Book Review by Aarene Storms: Mighty Jack

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Jack has a lot to worry about: he worries about his mom, who works two (or more) jobs just to pay the bills. He worries about his sister Maddie, who doesn't talk, and he worries about himself...

But one day Maddie does talk, and tells him to trade their mom's car for a handful of seeds. It's the best, weirdest, craziest thing that Jack has ever done.

The garden grown from the seeds is full of strange vegetables that bite, or crawl, or grab. And one full moon night, one of the plants turns into a DRAGON.

I thought that nothing would ever supplant my fangirl love of Ben Hatke's Zita the Space Girl series, but Mighty Jack just might do it.

This is a fabulous fairy tail spun on its head, with kick-butt main characters, terrific artwork (and a DRAGON!).

The text is accessible down to about grade 3, KCLS shelves it with the teen books, and the grownups will be fighting for their turn to read it.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true.
--R. Silvern

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS