Jack and the Seven Deadly Giants

I love it when an author uses traditional story materials and freshens them with a new approach. That's what Sam Swope has done with "Jack and the Seven Deadly Giants." Jack is every stalwart, good-hearted boy who ever lived--even if he does get into trouble. We've met him in Jack and the Beanstalk, and now he's back in this book, vanquishing one enemy after another with clever thinking and panache. The Seven Deadly Sins are re-tooled for younger readers, but they still pose the challenges all excesses do. It's brilliant that these excesses are represented by giants since their temptations do indeed loom as gigantic in our lives. It's rare to find a book that's both funny and thought-provoking, but this is it!