army for the past three years. In May, 1945, with the war coming to an end, Aunt Odella decided that Levi and his father should be reunited. Without any forewarning, she put Levi on a train for South Carolina, a journey that would eventually take him to Pendleton, Oregon. Levi's father was a member of the first Black paratroopers, one of the "Triple Nickles" which was the nickname given to the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. The first-person narration allows the story to unfold from Levi's perspective. He is a likeable character, both frightened and perplexed by the discrimination he faces. This elite group of paratroopers is also perplexed by the way they are treated by the U.S. Army. The author's tone, phrasing and expressions give the reader insight and often a chuckle that relieves some of the tension of the story. She does a fine job of showing the frustration of the soldiers, the impact of war, the bewilderment of a young adolescent, and his developing relationship with a father who has been absent most of his life. There are other memorable characters as well, who help Levi to learn about himself and the world around him. Readers will be cheering for both Levi and the Triple Nickles.

School Library Journal

Gr 6–9—Levi has been left behind all of his life, first by his mother when he was an infant, then by his father for a job and later the Army, and now by his aunt for relief from the responsibility of raising him. Toward the end of World War II, Aunt Odella puts the 13-year-old on a train by himself from Chicago to North Carolina to join his father who is stationed there, without telling her brother. Upon reaching the base, Levi learns that his father's unit, an all-black paratrooper unit, has just shipped out for Oregon. One of the men is still on base recuperating from an injury. He and his family take Levi into their home until they can rejoin the unit. Slowly Levi and his father begin to learn about each other after their three-year separation, and Levi also learns the meaning of sticking up for who and what you believe in. Although the title leads one to think the book is about the paratroopers, the primary focus is on Levi and the wartime home front as the color lines were beginning to change. While Levi rails against the segregation in the South and the "invisibility" he finds in the West, the African American paratroopers are frustrated that although they are well trained, they are not allowed to fight for their country. This fine historical novel is well written and Levi is a fully developed character. However, readers looking for action and adventure should look elsewhere.—Nancy Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC

Kirkus Reviews

The tone is as welcoming as warm honey over corn bread. Ah, if only a coming-of-age novel could live by bread alone. Pearsall, 2003 winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction with Trouble Don't Last, presents the excellently researched tale of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, little known all-black paratroopers serving during WWII. Her tale of 13-year-old Levi Battle's struggle to find his place in the world during World War II should be the kind of book teachers handpick for their students, especially reluctant-to-read males. However, if this effusive, lengthy story is bread and honey, the flavor, drowned in similes, metaphors and foreshadowing, gets diminished by too much "writing." Strip away the excess, and you've got the tender story of a displaced boy hungry to connect with the war-hero father who is more legend than parent. Dumped at his Aunt Odella's because his father is at war and his mama has run off, Levi is stunned to learn his aunt is packing him off to his father at a base in North Carolina. The Chicago boy is plunged into the racist South, with its separate drinking fountains and oppression that hangs like humidity. The dawdling pace and obvious, militaristic similes combine to undercut its top-notch research and compelling premise for a disappointing conclusion. (Historical fiction. 10-14)