Jenna's Big Jump

It's hard enough for Jenna Wexler to be a new fourth grader, but a bully in her class makes the situation even worse. At home, Jenna's mother regales her with stories from her adventurous youth, when she punched her enemies and raced her siblings atop dangerous roofs. Jenna longs to be strong, too, but it takes a forward new classmate to help her hit her stride. Kate's as assertive and brash as Jenna's mother, and eventually a jumping game in Kate's barn shows Jenna what true courage is made of. Although Jenna's move to a new town is clearly explained, her father's absence is dismissed a little too easily--however, this does not undermine the appeal of this simply told story, Thureen's first novel for children. She handles Jenna's turmoil neatly, credibly depicting her friendship with Kate and her hard-earned confidence, and giving this protagonist the triumph she deserves. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)