Originally published in 2015.

READING LEVEL: 4.4 AR POINTS: 10

This 296 page fantasy novel is based on two separate folklores: 1) Jack and the Beanstalk, and 2) Jack the Giant Slayer, and is the third book in The (Fairly) True Tales Series by Liesl Shurtliff. I chose this book to fulfil as my "fantasy novel" (#9/52) reading challenge for 2019 and I have a few grandkids who will also really enjoy reading this book.

What incredible hidden lessons for young people and full of adventure and humor to boot. It shows the value of working together, persevering, and thinking outside the box to solve problems, no matter how small or large or important or insignificant one is. And it shows the consequence of greed, or idolizing something that can't sustain, such as gold, which the giant king idolized so much it was his undoing and cause of death. Of course, the younger kids may not see all of this in the story. They may just enjoy the adventure.

The giant king's infatuation over gold was causing the famine in the land of the giants. He had his magician turn a hen into a hen who lays golden eggs on demand. And every golden egg drew resources from the earth. Well, you can't eat gold, and you can only reap what you sow.

After Jack had finally found his papa, they sat talking, trying to figure out what was cursing the land of the giants and causing the giants to enter the "Below" and ravage and steal the small farms of their food and animals and people to work as slaves for their own survival. The king believed he owned everything, from the giant's world above the clouds and the small people's world below the clouds. He was fat and glutinous and greedy. He was not going to worry about the famine as long as he, himself, had plenty of food no matter how it was obtained. Jack asked his father if growing was powerful. His father replied (I LOVE this because it is truly magical when you think about it):

"Very powerful...from one tiny seed you can grow a tree as big as the giants. Now that's magic if you ask me." (p. 235)

...he wasn't only talking about the growth of seeds, but also of the human spirit and many other things in life. So many positive lessons and an enjoyable read for the young and old. ( )

independent reading level: 6-10
awards: no awardsbut nyc bestseller

Jack lives with his mother, father and little sister, Annabella, in a small, poor village. Jack finds it very boring to work in his father’s fields all day, and dreams of becoming a giant slayer, just like his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Jack. Jack's practical mother insists there is no such things as Giants, but she is wrong.

The giants live in the Above, in the sky, and the regular people live Below. It’s been a long time since the giants have come Below, but when strange things start happening in the village --- buildings are damaged, crops are stolen, cattle go mysteriously missing and some people, including Jack’s father, completely disappear. Some people think the giants may be back, but not Jack's mother. Jack is determined to find a way to go after the giants, live out his dreams and bring his father back. He sells the last cow for a handful of Giant beans. His mother is horrified that Jack would sell the last thing of any value they own for a handful of beans. Jack plants the beans and you know what happens, a giant beanstalk grows into the sky. Jack climbs hoping to rescue his father. In the Above, there are in fact giants, but everything else is gigantic, bugs, snakes, chickens, etc. the reason the giants have shown up in the Below again is because giants are stealing crops and cattle from the Below because their food sources have seriously and mysteriously diminished. A new Problem arises because the giants hands are too enormous to milk the cows or shuck the corn, so they begin capturing folks from the Below to accomplish these tasks so they won't starve. Key to the whole mystery is king Barf's golden egg laying hen.

The author, Shurtliff does a great job of putting a “new twist on an old tale.”
Author Liesl Shurtliff combines elements of two old tales, Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Slayer, to bring us this “true” story of Jack and the beanstalk.

( )

So, this is the 2nd book in the non-series of fairy-tale books by Liesl Shurtliff. At least, as far as I can tell, they are not in a series. And, honestly, this book could easily be read alone, and I don't know that you would be too lost if at all. Personally, I like to read "in order" when there is an order, and I liked having the back story knowledge. But in a lot more ways than I expected, Rump and Jack are not really related.

Nor was this book, I think, as strong from the start, as Rump was. Rump had me hooked right away (at least the second time around reading it), while Jack took a bit before I really was enjoying myself completely. Once I got into the book completely, though, and was really enjoying it, I really had a good time with this book.

I think there was just something about Jack and Tom and especially Martha at the beginning that was not terribly genuine. I couldn't connect with Jack and Tom especially, so I felt kind of like I was missing something from the story. But then somehow Jack and Tom both became more open and genuine, and I was able to connect with them.

Overall, still a really interesting book, and a fun look at the world of Jack and the Beanstalk. These books are really fun if you like twisted fairy tales and fables, and I'm really looking forward to diving into reading Red next. ( )

All work and no play makes Jack extremely bored. And when Jack gets bored, he makes mischief. It's not that he's bad; he just longs for adventure -- and there's nothing adventurous about toiling day and night to grow yucky green stuff.

Adventure finally arrives one day in the form of giants, and soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow.
-from the book jacket
This a sequel to Rump, a retelling of the story of Rumplestiltskin. And by combining and retelling Jack & the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer, Shurtliff does it again. Jack is a bored troublemaker who lives on a farm. When giants come out of the sky and take his whole village, including his dad, Jack finds a way to go after them and try to find him. How can this be a sequel you say, with none of the same characters we saw in Rump? I'm glad you asked. Funny thing is, when Jack gets to the giant kingdom, we realize that Jack is in the world of Rump, in King Barf's kingdom. It is an ingenious way to tie the books together.

Another great fairytale retelling. The story is fun and moves quickly. There are some very funny moments and a few surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to her next book which will be a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

Recommended to:
Grades 3 - 5 through to adults. Anyone who likes fairy tales really. It's a very fun book. ( )