"Jumping Off Swings" by Jo Knowles is a poignant exploration of teenage relationships and the complexities of growing up. The story follows four friends—Ellie, Josh, Nate, and Corinne—as they navigate the challenges of adolescence, including love, loss, and unexpected consequences. When a moment of passion leads to an unplanned pregnancy, the group's dynamics shift dramatically. Each character grapples with their individual feelings and responsibilities, ultimately learning about trust, betrayal, and the importance of choices. As they confront their fears and desires, they discover that the bonds of friendship can be both a source of strength and a challenge to overcome. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book is aimed at children at US 9th grade+.

This book has been graded for interest at 14 years.

There are 240 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2011 by Candlewick Press, U. S. .

Jo Knowles is the author of the YA novels Lessons from a Dead Girl and Jumping Off Swings. The recipient of the 2005 PEN Literary Award, she lives in Vermont.