Name: Sarah Sammis's review of Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
Item: Mighty Jack
Rating: 4
Author: Sarah Sammis

Ben Hatke

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. In Mighty Jack, 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.

Mighty Jack

Jordan Bowman

Sarah Sammis

While I like the interaction of Jack and Lilly, I'm disappointed with Maddy's portrayal. She is a burden to her brother and a source of worry and hardship for her mother. She's also a source of trouble because of her curiosity and naïveté. She's duped into taking the seeds. And finally she's kidnapped by a magical creature, thus launching the hook to the second volume. Maddy is essentially a prop and a plot device, not a wholly realized character.

CCFFFF siblings utopia cornfield

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

Jack has to take care of his sister, Maddy for the summer while their mother is working two jobs to try to make ends meet. When they go to a local flea market to buy tools, Maddy, who almost never speaks, tells Jack to buy some seeds from a vendor who will only trade them for his mother's car. At Maddy's insistence, Jack trades the car for the seeds. When they start to plant them, strange things begin to happen.

Mighty Jack is very much a mix of a modern Jack in the Beanstalk, Little Shop of Horrors, and Lord of the Flies. The magical plants are unique, especially when they are eaten. We really don't know why Maddy is unable to talk much. Hopefully that will be revealed in future books in the series as well as more development of all the characters. Overall, Mighty Jack is a fun graphic novel with lots of references to other classic stories.

Lynn Braden

Jack has to take care of his sister, Maddy for the summer while their mother is working two jobs to try to make ends meet. When they go to a local flea market to buy tools, Maddy, who almost never speaks, tells Jack to buy some seeds from a vendor who will only trade them for his mother's car. At Maddy's insistence, Jack trades the car for the seeds. When they start to plant them, strange things begin to happen.

Mighty Jack is very much a mix of a modern Jack in the Beanstalk, Little Shop of Horrors, and Lord of the Flies. The magical plants are unique, especially when they are eaten. We really don't know why Maddy is unable to talk much. Hopefully that will be revealed in future books in the series as well as more development of all the characters. Overall, Mighty Jack is a fun graphic novel with lots of references to other classic stories.

Maggie Gordon

As always, Ben Hatke has produced a very readable, exciting graphic novel for young readers. It's just not quite as good as his Zita series. The book is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. In this case, Jack is a young boy with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. His mom is trying to care for both him and his sister on a single income, and he's left to take care of his sister who seems to have autism. Though she rarely speaks, she demands Jack to buy some strange seeds from a market (leading to a rather unfortunate situation where their mom's car is taken, making things even worse for the family. It's a clever twist on the cow!). When the seeds are planted, they grow into a magic garden! But the garden isn't a gentle field of delights. The plants are quite cantankerous and dangerous. Eventually, Jack has to burn the field down, but his sister, Maddy, plants one last seed that turns into a monster and runs off with her. Jack must save her and that's where the story ends!

As always, the art is cute and expressive. Younger readers will probably relate to the kids who act very much like kids. The retelling aspects of the story are interesting so far. As I mentioned the car replaces the cow, the garden is our beanstalk, and it's a thoroughly modern story. Where this particular book is weak though is plot and character. Mighty Jack is obviously the start of a series, but it doesn't feel like it fully stands alone. The cliffhanger feels like a midbook point rather than the end of a separate novel, even for a book aimed at younger readers. Also, there was a third character. She contributed so little to the plot that I was able to leave her out of my synopsis above. She's the next door neighbour to Jack and Maddy, and she likes to fight with swords and experiment with plants stolen from the garden. She doesn't have much character, comes off rather obnoxious, and is entirely forgettable. I do hope she receives some development by the next book.

Mandi Jayne

All three of my kids (8, 7, & 5) and I absolutely loved this book! A great update to the Jack and a Beanstalk story, the graphic novel format makes for easy reading for younger readers while still being engaging and fun for older readers. Loved it!

Yoomi

I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

And I honestly LOVED it! I love all of Ben Hatke's books but Zita has always had a special place in my heart. Mighty Jack might be a close second. But we'll see what happens as the series unfolds. :)

It's just Jack, his sister Maddy (who doesn't talk much) and their mom, who recently picked up a second job in order to try to make ends meet. An ordinary trip the the flea market to pick up some tools turns out to be life changing when Jack is convinced to buy a mysterious box. (If you've read Hatke's other works, keep an eye out for some cameos!!)

As always, Ben Hatke builds amazing characters, from this world and others. I fell in love with Maddy so when the volume ended in the cliffhanger, I immediately looked up the publication date. SEPTEMBER?? So volume 2 won't be out until next year?? >.<

Jeni Enjaian

This book is adorable. I absolutely loved Hatke's take on the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story. This book with its beautiful illustrations captivated me from the beginning. I also loved Hatke's inclusion of Jack's sister Maggie. Even though Hatke does not come out and say, Maggie is clearly autistic or on the spectrum. Yet, Jack shows distinct care for her and loves her like a sister. This treatment, without preaching, helps other kids, those reading this book, learn how they, in turn, should treat others who process the world differently than they do. 

I just might read the next books in the series.

Jordan Bowman &
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Reviews

Join the club

Jordan Bowman &Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Reviews

Join the club

Jordan Bowman &
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke