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O P E N I N G H O O K:
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
(Pages 2-3, US digital edition)
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
I mean, just LOOK at some of these creatures we meet:
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
But cool things are brought here, too. UM, LIKE A DRAGON!!!! I really liked the way dragons and goblins and giants and all these creatures of legend that we think are make-believe are proven to be real. They were banished from our world when their portal closed, and due to some magic seeds that Jack and his sister Maddy plant, they've begun to return. Plus, it's really cool that the dragon looks very much like a beanstalk itself! I love all the cohesion!!!
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
Another thing I loved about this book was the emphasis on family. Jack is such an awesome, protective older brother! His little sister Maddy has issues that keep her from talking. When she expresses an interest in some magic seeds and TALKS, Jack is excited to do everything he can to keep her interested and communicating. When the stalks start growing and causing mayhem, Jack doesn't lay the blame at Maddy's feet. He says everything is his fault, even when the stalks mud-bomb their house:
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
Jack is becoming a teenager and learning to take on more responsibility as his mother works multiple jobs to keep them afloat. When Maddy is kidnapped, Jack literally goes up a beanstalk to another world to save her from the giants who want to kill her. Talk about heroic!
Jack isn't the only heroic character, either. Jack's friend Lilly is super fierce. She's homeschooled and has older brothers who have taught her how to fight, sword and all. She helps Jack go to another world to save his sister, and even breaks her ribs in the process! When she's rescued by some well-meaning goblins and restored to health, she finds out that's now obligated to marry the Goblin King...unless she can overcome him in a duel to the death! She's super kick-butt and will be admired by gals and guys alike!
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
You may recall my gushing when I read DOLL BONES by Holly Black after in won a Newbery Honor. I was impressed with how Black captured that awkward time as kids transition to teens. It's so hard to do well, and Hatke joins the category of middle-grade writers who do it WELL. Jack and Lilly are friends, but they might feel something more for one another, too. But they're young, so maybe they won't act on it. Plus, FAMILY, and family can be super embarrassing, right???
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| ©Ben Hatke / First Second Books |
I just really like the way this in-between stage is handled! I also love the way Jack's mom is in the picture, even though she works a lot. Jack does some dumb things--and says he does things he didn't in order to protect his sister and hide the fact that monstrous plants are living out back. His mom is very accepting of his mistakes and trying her best to help him grow up positively. I just really loved her influence and the way she is raising her children!
Both MIGHTY JACK and its sequel, MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING, are quick, fun reads full of colorful art and compelling story that will keep readers of all ages captivated. They're full of action, adventure, friendship, family, dangerous and mischievous creatures, and so much more!
Also, check out this video at Paste Magazine where Ben Hatke talks about living creatively and shows off his mad skills!!! He can breathe fire, jump through hoops of fire, run on stilts, and so much more!!!
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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S
Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details
Romance: G ( kissing )
Language: --
Violence: PG ( sword fighting injuries; a little fantasy blood )
Other: --
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C O V E R D E S I G N:
The first cover reads more "fairy tale" because the Jack and the Beanstalk elements come across loud and clear, but the second cover truly shines. It highlights all the things that make this series unique and hints at all of the adventure to come!
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: MIGHTY JACK
Author: Ben Hatke
Release Date: Sept. 6, 2016
Publisher: First Second Books / Macmillan
Received: For Review
Publisher: First Second Books / Macmillan
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's boring, too, because Maddy doesn't talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk—to tell Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made.
What starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.
What starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.
Title: MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING
Author: Ben Hatke
Release Date: Sept. 5, 2017
Publisher: First Second Books / Macmillan
Received: For Review
Publisher: First Second Books / Macmillan
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
Like a bolt from the blue, Jack's little sister Maddy is gone—carried into another realm by an ogre.
When Jack and Lilly follow Maddy’s captor through the portal, they are ready for anything . . . except what they find waiting for them in the floating crossroads between worlds. Even the power of their magic plants may not be enough to get them back to earth alive.
Alone and injured, Jack and Lilly must each face their own monsters—as well as giants who grind the bones of human children to feed their “beast” and a fearsome goblin king in the sewers down below.
But when Jack finds himself in a tough spot, help comes from the most unlikely person: the goblin king!
Ben Hatke, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Zita the Spacegirl, concludes his latest middle-grade fantasy-adventure graphic novel series, Mighty Jack, with the energetic finale to his retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.
When Jack and Lilly follow Maddy’s captor through the portal, they are ready for anything . . . except what they find waiting for them in the floating crossroads between worlds. Even the power of their magic plants may not be enough to get them back to earth alive.
Alone and injured, Jack and Lilly must each face their own monsters—as well as giants who grind the bones of human children to feed their “beast” and a fearsome goblin king in the sewers down below.
But when Jack finds himself in a tough spot, help comes from the most unlikely person: the goblin king!
Ben Hatke, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Zita the Spacegirl, concludes his latest middle-grade fantasy-adventure graphic novel series, Mighty Jack, with the energetic finale to his retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk.
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ABOUT...BEN HATKE
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GIVEAWAY
During Magic, Myth, & Mischief,
we're giving away a book of YOUR CHOICE
from the event!
It could be MIGHTY JACK or MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING!
we're giving away a book of YOUR CHOICE
from the event!
It could be MIGHTY JACK or MIGHTY JACK AND THE GOBLIN KING!
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL to any country that Book Depository ships to. You can also claim an e-book as a prize; it doesn't have to be a physical copy!
You must be at least 13 years old to enter or have a parent's permission!
Enter now!
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