Safe at Home Book

Ten-year-old Elijiah Breeze, a.k.a. Jumper, is having the hardest summer of his life. His father has just died; his mother has moved them from the suburbs to New York City's Harlem area; and he has to spend the summer at baseball camp. Basketball is Jumper's game. He doesn't know anything about baseball, or city life, or how to keep going without his dad. Jumper struggles in his new life, but he's encouraged by the support of his coach and his grandma's wisdom. He finds out it is possible to start over in a new place with new people . . . and still hold on to what's important from his past.

Publishers Weekly

The author of several nonfiction books about her father, Jackie Robinson (Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America), offers a solid first novel about a likable 10-year-old who comes to terms with some big changes. Jumper's father died six months earlier of a heart attack, and the boy and his mother have moved from suburban Connecticut into his grandmother's Harlem brownstone. Missing his father and his friends, Jumper does not look forward to a hot, lonely summer in the city. Moreover, his mother didn't want to send him away to basketball camp, so he is going to a neighborhood baseball camp, playing a sport in which he has little interest or experience. Worse yet, the captain of his team is Marcus, a cocky, ace player who derisively dubs Jumper "the boy from the 'burbs" and scoffs at his minimal skills. Luckily, some additional characters give the hero a boost and leaven the proceedings. A supportive, perceptive coach offers to give Jumper extra help and names him team co-captain, emphasizing the need for cooperation between him and Marcus ("It takes two wings to fly"). Jumper's growing friendship with several other campers, including Marcus's plucky sister, also add dimension to the tale, along with some affecting moments as when Jumper discovers his father's old baseball glove ("It fit perfectly"). The tale may end predictably, but readers will happily stick with these characters, and ball fans will appreciate the play-by-play account of on-diamond action. Ages 12-up. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.