Title: Calamity Jack
Authors: Shannon & Dean Hale
Illustrator: Nathan Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Genre: Teen fiction, folklore
Age level: 11+
Themes: Learning from your consequences, folklore
Synopsis: Jack likes to think of himself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, plotter, planner, trickster, swindler…maybe even a thief? Of course, he’s not out for himself so much as he’s trying to take the burden off his momma’s hardworking shoulders. She’d understand, right? He hopes she might even be proud. One fine day Jack picks a target a little bigger than the usual rich guy, and one tiny bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk. With a pack of angry giants eager for his head, Jack is forced to leave Shyport. But when he returns with Rapunzel (and her trusty braids) by his side, fixing to right some old wrongs, they must use a pixie from Jack’s past, a man with inventions from the future, and all the plotting and planning in the world to out swindle the giants and save Shyport from speedy destruction. The creators of the highly acclaimed Rapunzel’s Revenge have set Jack and Punzie loose in a fairy tale-tainted city and catapulted them into a fantastical adventure.
Synopsis: Jack likes to think of himself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, plotter, planner, trickster, swindler…maybe even a thief? Of course, he’s not out for himself so much as he’s trying to take the burden off his momma’s hardworking shoulders. She’d understand, right? He hopes she might even be proud. One fine day Jack picks a target a little bigger than the usual rich guy, and one tiny bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk. With a pack of angry giants eager for his head, Jack is forced to leave Shyport. But when he returns with Rapunzel (and her trusty braids) by his side, fixing to right some old wrongs, they must use a pixie from Jack’s past, a man with inventions from the future, and all the plotting and planning in the world to out swindle the giants and save Shyport from speedy destruction. The creators of the highly acclaimed Rapunzel’s Revenge have set Jack and Punzie loose in a fairy tale-tainted city and catapulted them into a fantastical adventure.
About the authors:
Shannon Hale is the bestselling author of the Newbery Honor- winning Princess Academy, as well as other highly acclaimed novels, including Book of a Thousand days, The Books of Bayern, and two novels for adults: Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife.
Dean Hale recently sold a picture-book story to Bloomsbury and, with his wife, Shannon, coauthored the award-winning Rapunzel’s Revenge. Dean and Shannon have also coauthored two children and live in Utah.
About the illustrator:
Nathan Hale did all of the drawing for Calamity Jack in a study carrel at his local library. In addition to being the illustrator for Rapunzel’s Revenge, Nathan is also the author and illustrator of The Devil You Know and Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School, and the illustrator of Balloon on the Moon, The Dinosaurs’ Night Before Christmas, and Animal House. He lives with his wife and two kids in Utah.
Pre-reading activities: Since the book is about Jack, a “criminal mastermind” and pranker, the students will write about a time when they have either pulled a successful prank themselves or watched someone pull a prank. If neither of these apply to them, they can write about a prank they would like to pull on someone but keep the victim anonymous.
Post-reading activities: The class will think about fairy tales this story relates to, and compare and contrast the fairy tales to this story.
Reflection: I think this book is kind of a modern twist on Jack and the Beanstalk and I really liked the color and the details of the pictures. Though it has a feeling of science fiction and some anime to the pictures, I think that this story would appeal to all students.
Works Cited:
Calamity Jack picture
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