Parents' Guide to

Jack Plank Tells Tales

By Ellen Dendy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

An ex-pirate spins captivating yarns.

Jack Plank Tells Tales Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

age 7+

Great twist on pirate stories

This book was on an assigned reading list for fourth and fifth graders. It was not a typical pirate book, as the main character wants to stop being a pirate and figure out what else he should do. So the story is less about pillaging and more about finding out how people fit in. The book has several funny parts. A 9-year-old boy really enjoyed this, more than he thought. The language is not too difficult

This title has:

Educational value

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Award-winning author Natalie Babbitt (Tuck Everlasting) pays tribute to the art of storytelling in this engaging story about Jack Plank, a recently laid-off pirate. Jack's career crisis serves as a framework for eight captivating and highly imaginative pirate stories that are just plain fun to read and tailor-made for group storytelling. And Babbitt's old-fashioned, hand-drawn illustrations match the story's 18th-century setting perfectly.

Because the pirate stories are tame, JACK PLANK TELLS TALES is a great choice for little ones who are interested in pirates but are too young or sensitive for more graphic "crimes on the high seas" stories. A mix of mystery, magic, suspense, and surprise, Babbitt's pirate tales veer away from standard fare in their sheer creativity.

Book Details

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