Mighty Jack and the Goblin King

August 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-In this follow-up to Mighty Jack, the titular character and his friend Lilly travel through a portal in search of Jack's sister, Maddy, who has been kidnapped by an ogre. The duo are separated and must battle their own monsters, helped along the way by even more winsome and fantastical creatures than in the first volume. The strong character development gives this swashbuckling, imaginative tale an air of authenticity. With each page-turn, Jack and Lilly become more well rounded and complex, and the villains become ever more daunting. The artwork is bright but never garish. Panels are incredibly action-packed but have fairly simple backgrounds, moving the plot along deftly and keeping the focus on the protagonists. Charming, spot-on dialogue personalizes the various creatures. VERDICT An exciting conclusion to a modern-day take on "Jack and the Beanstalk," this title is even stronger than the previous book. Highly recommended for libraries where the first installment is popular.-Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
In pursuit of the ogre who kidnapped his sister Maddy, Jack (Mighty Jack) and his sword-wielding neighbor Lilly travel to a bizarre fantasy world. They are soon separated; Jack discovers that Maddy's life is in grave danger, while Lilly ends up in an arranged marriage to the oppressive Goblin King. Dynamic panel layouts and ever-present sound effects ("CH-CHUNK!" "SPLORT!" "FOOM") convey the non-stop action in this graphic novel.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2017
This sequel picks up right where Mighty Jack (rev. 9/16) left off--and what follows is all action. In pursuit of the ogre who kidnapped his sister Maddy, Jack and his sword-wielding neighbor Lilly pass through a vegetative wormhole into a bizarre fantasy world of floating castles, giant rats, and babbling goblins. Fortified by superpower-boosting smoothies and armed with magic beans, Jack and Lilly nevertheless find themselves separated after a sneak attack. Jack discovers that Maddy's life is in grave danger. Lilly ends up in an arranged marriage to the oppressive Goblin King. Several furious, blood-splattered brawls ensue, shown in dynamic panel layouts that regularly burst into double-page spreads and with ever-present sound effects ( CH-CHUNK! SPLORT! FOOM ). Jack's bravado and macho rhetoric ( I'm going to catch up to that ogre, smash its head, and bring my sister home ) is tempered by Lilly's moving display of self-sacrifice and Maddy's surprising show of swordsmanship. Numerous references to and cameos from Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl universe are peppered throughout the story, culminating in a call to arms from the space heroine herself and suggesting a future crossover adventure. patrick gall

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)