SAFE AT HOME
by Sharon Robinson
Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN-10: 0439671981
ISBN-13: 9780439671989
Ages 9-12
160 pages

Ten-year-old Elijah Breeze, aka Jumper, is going through a very tough time in his life. His dad just died, totally unexpectedly from a heart attack. Instead of staying in their Connecticut home with all the painful memories, raw reminders and empty rooms, Jumper's mom decides they'll move to Harlem in New York to live with Jumper's grandmother. So now Jumper faces a lonely summer in an unfamiliar place.

But that's not all. His mom and grandmother sign him up for baseball camp, even though Jumper despises baseball. Basketball is his game; he loves to play and he has a lot of talent. The only time he even attempted baseball turned out to be a disaster; he couldn't hit, was unable to catch, and even sprained his ankle. And to top it off, he felt bored. Jumper ended up quitting the sport, and that really upset his dad, who despised quitters. Jumper is all for skipping out on the four-week camp, but his mom finds a new job and doesn't want him staying home alone. Unfortunately, Jumper has no choice in the matter.

When Jumper arrives at baseball camp, he finds that it's even worse than he feared. Marcus is there. Jumper met Marcus briefly at the neighborhood arcade and found him to be rude, insulting and intimidating --- definitely not friend material. And as camp progresses, Jumper learns that Marcus is quite talented at baseball and not very patient with those who aren't. But their coach sees a lot of potential in Jumper, and pushes the two boys to work together. As Jumper slowly learns the sport and eventually starts to make some friends, he realizes that quitting something that's difficult isn't always the answer.

SAFE AT HOME is Sharon Robinson's first novel, though she is no novice at either writing or baseball. She proves her talent for both in this book that entertains as it touches the heart. She really captures the spirit of Harlem and her people, and especially young Jumper, who is dealing with the impossible situation of losing a parent and moving to a different place.

   --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

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