JACK: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk
Fairytale 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
Watch the trailer
For teachers
Start on Monday
- Show the book trailer
- Read the opening pages togetherFree sample
- Read a chapter a day: 27 chapters, about 5–6 weeks.
- Use the free classroom resources below.
- Finish with a free 15-minute Q&A with Liesl
Reading it in class?
Liesl recommends the Fairly True Tales as class read-alouds for grades 2 and up (some first-grade classes have read them together, too). They're lighthearted and funny, even when the story touches on serious topics. Most classes start with RUMP; some things make more sense if you read RUMP before JACK.
About 320 pages (paperback), 27 chapters plus an epilogue and an author's note. A lighthearted adventure: no deaths, and nothing too serious or stressful.
Themes: Family, courage, consequences, adventure & fairytales.
Standards tie-in: compare the retelling with a traditional version of the tale (CCSS RL.2.9), and compare books in the series (RL.3.9).
- RUMP · JACK · RED Reader’s GuidePDF
- JACK TriviaGoogle Drive
Class sets: reading one of Liesl's books together? Order 20 or more copies of one title, signed, at 15% off the list price, and the price includes shipping: about $7.65 a copy for the Fairly True Tales and about $8.50 for Time Castaways (U.S. only). For whole-school orders of 100+ books, see One School, One Book. Order a class set (or email assistant@lieslshurtliff.com)
JACK is also available as an audiobook!
Want to learn more? Read about all of the excitement during JACK's book launch, including an exclusive interview with Liesl!
Praise for JACK
Shurtliff’s second fairy-tale endeavor, following RUMP (2013), soars into the sky and is a delightful story of family, perseverance, and courage.
Enough boisterous adventures about a wee boy (and girl) overcoming big obstacles and defeating greed to keep youngsters hooked. Fans of retold fairy tales will be well-satisfied.
With a healthy dose of honor and integrity to accompany his wisecracking ways, Jack is a winning hero, and his adventures—both unexpected and recognizable—will please those readers with rollicking spirits or a yen for tales retold.
Bring Liesl to your school
In Tales Behind Fairytales, Liesl’s interactive assembly about where fairytales come from and how she spins her own, the whole audience joins in a reader’s theatre of Grimm’s Rumpelstiltskin, costumes and all. For all ages; presentations for K–2 are about 30 minutes.
Or start with a free 15-minute Q&A for classes reading the book