The Jumbies (Jumbies #1)

by Tracey Baptiste (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Jumbies
The jumbies are coming!

Corinne La Mer isn't afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. She knows that jumbies aren't real; they're just creatures parents make up to frighten their children. But on All Hallows' Eve, Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden woods. Those shining yellow eyes that follow her to the edge of the trees, they couldn't belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

Corinne begins to notice odd occurrences after that night. First she spots a beautiful stranger speaking to the town witch at the market. Then this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne's house, cooking dinner for her father. Danger is in the air. Sure enough, bewitching Corinne's father is the first step in Severine's plan to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and ancient magic to stop Severine and to save her island home.
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Kirkus

It's refreshing to see a fantasy with its roots outside Europe . . . this is a book worth reading simply for its originality.

Publishers Weekly

Baptiste (Angel's Grace) mines Caribbean folklore for her second novel. The jumbies are ancient, shape-shifting spirits living amid old-growth mahogany forests, feared and whispered about by humans. Eleven-year-old Corinne and her father, Pierre, don't care; they live in a cottage under the forest eaves and tend the richest garden in the village, which is dominated by an orange tree planted by Corinne's mother before her untimely death. It's a happy household despite their loss, and Corinne's fearless energy and can-do attitude are celebrated throughout. Her father, though, is lonely, and gradually falls under the spell of Severine, a jumbie in human disguise, embittered and seeking revenge. The storytelling pace is slow and descriptive--Baptiste takes seriously the job of familiarizing readers with what, for many, will be an unfamiliar setting and culture. It's not until Severine appears in Pierre's cottage, a quarter of the way through the book, that a plot begins to takes shape. What the story lacks in page-turning momentum, however, is made up for in its vivid evocation of Corinne's island home. Ages 8-12. Agent: Marie Lamba, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5—A middle grade twist on a traditional Haitian folktale. Corinne and her father don't believe in jumbies, malevolent creatures that come out of the island's dark woods to prey on people. Then one day a strangely beautiful lady named Severine walks into Corinne's house and takes over, her Papa begins acting weird, and evil creatures attack the village. Corinne and her friends approach the white witch for help but she can't assist because it would affect the ancient balance between creatures and humans. However, the white witch does tell Corinne that she has a special power that can help. Readers will find Corinne engaging and her determination authentic. Corinne's friends, Dru, Bouki, and Malik are also fully formed and believable characters whose loyalty and bravery help save the day. Even the evil Severine is drawn well enough to evoke empathy in readers. The story builds nicely to the inevitable confrontation between Corinne and Severine. Though the denouement seems a little too good to be true, the themes of fairness, justice, and retribution meld into a better than average evil witch story. VERDICT This is a well written tale full of action with enough scary elements to satisfy fans of Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm (Penguin, 2010) or Laura Amy Schlitz's Splendors and Glooms (Candlewick, 2012).—Gretchen Crowley, Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Hornbook

Baptiste's story, based on a Haitian folktale, is action-packed and original with an appealing cast of characters.

Review quotes

"Tracey Baptiste scares up new audiences to learn about jumbies . . . She builds a fairy tale about a brave girl and her adventures among Caribbean creatures."—Washington Post

"A scary but cheerful tale that draws on Caribbean folk traditions. A great update on the "town under supernatural attack" story, with a marvelous setting."—Baltimore Sun

"The Jumbies starts off with a chase and leaves the reader wanting more, in a very good way." —Bustle

"Endlessly addictive and hypnotic"—Essencemagazine

"A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore that will have readers holding their breath as they fly through its pages. Be forewarned! This tale isn't some cozy, tropical vacation and it's not for the weak at heart, oh, no! If you like spooky tales, this is the book for you. Corinne's story is truly a welcome and refreshing edition to the world of fairytales."—Valerie R. Lawson

"This girl's got guts. Even as she wanders the mystery-shrouded forest full of creepy-crawlies from Haitian folklore and faces up to the frightening newcomer to her village, Corrine La Mer brings badassery and wisdom beyond her years. Launching brave kids into the world of the horror novel, and leading them through it with lyrical prose, author Tracey Baptiste knows just how to seize kids' attention."—Foreword Reviews
Tracey Baptiste
Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books and several short stories for children. She writes fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. She is best known for the horror adventure Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash. Tracey can be found online at traceybaptiste.com and on Instagram: @traceybaptistewrites.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781616205928
Lexile Measure
680
Guided Reading Level
U
Publisher
Algonquin Young Readers
Publication date
April 26, 2016
Series
Jumbies
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV012040 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Adaptations
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Caribbean Area
Horror stories
Blacks
Spirits
Library Media Connection

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