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Jack: The True Story of Jack & the Beanstalk
Jack: The True Story of Jack & the Beanstalk
Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District
Review Date: June 23, 2015
Review
A retelling of the "Jack and the Beanstalk" story that does a wonderful job with world-building. Jack's world is mightily disrupted when giants come down and destroy his farm and village, and steal his father. He is determined to enter the Giant Land and find his Papa. Using the classic trade of Milky White the cow for a handful of beans, Jack gets his wish. He feels that he is living up to his destiny and his name, as he was named for his great, seven-times-removed, grandfather, Jack, who was a renowned giant-slayer. Using his wits and his courage, Jack and his delightful sister Annabella do solve the "giant problem" bringing harmony to both the human and giant worlds. Just enough action; plucky characters; and an almost-realistic feel to the plot make this a fantastic read-aloud for 4th-6th graders, and will not disappoint any middle-grade reader into whose hands you place it.
Overall Book Score: excellent
About the Book
Author:
Shurtliff, Liesl
Illustrator: ,
Illustration Quality: excellent
Publisher: Knopf
Book Type: chapter book fiction
Genre: adventure,fantasy
Audience: grades 4-6,grades 7-9
Binding Type: trade edition
Binding Quality: good
ISBN: 9780385755795
Price: 16.99