This is story was written with a great twist of Jack and the Beanstalk
354018
This is story was written with a great twist of Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack lost his father young and has always been looking out for his mother. When he travels the beanstalk and brings back some riches that will help with the family farm. There was some twist of Jack growing and his feeling blooming when he meets someone in to the clouds. This was wonderful story and Highly recommend it
1269301
This is a very entertaining movie that is very creative! For those who are fans of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale...this movie is for you!
719241
The author introduces readers to Jack, a very interesting person who gas a unique job. In fact he just received it and is learning the ropes so to speak. As the reader follows Jack the incredible story unfolds and readers will find it is unlike any they have previously read. The author does an amazing job with this beautiful story that is going to have readers thinking about it long after they close the last page. I found this book extraordinary in the telling and the thought behind the story. Great job from an amazing author. Grab this one!
3415237
My 7 y.o just read this book to me and other than struggling with a few big words here and there he did wonderful and was so interested in Jack's Journey. He loved that Jack had a happy ending after all he went through. It really is a wonderful story for the family to hear abt change, patience and perseverance. Definitely worth the read.
1857676
This was a whole new way to look at Jack and the Beanstalk regarding the giants magical singing golden harp. This was a true trip in to fantasy and the beginning to the harp (Clairon). Clarion and Elena were both friends and one boy came to town and made things more complicated. This begins the journey for Clarion up the beanstalk and the prequel to Jack and the Beanstalk.

Narrator Review of . . . BALLAD OF THE BEANSTALK . . . Kaitlin did a good job. She allowed me to become more engaged in the characters and the world around Clarion, Elena, Mack and the beanstalk and its inhabitants. The audio was smooth and hiccup free.
744472
A basic analysis of the bible stories that are passed along to children before they might ask a rational question about how ridiculous they are or where the stories originated.  If Jack in the Beanstalk had been included in the bible, I suppose we would have televangelists selling magic beans to the gullible.  Because some adults chose to perpetuate fairy tales, we get taxpayers building religious theme parks to pretend THEIR stories are actual events.
3970414
It's not quite the same old Jack and the Beanstalk".  Oh the basic story is still the same, but instead of lazy "Jack", our heroine  is smart, resourceful Kate.
I did like Mary Pope Osborne's retelling of  Jack and the Beanstalk, but it's Giselle Potter's vibrant illustrations  that really make my beans grow.  And it is nice to see a smart girl be the  "hero" for a change.
3509124
This is a story written by J.J.R. Toliken and it is a fantasy and classical book. But please read even it is Classic because it is humorous and fun to watch the little hobbit named Bilbo going around and making  funs. Also this story is very simple worded and i sure could tell you that  by just reading the first twenty pages. This book will make you turn pages  and pages. It's fascinating and it's a part of the British literature. You  will also find that this book is not the same as the other book because  J.J.R Toliken had made such careful and intensive on this book, he created  one whole new world with language, culture, calenders, etc. I am sure that  it will help you because it have given such great influence about different  methaphors. (p.s. this story has many poems and there are few old british  words that are not found today)
2625830
This is a retelling of the Cinderella story or in this case Cendrilla (Rilla). There are many references to other fairy tales also. We meet Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss- Puss in Boots, Catherine the Millers Daughter all with a twist from the traditional fairy tale.  That is what makes this story so interesting. You are not sure who Rilla is going to meet on her travels.  Yes her stepmother and stepsisters are there too.  Yes Rilla is a servant in her own home in the beginning of the book.  That is where the similarity ends. Rilla is not a week Character that needs someone to take care of her.  Instead she is the one taking care of others.  I like the growth Rilla goes through on her journey and the discoveries she makes about herself. She is only 16 and has plenty more growing up to do. I can't wait to see what further adventures she has.

The other characters that Rilla encounters are colorful and I am certainly interested in the back story of some of them. I hope this comes out in the series as it progresses.  Some characters you can't help but love and others you strongly dislike.  The author does a great job in describing this world so you feel like you are fully immersed in it and on the journey with Rilla and Jack. Definitely recommended!
1284134
The story is such an adventure to begin with. Jack (Jacqueline), is on a search for her roots. She wants to know who she is and where she comes from. When her father kicks her out of the house to go sell their last remaining livestock to fuel his drunken desire, she only tries to oblige to his request. Since walking distance is so far away, she decides to sleep for a while with the cows tied up. Once she reopens her eyes, she discovers that her cows are gone, three seeds have been placed beside her, and her father would do anything to keep his selfish and greedy habits, including sell his daughter. And so, with nowhere to turn, she is left to leave home and wonder throughout the world looking for the place that she belongs or can call home. Along the way, she meets friends, family, and discovers the answers that she seeks with the magic of kindness. Little does she know that a little kindness could spread throughout entire kingdoms!
What strikes me as noteworthy would have to be the main moral of the story which is kindness. This author is absolutely fantastic. She allows the reader to experience an entire world with characters that are bent on greed and selfish desires; however, she also sheds light on those that do still remain kind and open-hearted. Jack, the main character, really inspired me to keep reading her story. She endured pain and abuse in the start; however, she was the one who made the choice to walk away and find a better place, to find peace. I enjoyed this tale and was all too excited to find out that the characters from Shadows on Snow continued to be mentioned throughout this story.
I recommend this tale to all of my readers, the readers who enjoy reading fantasy. This is a flipped fairy tale which portrays the life of Jackand maybe it mentions something about a beanstalk somewhere in there. It is truly a fantastic and invigorating read and I couldn't pay enough compliments to the author other than sharing my review. I also really enjoyed the short tale after this one regarding Ros life leading up to the friendship that unfolds in this tale. Again, since these tales were so very persuasive and the moral of the story just absolutely brilliant and strong, I give her five stars for a successful because I couldn't put it down!
322607
This Roald Dahl story is one of his best books and is fit enough to stand alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as my other favourite title from his early years. Dahl finds himself mastering his craft of storytelling, and the writing really shows. Once you start reading this pacey story, you will be in for a spellbinding and mesmerising surprise because with every turn of a page, an unexpected event lies in store.

Our loyalties are well-defined early in the story, and even despite real-life contradictions, we end up rooting for Mr Fox and cheering for him as a symbol of good, while at the same time allowing Boggis, Bunce and Bean to symbolise evil. At the part of the story where Mr Fox's tail is shot off, we feel extremely sorry for our hero. The story takes an unexpected twist with the three farmers showing their greed with their tractors and their fierce measures to get Mr Fox out of his hole, and is one of those instances where Dahl shows us that greed and selfishness are undesirable in society. But they don't realise the cleverness and handsome nature of Mr Fox in actually winning the battle by finding a most unusual way into their own larders, where they don't want him to be, and we end up cheering for him in the end during the feast.

Overall, I find that this book is sure to be counted among Roald Dahl's best, and he is certainly right in calling it his best-balanced book. This can be recommended to even older readers and not just to the young, at whom the book is aimed.
4549000
Tom Winton's book 'Four Days with Hemingway's Ghost' might at first sight, appear to be taking readers into the realms of fantasy.  But no, Tom's skilful and excellent story-telling makes the idea of meeting a ghost seem almost natural. The unique story is written with panache and an obvious knowledge of the great writer.  The main character Jack has an unfortunate accident and whilst in hospital in a coma, is forced to spend four days with the ghost of Ernest Hemingway.  I use the word 'forced' because Jack is given no chance of escaping even if he'd wanted to.

Jack is taken by Hemingway to all the places that had meant something to the old man during his life.  Therein lies the conflict in this story: how Jack reacts to the time spent with Hemingway, directly affects whether he will eventually recover, or go to meet his maker.  There is pathos, adventure and good fun in this beautifully written story.  Living in England as I do, I really didn't know much about Ernest Hemingway, but I do now and would like to learn a little more in the future.
431795
Jack and the Giant Beanstalk is remade into a story about finger-licking-good barbecue in west Texas.

The story is a quick, fun read about a boy named Jack who LOVES barbecue. When Jack discovers a giant stole his dad's secret barbecue recipes, he sets out to get it back. He climbs the tallest mountain to the clouds where the giant lives. With the help of a talking jukebox, Jack finds the recipe book and makes it home to open his own barbecue restaurant.

The pictures are vivid and fun clearly illustrating the story. The word choices are a nod to Texas and country music with the use of Texas lingo and the jukebox quoting famous music lines.

I read this with my 9, 7, and 4 year-old children. My 4 year-old thought it was fun. She liked the pictures. My 7 and 9 year-old were more into it.

Although this was a fun story, I can't help but point out that there seemed some poor choices in how some things were presented. Mainly, Jack discovers his father died of grief when the giant stole his barbecue book. Jack is then only concerned about the book--no feelings whatsoever about just discovering how his father died. It just seemed so callous. Another point is the word choices; it was very "country," which can be hard for younger kids to grasp.

All in all, a fun story with a few drawbacks.
2039674
An imaginative story with a unique twist on some of the biblical characters many of us grew up reading about.
3979858
Another engaging story by Robert Fowler that kept me reading till the end. It was almost like Jack and the Beanstalk who left home with money (instead of beans) to go into town. Then of course the story took on a direction of it's own. I thought Jet was totally cool, even though her path led her to a place she didn't want to go.

I totally agree with another review that was left suggesting Robert invest in a full blown novel. Not to say this wasn't a good read, it really was. However with this level of visionary writing skill I would enjoy a full blown novel with another engaging story like his other releases.
3460085
This is a story that my fifth graders enjoyed and were able to connect with on some kind of level.  She is a brilliant writer and is up to date on the what kids like these days.  It was getting a little dry after a narrative of the main character and his dealing with a severely deformed face, but then it opened up to different perspectives from other people.  Not only is it a standard to be taught to fifth graders, but it really made the reading so much richer and interesting to my students.  Ending a little predictable, but heartwarming.
2491034
I was surprised by this book because there is a slight shift in Bruen's style. Part of this relates to form, such as the use of chapters with titles, giving the story a more structured presence, which was clearly present before. But there is also a change in the mood of the narration. Don't get me wrong, this is still a dark, gritty story, but Jack's narration has bursts of humor that provide nice variations to its usual pace. In my mind, the author is mirroring changes to come in the main character with these changes in style, but I will have to keep reading the following books in the series to see if I am right or not. What is definitely clear is that Bruen is a master storyteller, since the change does not lower the quality of his work in the least. This one is among his best so far.

The elements of the story are along the lines of what we usually get. There is the main case Jack works on, even though he had decided to stay away from this type of work. The fact that the case found him via letters from the murderer telling him in advance that more victims will come is just a small detail to spice things up. As always, there is an ancillary case involving animals. Of course, we also get to see what is happening with the stories of the different secondary characters. For example, Ridge is battling a malignant tumor and needs Jack's support. On top of this, there is a revelation about an event in the past that may change everything!

If you are a reader of this series, you better stop reading this right now and go get this book immediately. You can thank me later :)