For Ages
8 to 12

Fairy tale fans will give a GIANT cheer for this funny retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk from the New York Times Bestselling author of Rump and Red!

All his life, Jack has longed for an adventure, so when giants turn up in the neighbor's cabbage patch, he is thrilled! Soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow. The kingdom of giants is full of super-sized fun: puddings to swim in, spoons to use as catapults, monster toads to carry off pesky little sisters. . . .
      But Jack and Annabella are on a mission. The king of the giants has taken something that belongs to them, and they’ll do anything—even dive into a smelly tureen of green bean soup—to get it back.

“Liesl Shurtliff has the uncanny ability to make magical worlds feel utterly real, and the best part is: you don’t even need a beanstalk to visit them.” —Tim Federle, author of Better Nate than Ever

"A delightful story of family, perseverance, and courage." —Booklist

An Excerpt fromJack: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk

When I was born, Papa named me after my great-great-great-great-great-great-GREAT-grandfather, who, legend had it, conquered nine giants and married the daughter of a duke. Mama said this was all hogwash. Firstly, there was no such thing as giants. Wouldn’t we see such large creatures if they really existed? And secondly, we had no relation to any duke--if we did, we’d be rich and living on a grand estate. Instead, we were poor as dirt and lived in a tiny house on a small farm in a little village. Nothing great or giant about it.

But Papa wasn’t concerned with the details. He believed there was greatness in that name, and if he gave it to me, somehow the greatness would sink into my bones.

“We’ll name him Jack,” Papa said. “He’ll be great.”

“If you say so,” said Mama. She was a practical woman and not particular with names. All she needed was a word to call me to supper, or deliver a scolding. I got my first scolding before my first supper, just after…

Under the Cover