Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

Dominique is going to jump Trina after school at 2:45 – but Trina doesn’t know that. Leticia knows, but she’s not sure if she should get involved. In alternating chapters, these three girls narrate the story from their own perspectives. Really, they don’t have much in common at all: Trina is over-confident and completely oblivious to her classmates’ attitudes towards her; Dominique is a tough basketball player who can’t think about anything except getting back on her coach’s good side; and Leticia is just trying to get through the day without too much drama. This book, by award-winning author Rita Garcia-Williams (Like Sisters on the Homefront) was a National Book Award finalist. It is a good choice for independent reading and can also be used for ELA instruction in many ways, including lessons on point of view, characterization and prediction. It’s also a great tool for instigating a conversation about ethical issues facing teen readers— Should Leticia snitch to protect someone else, or keep quiet to protect herself? Should Trina get jumped, just because she’s annoying and the reader may not like her very much? What will happen to Dominique if she jumps Trina? How should violence be addressed in schools?

For more about the book, check out the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TN1TDg_lDU.

Williams-Garcia, Rita. Jumped. New York: HarperCollins, 2009.