Jump into the Sky Audiobook

" Eye opener great book "

" I liked it. It's sobering to read, for sure. I really liked the Author's Note explaining how so much of the story was based on real events and people. "

" It's 1945 and WWII seems to be winding down. The aunt with whom he has been living in Chicago decides that it's time for the father of thirteen-year-old Levi Battle to do his part. It might seem cruel for her to send Levi out on his own in that way, but the author makes it clear that Aunt Odella has spent so much of her life taking care of others that she has little time for herself. Levi takes a train from Chicago to Washington, D.C., and then on North Carolina where his father is stationed. He learns first hand about segregation, prejudice, and hatred along the way where even the simple act of buying a soft drink in Fayetteville can have disatrous consequences. After Levi realizes that his father's squadron has relocated to Pendleton, Oregon, he is befriended by a kind-hearted couple, Cal and Peaches. Not only do they provide him a home, but they bring him along when Cal is sent to Pendleton too to join the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the nation's first African-American paratroopers. The relationship between father and son may have been a bit bumpy as might be expected, but the author creates several likeable characters and tells the story of a ground-breaking military unit while also capturing perfectly the flavor of those times and the different forms in which prejudice existed. It's hard not to root for Levi and wish for him to have a happily ever after. "

" I really liked this book. It was the story about the 555th in WWII. It was about black/white relations in different parts of the country. As a teacher, it would be a book that I would read/discuss with middle school students. I was very impressed with Pearsall's historical narrative. "

" Not sure how the "welcome" down south woulod be accepted by my elementary students. This might be a middle school book. The story is wonderful, and definitely worth a read. "

" Would be good for young adult. I like learning about situations I'll never experience and being a black paratrooper during WWII is definitely something I knew nothing about. the awful experience of the Jim Crow laws is well portrayed here also. "

" I have been waiting four years to read this book and the wait was worth it. "

" It's so easy to love Levi in Jump into the Sky. He's a 13 year old boy who has been left his whole life. When his aunt sent him off to find his father in North Carolina, he comes face to face with racism but also meets Cal and Peaches who help him understand the world. "

" This is a great historical novel. I really love the endnote in which the author tells how the book was researched with interviews and which details were taken from real life. The book is based on a little known fact about WWII. A positive male African American character. "

" Learned a few new things and saw part of American history from a different perspective. "

" some mild swearing towards the end of the book. :( otherwise a good story. "

" I may have mentioned this before, but, wow! Shelley Pearsall can really write. This is historical fiction as it should be written. I feel like I stepped into a time machine and got to know these people whose experiences happened (unbelievably)even before I was born. Bravo! "