America is obsessed with people having babies, plain and simple. When a famous actress shows even a hint of a baby-belly, the media goes wild. When a famous couple welcomes a child into the world, the rights to the first publicized baby photos sends magazines into a frenzy. And even when seemingly ordinary individuals have babies, we throw them baby showers, bestow numerous gifts on them, and many of us "just can't wait" to meet the little one when he or she arrives. Not only is America obsessed with the lighter, happier, more "normal" side of pregnancy, but it is also obsessed with the scandal that sometimes accompanies it. Like when a teenage girl gets pregnant.
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles is about such a scandal. Ellie is barely half-way through high school, but she is quickly forced into the adult world. She was not the most innocent girl in town - she often slept with boys in order to feel some sort of love. But after a one-night-stand with Josh, Ellie becomes pregnant and faces a world full of adult decisions which she is clearly not mature enough to make. Not only is she forced to deal with the pregnancy itself, but she is forced to come to terms with how she got there and how one mistake will affect so many people around her.
Ellie's story is told from four different points of view. Through Ellie we learn that while her family is physically present and able to meet their needs financially, there is an emotional disconnect, or dysfunction, which Ellie has always felt. Through Corinne, Ellie's best friend, we see how even the best of friends can sometimes have a difficult time helping each other, as Corinne often does not know how to support Ellie in her decisions. Through Josh, we get the point of view of the biological father of the unwanted baby, and how his own home life probably greatly attributed to his own careless actions as well as his reaction to the situation. And finally, through Caleb, who is Josh's good friend, we see how even in the worst of circumstances, sticking by someone is often the best thing you can do for them. Other characters play important roles as well. Caleb's mom, Liz, seems to serve as the moral backbone to the story, helping Ellie with love and support during a time when her own parents seem unable to. Also important is Josh's father, who sheds important light on Josh's own life and helps him see through the pain of what has happened.
Jumping Off Swings was an intense, emotional journey that every boy, girl, pre-teen, teen, and parent should read. It has a lot to say not only about actual teenage pregnancy, but also about how such an event can disturb the lives of so many people. This would be an excellent book to use in a sexual education class, and even in an English class when discussing character development. There are very few sexually graphic scenes, which is why I would recommend it to not only high schoolers, but middle schoolers as well. And because it looks at the issue from a female and male point of view, I believe that it would be beneficial for both boys and girls to read it. Ideally, it would be a book that a teacher could use, and also recommend that the parents of the students read as well, in order to open up discussion with their children.
Below is a video of a very interesting interview. The girl in the video was a freshman in high school when she became pregnant. She talks about her decision and how her friends reacted to her situation. The psychologist in the video makes some good points about teenage pregnancy, how parents are probably not taking enough precautions when talking to their teens about such an important issue, and how the media seems to glorify it.
