The Horn Book Guide

YOUNGER FICTION

Willner-Pardo, Gina

Jumping into Nothing

58 pp. | Clarion | April, 1999 | Trade ISBN 0-395-84130-5 $$14.00

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Heidi Chang. Afraid to jump off the high dive, Sophie is branded "chicken" by the two coolest girls in her class. She devises a plan to conquer her fear and while working through her list of "Scary Things to Do," discovers that for some things, "it's better if you just wait for the right time." This early chapter book delivers its reassuring message with a light hand (and some interesting complications), and Sophie proves an honest and engaging narrator.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1999