Mighty Jackby Ben Hatke
First Second Books (September 2016)
Graphic Novel/Fantasy
What It's All About:
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.
Why You'll Love It:
- This book, like many graphic novels, will have wide appeal -- to already avid graphic novel readers, but also to those who love fairy tale retellings.
- Hatke's interpretation of the familiar fairy tale is richly imagined, giving girls—including one on the spectrum—equal weight in the adventure rather than staying true to the male-dominated original.
- The full color panels and crisp depictions of all the vegetation which comes alive is so well done. Kids can let their imaginations run wild in this story.
Great for 5th-8th graders.
What Else You Should Read:
- Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi
- Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
- Fairy Tale Comics edited by Chris Duffy
6 comments:
This sounds great, especially for reluctant readers. Thanks for the heads-up.
I think this one will do well once I get a copy. Some graphic novels have such tiny, tiny print, but this one was much better for my reluctant readers.
I think my son would love this. He loved The Amulet series. This sounds like an interesting take on Jack and the Beanstalk. I'm very curious to see what his sister's role in the story ends up being. Thanks for featuring this!
Ben Hatke is just awesome! He's really been hitting out of the park recently. Graphic novels like this help combat the idea that graphic novels are somehow less valid as reading options than "real books".
Mighty Jack has been a hit with many of my students. Everyone who has read it has asked for the second and been disappointed to learn that it will be a bit of a wait.
I just love Ben Hatke's works - I will have to be on the lookout for this one.
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