Common Sense Media Review
By Sally Engelfried
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lonely boy fights evil to save town in exciting page turner.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Jack's mother barely notices him as she leaves him at the home of his aunt and uncle, whom he's never met. In fact, Jack is so invisible there's not a trace of him in any family photo. But all that changes when he arrives in Hazlewood, Iowa. The town bully beats him up and the richest man in town wants him dead. But even more important, he makes friends for the first time in his life. As Jack unravels the mysterious history of the town and slowly begins to believe in the magic that his friends claim is at the root of it, the danger mounts.
Is It Any Good?
Barnhill successfully weaves in the everyday loneliness of a real kid with a town's magical history to make this a fascinating and satisfying page turner. From the beginning, when his mother barely seems to notice him, it's clear that there's something odd about Jack. But no one is more surprised than Jack when people in Hazelwood know more about his destiny than he does.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about
why the Lady split into two halves. Did anything good come of the split?
What do you think gave Wendy the ability to stand up to the town bully and even Mr. Avery? Have you ever been that brave?
Did you find the ending satisfying? Do you think Jack was satisfied with the outcome of his adventures? How about Wendy?
Do you think there's room for a sequel to this story?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : August 2, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 323
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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