Mighty Jack – Mom Read It

Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The team-up I’ve been waiting for: Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl!

Posted on September 7, 2019September 6, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke, (Sept. 2019, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250191731

Ages 8-12

The latest Ben Hatke graphic novel brings together two of his best series: Zita the Spacegirl and Mighty Jack. It’s a team-up he teased in 2017’s Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, and I have been waiting patiently for two years to find out what was going to happen.

After Zita and her friends arrive from their space-hopping adventures, Jack and his family have been housing and feeding the group. Lily, Jack’s neighbor, who helped him fight the giants and rescue Maddy, his sister, is on edge, though. Is she jealous of Zita, or is there something more to it? Meanwhile, the giants are growing stronger and getting ready to invade above-ground: the gate between worlds is growing weaker, and they’re ready to use it to their advantage. Zita, Jack, Lily, and Maddy have to get ready to battle once more.

I’ve been a fan of Ben Hatke since 2012, when I first read Zita the Spacegirl. I love Hatke’s art, I love his storytelling and world-building, and I love sharing his books with the kids at my libraries. Hatke is a great storyteller, giving each of his characters a rich backstory and exciting quest. He also weaves the fantastic with the everyday, giving us robots, dragons, giants, goblins alongside a terrified mother, the complexity of navigating tween friendships, and the frustration of being “ordinary”.

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl is a wonderful chapter in the Zita/Jack saga. Is it the end? Well… you just have to pick it up and read it for yourself. Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl has a starred review from Kirkus.

Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade

Mighty Jack and The Goblin King: An incredible re-imagining of a classic tale!

Posted on September 4, 2017May 10, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, by Ben Hatke, (Sept. 2017, :01First Second), $14.99, ISBN: v

Recommended for readers 8-12

It’s here! The sequel to Mighty Jack (2016) is here! And the best part? It’s AMAZING.

Mighty Jack introduced us to Jack, his autistic sister, Maddy, and neighbor, Lilly. The trio discovered a magical garden that got a little out of control; Maddy was kidnapped, and Jack and Lilly set off through a portal, determined to bring her back. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King picks up with Jack and Lilly arriving in a way station of sorts; a crossroads between worlds. Lilly is injured, forcing Jack to continue alone, where he discovers the giants’ plan for his sister: to feed her to a mechanical “beast” that will grind her bones into dust, and eat her, securing their ability to rule until the next time the beast needs to be fed! Lilly, meanwhile, has been rescued and is being cared for by goblins, who plan to marry her to their goblin king.

Spoiler alert: It’s not David Bowie.

Jack and Lilly’s separation provides each character with his and her own quests, allowing each character a strong story and development arc. I loved reading Lilly’s journey from daredevil to warrior princess and Jack’s continued growth as a loving brother who will do anything for his sister. I was so happy to see Phelix, the garden dragon, back in action! The goblins are an unexpected joy to read, and the giants are wonderfully crude and repulsive.

I LOVE Ben Hatke’s work. He brings together the best elements of realistic fiction and fantasy and blends them together, creating unputdownable tales that give kids a new legion of heroes to follow, from Zita the Spacegirl to Mighty Jack; from Julia, who could teach a house full of monsters to tidy a house, to a lovable and brave little goblin, Ben Hatke finds the humanity in the fantastic.

By the way, the ending will make kids (and you, if you’re a fan) whoop and holler. No spoilers!

Give your displays a Ben Hatke love-fest by getting out your Mighty Jacks, Zita books, Little Robot, Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, and Nobody Likes a Goblin. Mighty Jack fits in with a display of hot graphic novels to read; it also pairs nicely with Gennifer Choldenko’s Al Capone books, where the main character has a conflicted relationship with his autistic sister.

Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Mighty Jack is a new twist on a beloved fable

Posted on August 2, 2016August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mighty Jack, by Ben Hatke (Sept. 2016, First Second), $22.99, ISBN: 9781626722651

Recommended for ages 9+

Jack is home for the summer, taking care of his autistic sister, Maddy, while his mom works two jobs to make ends meet. Maddy doesn’t talk often, but when she does, it’s about something that she’s passionate about – and she’s passionate about the box of seeds she discovers at a flea market. Before Jack knows what he’s agreed to, he’s traded his mom’s car for the seeds. Maddy’s happy, but Mom is not.

The seeds are planted, and a magical garden grows, delighting Maddy and their neighbor, Lilly, until things get a little out of hand. When a dragon appears one night, telling Jack that there’s evil in the heart of the garden, Jack is faced with tough decisions and their consequences.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love Ben Hatke’s books. From Zita the Spacegirl to Little Robot, to his storybooks (Julia’s House for Lost Creatures and Nobody Likes a Goblin), I love his very human characters – even when they’re a little something other than human. He brings the magical garden to life with vibrant greens, reds, yellows and purples, and his dragon is beautiful and menacing, all at once. Hatke weaves a very real story about a struggling family into his fantasy tale, and that’s where his strength lies: making the everyday extraordinary.

This is a definite add to your graphic novel bookshelf, and you’ll find yourself wondering when the next volume is due out. Because there has to be one, right? After that ending? Don’t leave me hanging, Ben!

Take a look at some more of Mighty Jack: