Jump Into the Sky

*Starred Review* Odella believes war is so close to ending that she sends her nephew Levi from Chicago to his father at Camp Mackall, in North Carolina. But she overlooks the treacherous journey the boy will face in the Jim Crow South of 1945, and the fact that her brother, on active duty, has no clue Levi is arriving. The train adventure is traumatic for the innocent Levi, and he almost loses his life to a gun-toting store owner in Fayetteville: “All I’d asked for was a soda pop. . . . But the look in that man’s eyes had been pure straight evil.” Then it gets worse: Dad’s unit, an elite African American paratrooper battalion, has just shipped out to Oregon. Levi meets and stays with a soldier from his dad’s unit until they join up with the battalion. Pearsall captures the soul and bravery of gentle Levi, who, along with the adults in his life, is never safe from the humiliations of bigotry. This poignant, powerful tale of father and son getting to know each other in small, delicate steps is suffused with Levi’s yearning for approval. Strong characterizations on all sides support the weighty story line. Best of all is the fascinating tale of the “Triple Nickel” 555th Paratrooper Infantry Battalion. Grades 5-8. --Anne OMalley --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About Shelley Pearsall