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The Jumbies Paperback – April 26, 2016

by Tracey Baptiste (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 648 ratings
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The start of an exciting series filled with Caribbean folklore and daring adventure.

Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years
  2. Book 1 of 3
    The Jumbies
  3. Print length
    240 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    4 - 7
  6. Lexile measure
    680L
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.56 x 8.2 inches
  8. Publisher
    Algonquin Young Readers
  9. Publication date
    April 26, 2016
  10. ISBN-10
    161620592X
  11. ISBN-13
    978-1616205928
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

“Endlessly addictive and hypnotic” —Essence Magazine

“Far more than just your average spooky supernatural story, Baptiste uses the underpinnings of a classic folktale to take a closer look at colonization, rebellion, and what it truly takes to share the burden of tolerating the 'other.' Plus there are monsters. Gotta love the monsters.” —Elizabeth Bird, Fuse 8​

“The themes of fairness, justice, and retribution meld into a better than average evil witch story . . . 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 or Laura Amy Schlitz’s Splendors and Glooms.” —School Library Journal

“It’s refreshing to see a fantasy with its roots outside Europe . . . this is a book worth reading simply for its originality.” —Kirkus Reviews

“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
 

From the Back Cover

“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.” —The Baltimore Sun

Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.

“Entrancing and engaging . . . Baptiste enters an all-new folktale adaptation into our regular fantasy lore. Original. Haunting.”—Fuse 8

“Endlessly addictive and hypnotic.” —Essence
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 26, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 161620592X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616205928
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 680L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.56 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 648 ratings

About the author

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Tracey Baptiste

Tracey Baptiste

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Tracey Baptiste is the New York Times bestselling author of MINECRAFT: THE CRASH and the popular JUMBIES series including THE JUMBIES, RISE OF THE JUMBIES, and THE JUMBIE GOD’S REVENGE. Upcoming 2021 books include the picture book LOOKING FOR A JUMBIE and the middle grade nonfiction AFRICAN ICONS: TEN PEOPLE WHO BUILT A CONTINENT. Find Tracey online at www.traceybaptiste.com and connect on Twitter @traceybaptiste and on Instagram @traceybaptistewrites.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
648 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

sarah j
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024
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Goat goat goat goat goat goat goat goat goat but not better than harry potter.But still this is the best!
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Jennifer C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic scary story for all ages
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2022
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Based on the Haitian folk tale of "The Magic Orange Tree," Tracey Baptiste has woven a wonderful tale of magic, mythology, and things that go bump in the night.

Corinne and her father live together in a home close to the forest - a forest that the people of the island steer clear of because it houses the Jumbies. Corinne isn't afraid of the jumbies, or any of the other creatures that star in the tales the people tell to scare their children. So, when her town bullies tie her mother's necklace to the tale of an animal - the only thing Corrine still has that belonged other mother - she doesn't think twice about running into the forest after it. After successfully retrieving her necklace, Corinne happily returns to her father, never realizing that her trip into the forest attracted the attention of something.

When a beautiful woman shows up to the village market and goes to talk to the village witch, Corinne doesn't know who the woman is, but she does know that something is happening.

If only Corinne had listened to that little voice telling her something was different about the women, or the voices of her new friends telling her to stay away from the woman, or the villagers' stories telling her to stay out of the forest, then perhaps these events would not have unfolded. But she didn't, and so they did. LOL.

And though I did feel for the trouble that Corinne fell prey to as a result of her actions, I'm also glad that she didn't listen to those voices. Had she done so, we wouldn't have this wonderful story. Baptiste did a wonderful job developing the characters in the story, from the fearless Corinne to the trouble-making Bouki to the silent Malik, to the beautiful but dangerous Severine and beyond, the characters really bring the story to life.

That's not to say that the plot was lacking. It absolutely was not. While based on the fairy tale "The Orange Tree," Baptiste took great liberty with the story and adding in the Jumbies - characters that existed in the stories of the islanders who live in Trinidad - and other aspects which added a great deal of scary to the story. The amount of tension Baptiste wielded in this story was absolutely perfect. This is a great story of children young and old who like scary stories, as there were so many close calls that I was beginning to wonder if the protagonists were going to actually make it out of the story alive.

For this book, I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Robin Miles. She gave a wonderful performance, and I loved the bits of singing that she did. I definitely look forward to continuing the series, seeing what happens next, and listening to Miles narrate the audiobooks.
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James Widmark
4.0 out of 5 stars A must Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023
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This is a must read. Masterly told through the eyes of four children determined to save a village as well as their new friendship.
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Kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic journey
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Creepy and fascinating and magical. A tale of family, of friends, of learning who you are and that you have the power to change the world.
I enjoyed Corinne's journey, a discovery of her past and what that she can make the future better for her island home.
The premise is intriguing and different. The characters are wonderful and real. And the jumbies...well, they are fantastic.
One person found this helpful
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Lorie Barber
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, spine-tingling fantasy!
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2019
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FINALLY!!! A fantasy series in which kids of color can see themselves! I was absolutely riveted by this story, spine-tingly created by author Tracey Baptiste from Caribbean folk tales she heard growing up. I love Corinne’s courage and the unconditional love for her family that drives her to face her fears.

Further, the allegorical aspect of the story - whose land is this? - is something we can connect to the treatment of Natives by white Europeans as they colonized what are now the United States and Canada.

I will be adding this trilogy (the third one is out in September 2019!!) to the list of books from which kids can choose for their fantasy book clubs.
12 people found this helpful
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Meagan
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read even for college student
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021
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I had to buy this book for a college children’s literature class so I wasn’t really expecting much but honestly I went on to recommend it to all my friends and relatives with children in their family. It’s a wonderful telling of a Caribbean fairy tale, with uncanny elements that remind one of other children’s classics such as Coraline or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
One person found this helpful
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Write4one
5.0 out of 5 stars From my 9 year old
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2020
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I would recommend The Jumbies to my friends. It was very interesting and exciting. It made we want to keep reading. My mom and I read this every night and I never wanted to stop. But sometimes my eyes got too heavy! I loved the characters. Corinne was very brave and mighty. Actually all the kids were brave in their own special ways. They were good friends and they were good to each other! Thanks Miss Baptiste! Jaden
2 people found this helpful
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MasterCard
4.0 out of 5 stars A new lore for me
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
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When rating this book i considered that out sad meant for YA.
The story is interesting and the lore was a great discovery for me. However most od the events in the book are based in the characters and their motives, which i for that the author didn't put to much attention to. Some of the conversations come out of nowhere, characters sing things without having a reason to do do.
It was an ok read for me, and of out want a YA i would've given out a3 star rating.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast delivery, good book
Reviewed in Canada on November 5, 2022
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Very quick delivery, as described
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Pamela
5.0 out of 5 stars Bueno
Reviewed in Mexico on January 18, 2021
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A mi hija le encanto
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Pepo
5.0 out of 5 stars bel libro
Reviewed in Italy on March 22, 2020
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lo consiglio
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Lbltn
5.0 out of 5 stars Fab book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2019
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Reading it with my Year 5 class as part of our Caribbean topic and they love it!
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I. Z.
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in Germany on October 17, 2017
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Actual rating: 4,5 stars

Content warnings:
- hints of animal cruelty
- some fighting (including fire, improvised weapons, though nothing extremely graphic)
- some blood (mentioned in context of fighting and when a character is hurt by accident)
- an almost-drowning scene
- mentions of death

Okay, so, let me get this straight: I loved this book. Seriously. I read it for the diversity bingo challenge because of its setting in central america and I didn't excpect I'd like a childern's fantasy book this much, yet here I am, desperate for part 2 already because I fell hard and fast for this story.

All of the characteres were really interesting and well-portrayed as far as I can tell. The setting is lovely. The folklore this book is based on is super interesting and refreshing, considering all the same old (kinda boring) fairytales we usually get. Bonus points for diversitsy, of course, although I can't say much about the representation and its quality since I don't belong to any of the minorities included in this book.

The writing was so nice I almost immediately got my perfect "reading flow" and finished "The Jumbies" within 24 hours.

The only thing that bothered me a little: Although the dark atmosphere is great and there is lots of suspense, especially towards the end, I think the suspense could have been improved by not telling the reader so much so early on. A few secrets kept a little longer from the audience would've worked even better in my opinion. That's why my actual rating is "only" 4,5 stars, not the full 5.

All in all I highly recommend giving this book a try, it was really entertaining and interesting to me.
One person found this helpful
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