  | Mighty Jack (Mighty Jack) Author: Hatke, Ben | |
| Price: $20.98 | ||
Summary:
[Book 1] A retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" in graphic novel format. Jack dreads summertime because he'll have to take care of his autistic sister when his single mom takes a second job. And his sister, Maddy, never talks until one day at the flea market she urges Jack to trade their mom's car for some mysterious seeds. The garden that grows from the seeds sets them off on unforeseen adventures with their neighbor, Lilly. In graphic novel format.
| Illustrator: | Campbell, Alex |
| Sycamore, Hilary |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 2.10 Points: .5 Quiz: 183236 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 2.50 Points: 3.0 Quiz: 36786 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/15/16)
Booklist (09/15/16)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (09/16)
The Hornbook (00/09/16)
Full Text Reviews:
Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2016 In this trim graphic novel, Jack grows a garden rather than a beanstalk in the hopes of helping his mother and sister. Jack’s mom works so hard that she doesn’t even notice the massive garden that her children, along with a neighbor girl, grow from the seeds that Jack traded their car for (it was deemed a robbery by the police). Jack’s sister, Maddy, who is autistic and who almost never speaks, seems to find great comfort and joy in the garden. Jack wants to keep it intact as long as possible, even as the giant plants threaten their lives on more than one occasion, but an alarming discovery leads him to believe his only choice is to destroy it. This sets off a chain of events that leads to Maddy’s being kidnapped; at the conclusion of the book, Jack and his neighbor friend are embarking on a plan to save her. As always, Hatke uses words judiciously, allowing much of the story to unfold within the illustrations. The garden scenes are particularly lush, filling pages with shades of green and intriguing plant creatures: it is clear that they hold dangers, but it is also apparent that the garden is so much richer, fuller, more exciting, and more hopeful than the real lives of the kids. Even without the painfully open-ended conclusion, readers would have been clamoring for the sequel to this creative, gripping interpretation of the fairy tale. AS - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.
Booklist - 09/15/2016 Jack knows the seeds from the mysterious flea market vendor weren’t worth the keys to his mom’s car, but his younger sister, Maddy, who’s autistic and rarely speaks, is uncharacteristically insistent they take them. Their beleaguered mom isn’t happy, but she’s too busy working two jobs for the summer to pay much attention, and anyway, Maddy seems enlivened by their new backyard garden. But it’s just as well she hasn’t looked too close, since those blooming plants are . . . odd. Hatke’s aptitude for fantastic creatures is marvelously on display in the magical plants, which straddle the line between botanicals and beasts. They loom large in the margins of scenes, allowing the action to focus on Jack, Maddy, and their neighbor Lily, who spend their summer playfully battling their crops. Meanwhile, the plants seem to be getting stronger, and Jack starts to worry, perhaps too much, about his sister. With expert visual storytelling, an empowering team of kid adventurers, and a tantalizing cliff-hanger, this series starter will easily please Hatke’s legion of followers. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.
