Jumping The Nail (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Eve Bunting (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1993

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. When teenagers in a California coastal community challenge each other to leap from dangerous cliffs into the ocean, group pressure and manipulative relationships quickly drive the game out of control.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-- Rising 90 feet above the water, the cliff known as the Nail looms large in the legends of the teens in the coastal community of Paloma, California. A jump off the cliff into the ocean below rates an entry on the roster of names carved into the cliff's "danger" sign, and now, despite the risk, Dru's best friend, Elisa, is jumping in order to please her boyfriend. This jump causes her chronic depression to resurface, and raises for Dru all sorts of issues regarding peer pressure, insecurity, and parental demands. Bunting's message is obvious--distraught Elisa will do anything to keep her chauvinistic boyfriend and commits suicide when he is unfaithful; another boy jumps in order to impress flirtatious Diane; and Dru feels pressure from her boyfriend, who requests that she change her plans and go to a local college, and from her mother, who urges her not to let this boy (the rich son of mom's first sweetheart) slip away. While the characters tend to be narrowly drawn, Bunting excels in her descriptions of the cliff, the anticipation of the jump, and Elisa's wild imaginings of what she experienced in the watery depths. The author does equally well in recalling the uncertain stirrings and emotions inherent in new relationships. Dru's perceptions and observations are right on target, and Bunting shows clearly that the pressure to conform or concede can be as blatant as a demand to jump off a cliff or as subtle as a request couched in gentle words. --Susan Knorr, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Impelled by a heady blend of peer pressure and vainglory, a group of recently graduated California teens revive the local stunt of leaping from a 90-foot cliff into the sea where some of their predecessors died. Skillfully, Bunting homes in on the dynamics of daredevil behavior, omitting such trappings of teen rebellion as alcohol, drugs, or problem parents. Conscientious Dru, her narrator, is about to be a scholarship student at Northwestern; Dru's new boyfriend, Mike, is rich but very nice. Dru's anxiety especially concerns her close friend Elisa, whose mental health she knows is fragile. Elisa's charismatic but boorishly insensitive boyfriend, Scooter, cajoles Elisa into joining him in the first jump. Afraid to lose him, Elisa complies; Though neither is physically hurt, the effect on Elisa is traumatic. Next, driven by the growing exhilaration plus competition over Mike's sexy former girlfriend, twin boys jump, surviving with minor injuries but adding to the tension--to which Elisa tragically succumbs before Mike and Dru are able to carry out their difficult resolution to inform the police. Satisfying suspense that unobtrusively incorporates wholesome values while drawing a credible picture of ordinary teens enthralled by their own escalating frenzy. (Fiction. 12-17) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 172 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785714758
• ISBN-13: 978-0785714750
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,489,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jumping the nail, March 2, 2003

By 

Pete (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jumping The Nail (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

The book takes place in Southern California near the beach. The characters Mike Moriarty, Dru Driscoll, Scooter Navarro, and Elisa Fratello are all high school graduates.
This story is about The Nail this high cliff that kids like too jump off into the deep, deep, deep water. Scooter talks Elisa his girlfriend into jumping the Nail but she is very scared and not a very strong person. She will do things to please other people. Then other kids started to talk about jumping. Mike and Dru were strong people and tried to stop people from making bad choices. In life bad choices can last longer then one moment of fun that could change your life forever, all in the name of love. It's about kids talking kids into doing things they really don't want to do.
The part that I liked was when Elisa was in the water and she thought the girl who was in the car grabbed her foot and told "her to stay with her."
Both Boys and girls age 13 and up would like to read this book. This book talks about interesting choices you have make everyday it's like jumping the Nail everyday. The book talks about all different types of people and social levels and everybody still has to make choices good or bad. In the end you make the final choice. The book has some twist and scary stuff in it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jumping the Nail, March 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Jumping the Nail (Paperback)

Dru and her boy friend, Mike are the main characters in this story and are completely against jumping the Nail that just started after 9 years. Dru's troubled friend, Elisa, and her jerk boy friend, Scooter, were the one's to start the craziness and it continued by Scooter saying,"Who's next to jump." Dru and Mike try to stop everyone but the only thing that could stop them from jumping was the horrible tragedy at the end of the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must-read book for wild and independant teens., August 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jumping the Nail (Hardcover)

In this story, Dru, the main character, finds herself worrying about her friend Elisa and her guy, Scooter. Little did she know that worrying might not be enough to save her friend's lives. Dru lives close to a teen jumping spot, The Nail. When the couple decide to jump it, Dru seems more worried than ever. She knows that someone hit the buldge and almost got killed. She doesn't want that to happen to Elisa. This is a must-read for teens that think that being wild is phat, because something just might happen.