JACK: THE (FAIRLY) TRUE TALE OF JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

JACK: THE (FAIRLY) TRUE TALE OF JACK AND THE BEANSTALK by Liesl Shurtliff

Fairy tale retellings can be a lot of fun for older kids. Liesl Shurtliff has a fun series for the middle grade group called (Fairly) True Tales. I recently read aloud Jack: The Fairly True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.

In the beginning, Jack is quite the ornery kid. He's constantly getting into trouble with his family and the neighbors. Living in a farming community, when large quantities of crops and animals disappear, people want answers quickly. They refuse to believe in giants coming down from the sky, but Jack knows that's who's to blame. Then the giants raid again and Jack's father is taken this time. Jack can't wait any longer. He must find a way to get up to their kingdom and get his father back!

This humorous tale is filled with lots of adventure, but also is the story of a boy who realizes how important his family is to him. He begins to grow up as his journey teaches him courage and responsibility.