Summary Calamity
Jack thinks of himself as a criminal mastermind, but he keeps running into
bad luck. To save his mother’s bakery he
targets Blunderboar. Blunderboar is a
giant, creepy, businessman beast who is rich.
His plan goes haywire and Jack flees town. Eventually Jack and his friends decide to
return to town. Things have gotten
worse. Jack has to save his mother and the town from the bad guys.
Impressions The
illustrations where wonderful, but I found the text hard to follow. I spent a lot of time look and finding
information in the graphics. I am not a
graphic novel reader and for me the book was hard to follow. However, my 12 year old nephew loved it. He reads a lot of graphic novels and really
liked the book.
Reviews
The stars of the graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge (2008)
move from the Old West to the big city, and this time the spotlight shines on
Jack. After his success during his time on the run with Rapunzel, Jack returns
to the city determined to prove to his mother (and to Rapunzel) that he is not
the scheming delinquent she believes him to be. Instead, he finds the city
controlled by an evil giant and under attack by a mysterious enemy. Jack must
come up with his best scheme yet to defeat the enemy, save the city, and prove
his worth to the women he cares about most. The urban setting suits this
retelling of the familiar beanstalk tale; Nathan Hale's art gives it a
steampunk twist, and the addition of fairy-tale creatures like giants and
pixies is natural and convincing. Shannon and Dean Hale have done an excellent
job stretching the bones of the traditional fable into a high-action
coming-of-age story that will keep young teen readers excited and engaged. -Eva
Volin
Volin,
E. (2009). Calamity jack. The Booklist, 106(3), 41-41. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/235665449?accountid=7113
Jack (of Beanstalk fame) is back in this companion to Rapunzel's
Revenge (2008). Moving away from the Wild West that Rapunzel called home, the
Hales make readers privy to Jack's point of view, giving them a glimpse of his
life back in the city. After a little mishap with a burgeoning bean, Jack must
set things right in urban Shyport and rescue his mother from a menacing giant
named Blunderboar. With braid-whipping Rapunzel at his side, he sets out to
take care of this business, although he is fearful that she will learn about
his previous life and his less-than-legal indiscretions. When another potential
beau joins the mix, Jack must confront his past if he wants to include Rapunzel
in his future. Populated with ant people, giants, pixies and even a Jabberwock,
this fantastic yarn has something for everyone. Rapunzel's fans should not
fear: This volume, though told from a male perspective, has all the pluck and
verve of its predecessor. Readers will relish this gleeful mix of fairy tale,
adventure and romance. (Graphic fiction. 9 & up)
Calamity jack. (2009). Kirkus Reviews, (23)
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/917316936?accountid=7113
Suggestions This is a take-off on the classic tale of Jack and the beanstalk
and includes other fairy tale elements. The
students could write their own augmented fairy tale. They could pick a character and story and
change it.
You
could also discuss what other stories are included besides Jack and the
beanstalk.
References
Hale, S., Hale, D., & Hale, N.
(2010). Calamity Jack. New York: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.
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