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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This is one of the current Bluebonnet program books & I really enjoyed it! I love dystopian novels & this has the right amount of dystopian for upper elementary students. Looking forward to reading the 2nd book in the series soon
This book has an interesting premise--a "bomb's breath" left behind after WWIII--a poisonous cloud that hovers over some towns that has killed many people. But a few kids learn that this strange air is fun to jump into because it slows their fall, allowing them to feel weightless. As long as they hold their breath while they are in it, they are safe. The adults are terrified of the bomb's breath and are unwilling to believe that it has any positive purpose. Luckily, the heroine of the story, aptly named Hope, disagrees. She and a few friends use the bomb's breath to save their community.
My 10-year-old daughter and I read this together and enjoyed this interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic world. Hooray for another brave girl character!
My 10-year-old daughter and I read this together and enjoyed this interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic world. Hooray for another brave girl character!
After the green bombs of World War III killed most of earth's population and rendered many places uninhabitable due to the "bomb's breath," a gas that settled in the air and kills instantly, settlements of survivors have sprung up. Hope and her family live in White Rock, where everyone focuses on inventing new things that can help the community to recover in the wake of the war. But when a group of bandits attack in the middle of winter and threaten to take the settlement's supply of medicine, it is up to Hope to sneak out and bring help. Will Hope be able to save her family and community?
This book is a much more upbeat take on the typical dystopian novel. Even though the world has changed and most of the population has died, the focus is on the community that has been rebuilt and the progress they have made in spite of their lack of resources. Hope isn't a perfect character, but she is one worth applauding, and I enjoyed following her and her gang of friends as they tried to save their community from the bandits. I think this one would be popular in my library, and the short length combined with the action would guarantee that I could convince reluctant readers to give it a try, too.
Recommended for: tweens, middle grade
Red flags: minor violence when the bandits invade the town
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.
This book is a much more upbeat take on the typical dystopian novel. Even though the world has changed and most of the population has died, the focus is on the community that has been rebuilt and the progress they have made in spite of their lack of resources. Hope isn't a perfect character, but she is one worth applauding, and I enjoyed following her and her gang of friends as they tried to save their community from the bandits. I think this one would be popular in my library, and the short length combined with the action would guarantee that I could convince reluctant readers to give it a try, too.
Recommended for: tweens, middle grade
Red flags: minor violence when the bandits invade the town
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.
Not bad, but for a better middle grade post-apocalyptic type story, try The City of Ember.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this dystopian book. It takes place after WWIII when the most of the world has been destroyed. Old timers can remember what the world was like with technology but none of that exists in their world. They value new inventions that help to simplify their lives. When a group of bandits come in and steal and imprison their community, Hope and a group of her friends sneak off to find help from a neighboring settlement.
I was able to just enjoy the story without worrying too much about the reality of their situation. At times I was confused with the Bomb's Breath and how exactly they navigated it, but it was still entertaining.
I was able to just enjoy the story without worrying too much about the reality of their situation. At times I was confused with the Bomb's Breath and how exactly they navigated it, but it was still entertaining.
This book is a great read, very suspenseful. It was hard to put down. The author creates a new world, post World War III, and a very strong female character, who has to face danger in order to save her dad and her friends.
Hope Toriella is simply not an inventor, despite her community's emphasis on improving lives through inventions. The post-World War III society in which she lives is without many of the conveniences of present-day due to the bombs used during the war. Aside from destroying all possibility of electricity, the bombs also left a crater that now forms the boundaries of Hope's town and a layer of dense gas called the bomb's breath that is lethal if inhaled. Hope may not be good at creating new devices, but she is daring enough to leap onto the bomb's breath and float through it down to the ground. It is this skill, and not inventing, however, that may just save the town when it is threatened by bandits.
slow-paced
If you’re looking for a middle grade novel with a strong female character and lots of action and adventure, look no further! Sky Jumpers absolutely fits the bill.
In Sky Jumpers, we meet 12-year-old Hope Toriella, a spunky, fearless girl living a surprisingly happy life in White Rock, Nebraska. Surprisingly happy — because this book is set some 40 years after World War III, during which the world was destroyed by “green bombs”, which are basically a more environmentally-friendly version of nukes. People were killed by the millions, cities were destroyed, general devastation resulted — and yet Earth itself is still inhabitable, for those lucky enough to survive the initial bombing.
White Rock is a town located in a deep valley formed by a massive bomb crater, surrounded on all sides by huge mountains. Its limited access — only one tunnel in or out of town — gives it an ideal defensible position. And safest of all, the upper skies over White Rock, and indeed, over the entire Earth, have a layer of mutated air known as Bomb’s Breath — thicker than normal air, instantly deadly when inhaled, yet invisible to the naked eye. The Bomb’s Breath sits over White Rock like a cork along the mountain tops, ensuring that no invaders will ever attempt to invade by crossing the mountains.
But… Hope and her friends have invented a thrilling game, carefully hidden from their parents, that involves holding their breath, climbing up above the Bomb’s Breath layer, and then jumping back through it. As the dense air cushions their fall, they are able to do amazing acrobatics, and dare one another to try riskier and riskier moves. Hope is the absolute best at sky jumping, and finally manages to nail a double somersault as the book opens.
The action really revs up when White Rock is invaded by a group of armed bandits, intent on stealing the town’s supply of a rare and valuable antibiotic, and willing to kill in order to get it. However, if the town hands over its supply, it won’t be able to make more until the next spring, by which point a recurring disease may kill off a good portion of the town. All seems lost — but Hope is nothing if not a daredevil, and she knows a secret way out of town. Risking everything, she and her friends set off to get help — but will they get there in time? Can children really save the day?
It’s lovely to see a girl take the lead in a physically grueling plan to escape and rescue her town. Hope is a smart girl who knows the risks she’s taking, but also realizes that if she doesn’t try, the town is doomed. Between her courage and her agility, Hope has pretty much the only chance of success, and you can’t help but root for her as she faces challenge after challenge, thinking ahead, taking chances, and pushing forward even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Start to finish, Sky Jumpers is fast-paced and exciting. The world-building is quite good, portraying a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s different and startling, but not too bleak or depressing for the intended audience. This new world feels like a frontier full of challenge, and even though there are bad guys out there, life itself doesn’t seem particularly awful — just different. Characters are nicely defined — not just Hope, but her parents, teachers, and friends are all distinct personalities with talents, ideas, and inner lives that make them feel like real invidividuals and not just faces in a crowd.
Well-written, with a dynamic story arc, lots of excitement and adventure, a high-stakes climax full of heroic daring — I’d consider Sky Jumpers a terrific choice for kids in the 8 – 13 age range.
Review copy courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.
Note: Full review posted at Bookshelf Fantasies.
In Sky Jumpers, we meet 12-year-old Hope Toriella, a spunky, fearless girl living a surprisingly happy life in White Rock, Nebraska. Surprisingly happy — because this book is set some 40 years after World War III, during which the world was destroyed by “green bombs”, which are basically a more environmentally-friendly version of nukes. People were killed by the millions, cities were destroyed, general devastation resulted — and yet Earth itself is still inhabitable, for those lucky enough to survive the initial bombing.
White Rock is a town located in a deep valley formed by a massive bomb crater, surrounded on all sides by huge mountains. Its limited access — only one tunnel in or out of town — gives it an ideal defensible position. And safest of all, the upper skies over White Rock, and indeed, over the entire Earth, have a layer of mutated air known as Bomb’s Breath — thicker than normal air, instantly deadly when inhaled, yet invisible to the naked eye. The Bomb’s Breath sits over White Rock like a cork along the mountain tops, ensuring that no invaders will ever attempt to invade by crossing the mountains.
But… Hope and her friends have invented a thrilling game, carefully hidden from their parents, that involves holding their breath, climbing up above the Bomb’s Breath layer, and then jumping back through it. As the dense air cushions their fall, they are able to do amazing acrobatics, and dare one another to try riskier and riskier moves. Hope is the absolute best at sky jumping, and finally manages to nail a double somersault as the book opens.
The action really revs up when White Rock is invaded by a group of armed bandits, intent on stealing the town’s supply of a rare and valuable antibiotic, and willing to kill in order to get it. However, if the town hands over its supply, it won’t be able to make more until the next spring, by which point a recurring disease may kill off a good portion of the town. All seems lost — but Hope is nothing if not a daredevil, and she knows a secret way out of town. Risking everything, she and her friends set off to get help — but will they get there in time? Can children really save the day?
It’s lovely to see a girl take the lead in a physically grueling plan to escape and rescue her town. Hope is a smart girl who knows the risks she’s taking, but also realizes that if she doesn’t try, the town is doomed. Between her courage and her agility, Hope has pretty much the only chance of success, and you can’t help but root for her as she faces challenge after challenge, thinking ahead, taking chances, and pushing forward even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Start to finish, Sky Jumpers is fast-paced and exciting. The world-building is quite good, portraying a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s different and startling, but not too bleak or depressing for the intended audience. This new world feels like a frontier full of challenge, and even though there are bad guys out there, life itself doesn’t seem particularly awful — just different. Characters are nicely defined — not just Hope, but her parents, teachers, and friends are all distinct personalities with talents, ideas, and inner lives that make them feel like real invidividuals and not just faces in a crowd.
Well-written, with a dynamic story arc, lots of excitement and adventure, a high-stakes climax full of heroic daring — I’d consider Sky Jumpers a terrific choice for kids in the 8 – 13 age range.
Review copy courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.
Note: Full review posted at Bookshelf Fantasies.