Sky Jumpers

Gr 4–7—A town called White Rock has survived World War III, though the bombs wiped out almost everything and the inhabitants are working hard to invent the things they used to take for granted. A layer of deadly compressed air called the Bomb's Breath surrounds the town. The community is terrified of it since some children lost their lives when they wandered into it years earlier. Hope and her inventor friend, Aaren, have braved the Bomb's Breath and learned that they can sky jump through it as long as they hold their breath. While this seems reckless at first, it is Hope's skill at jumping that saves the day when bandits come to town to steal Aaren's latest invention: antibiotics. The fantasy world here is a little loose and leaves the listener slightly confused in places. White Rock no longer has electric motors, yet the rides at the Harvest Festival inexplicably work. Abigail Revasch's narration is good overall but the voice for Brenna, Aaren's little sister, sounds like a caricature and is continually jarring. While younger listeners may find this audio engaging, those on the upper end of the age range will find it lackluster in comparison to edgier dystopian offerings. Libraries looking for dystopian stories for the younger crowd might find this useful.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA