GOOSEBUMPS THE VANISHING

A new season of Disney's Goosebumps television series begins streaming on Disney+ and Hulu subscription services with all eight of its episodes being released on Friday, January 10, 2025. The studio is promoting the show as an anthology series with each season presenting a new story. So, Slappy the devilish dummy from Season 1 will be replaced with an alternate villain haunting a different cast in Season 2.

Friends' star David Schwimmer leads the cast of GOOSEBUMPS: THE VANISHING as Anthony Brewer, a former botany professor who has immersed himself in science and mystery. A series of events lead Brewer to hook up with twins Cece and Devin Brewer who are spending a summer in Gravesend, Brooklyn, with their divorced dad. A threat is stirring, and they quickly realize that dark secrets are among them, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, Cece, Devin and their friends — Alex, CJ and Frankie — find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.

In addition to Schwimmer, the series stars Ana Ortiz as Jen, Jayden Bartels as Cece, Sam McCarthy as Devin, Elijah M. Cooper as CJ, Galilea La Salvia as Frankie, Francesca Noel as Alex, and Stony Blyden as Trey. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the series is based on Scholastic's “Goosebumps” books written by R. L. Stine which is one of the bestselling middle grade reading series of all time. The new season draws on elements from some of the most popular books, including “Stay Out of the Basement, “The Haunted Car,” “Monster Blood,” “The Girl Who Cried Monster,” “The Ghost Next Door,” “Welcome to Camp Nightmare” and more.

Are you geeked about a new season of Goosebumps streaming on Disney+ and Hulu?

NANCY SPECTOR MONSTER DETECTIVE

When you find yourself with a ghoulish mystery you can’t solve, who do you call? Nancy Spector, monster detective! This fearless young detective will solve the case with the help of her sassy, talking dog Jinx. In their debut graphic novel being released September 10, 2024, NANCY SPECTOR, MONSTER DETECTIVE #1: The Case of the Missing Spot, author Stephen W. Martin and artist Linh Pham craft a fantasy world brimming with intriguing mystery, adorable creatures, and hilarious antics. With a targeted audience of kids aged 9 to 12, NANCY SPECTOR, MONSTER DETECTIVE is the perfect entry point to horror and mystery for young readers, with monsters drawn with in an adorable kawaii style, balancing fun and frightening.

The Invisible Man has a problem. His dog, Spot, is missing. Complicating matters, Spot is also invisible. So the Invisible Man turns to Nancy Spector for help. Nancy eagerly takes the case, and she and her grumpy best friend, a (visible) dog named Jinx, dive into the investigation. As they follow Spot's trail, they find themselves: 

• Riding dragons 
• Searching the monster diner—because all dogs like hot dogs 
• Fleeing from vicious chipmunk unicorns 
• Shopping in a store that is a gelatinous candy cube named Bob 
•  And paying a visit to Nancy’s vampire friend Eugene’s hamster’s funeral 

Every time they think Spot is right around the corner, things get more and more confusing, but Nancy knows that to a great detective, there is no such thing as a bad clue. And Nancy knows she's a great detective. Now she just needs to crack the case. . .

Stephen W. Martin is an Emmy-nominated writer on the Netflix animated series Trash Truck and is the author of many picture books, including Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion. As a Canadian living in California, he misses poutine and the noble beavers. Find him online at stephen-w-martin.com. 

Linh Pham is an award-winning illustrator and visual development artist. She currently works as a lead designer at Vivid Greetings, where her custom digital greeting cards have garnered over 1 million views worldwide. In television and film, Linh has worked in animation, rigging, lighting, character design, and visual development bringing all sorts of wonderous monsters to life. She lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband, daughter, two black dogs, and one white cat.

NANCY SPECTOR, MONSTER DETECTIVE will be out just in time to provide some spooktacular Halloween season reading fun. CLICK HERE to preorder the graphic novel from Hatchette Book Group.

SOFTIES BY KYLE SMEALLIE

Have a ten to twelve year old middle grade reader at home? If they'd enjoy a goofy sci-fi adventure, check out the new graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics, SOFTIES: STUFF THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WORLD BLOWS UP, written and illustrated by Kyle Smeallie. This visual adventure has some adorable aliens take a cute little girl on a spin around the galaxy.

My daughter loves to mix in graphic novels in what she reads to help with her dyslexia. She dove right into this advance copy that Iron Circus sent our way and read it cover to cover tonight. I could hear her chuckling from the other room while she read it and from time to time she ran over to share with me some things that really delighted her. "These aliens aren't scary or gross ... they're cute and funny!" she exclaimed to me during one of these impromptu reviews. 

Here is the premise for SOFTIES. Our planet Earth blows up launching its sole survivor, a girl named Kay, out into the depths of space. She is discovered floating in space and rescued by interstellar trash haulers who look like they stepped right out of a Saturday morning cartoon show. Not scary, but sweet, hard-working alien Arizona and his well-read space pet Euclid. (Well, “alien,” as Arizona points out, is quite a subjective term.) take in Kay. Teaming up this trio embarks on some hilarious unpredictable adventures depicted through colorful vignettes in this Iron Circus Comics graphic novel.

A nice read for space loving ten to twelve year old kids in Middle School. Yes it is full of pictures but if the material gets kids reading and thinking I'll give it a Geek Daddy nod of approval. That it also provides some laughs is an extra bonus!

RICK RIORDAN DEMIGOD DAY EVENT

My ten year old son is a big fan of Rick Riordan's PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS stories having read the books, seen the two movies based on the novels, and even gone to see the Broadway in Detroit production of The Lightning Thief. Riordan's books are great for tween-aged readers ( 8 - 12 years old) who are at a middle grade reading level where children's picture books are too simplistic and young adult material may be too advanced.  Riordan's stories have modern day kids become involved in adventures with the characters and creatures from ancient Greek mythology.

My son having finished reading Percy Jackson's Camp Half-Blood chronicles is just now getting ready to read the sequel series THE TRIALS OF APOLLO. These books are written as a sequel to the Percy Jackson stories referring back to those adventures while moving ahead introducing new characters and situations.  Rick Riordan provides some fantastic tales that capture kids attention, inspire their imaginations and get them enjoying reading. Great middle grade reads written especially to be enjoyed by those in fourth through eighth grades.

Fans of Rick Riordan's fantasy world will want to stop by your local Barnes & Noble on Saturday, September 28, 2019 for a special DEMIGOD DAY event. It will include activities inspired by Riordan's books including a demigod scavenger hunt, deciphering secret codes with the Greek alphabet, and much more! Plus participants get a FREE DemigodGoals poster and trading cards (while supplies last).

This is a nationwide event which begins at 2pm locally. There is no charge to participate but it is encouraged to RVSP in advance: https://customer.barnesandnoble.com/signup/Sept2019DemigodDay If you go, please share with this dad blogger and rest of our ageekdaddy.com audience some pics of your experience on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #DemigodDay and tagging @Geekdad248 & @ReadRiordan so everyone can join in on the fun.

CROSSED UP

I'm always on the lookout for interesting middle grade level books for my twins who are in fourth grade to read. They've recently become interested in the sport of basketball playing in a local Salvation Army rec league and we've gone to see Detroit Pistons and Harlem Globetrotters games during the last few months.  So I thought the kids would enjoy M L Rosynek's middle grade book CROSSED UP which involves a youth basketball team solving a pirate mystery.

MIDDLE GRADE READING

Books categorized as middle grade are written to be read by boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve who are in third through sixth grade.  To be age appropriate authors in this literary category limit sexual content, swearing, gore and violence. On the other hand, middle grade books tend to provide a healthy dose of adventure and silly humor to make them especially entertaining for juvenile audiences.

Middle grade books tend to have main characters that are around the same age as their targeted readers.  The books also utilize sentence structures and vocabulary that are suitable for independent reading by elementary and junior high school aged children.  These style of books are great for improving both confidence and enjoyment when it comes to getting kids to want to read.

SAY AHOY TO ADVENTURE

A Texas high school basketball team has their quest to bring home a championship trophy interrupted when they discover the hotel they are staying at is haunted. Solving the 200-year old haunting of the Galvez Hotel isn't going to be an easy lay up for the team, but the boys are up to the challenge of both winning the big basketball game and freeing the trapped spirits of the pirate ghosts they've discovered. Inspired by The Goonies, Stranger Things and her own sons' basketball team road trips, M L Rosynek has readers embark on a pirate adventure that combines sports with a spooky mystery.

As the boys learn about the tyrant pirate Jean Laffite and his crew who are haunting the hotel their trip becomes much more than just playing in a basketball game.  They are going to try to set free the trapped souls of these pirates without the boys becoming ghosts themselves. Can the boys free these lost souls and win their basketball championship?

Pick up a hardcover, paperback or digital edition of the book to find out.  With a surprise appearance by NBA great Shaquille O'Neal and a conclusion that is sure to leave pre-teen readers "hooked" on the ending, this book provides an intriguing adventure by combing athletic themes with a mystery. CROSSED UP also communicates an important message …  no treasure is more valuable than the memories created with friends and family. You can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

MYSTERIOUS MONSTERS BOOKS

In author David Michael Slater's series of Mysterious Monsters early chapter books readers join a trio of kids similar in age to themselves in an adventurous search to discover if fantastical beasts and mythical creatures from campfire ghost stories and folklore really are a reality.  These stories written for elementary school aged children who are just beginning to independently read chapter books will draw in kids with their tales of aliens, bigfoot, ghosts and vampires but won't cause nightmares as the tales are more whimsical than scary.  Easily readable text with humorous context by Slater combined with quirky illustrations by Mauro Sorghienti make this series of books a great pickup for young readers.

The first story in this six-book early chapter book series focuses on BIGFOOT! It begins with Marcus Mattigan, host of the popular television show "Monstrous Lies with Marcus Mattigan" invites his children, Maddie, Max and Theo, travel around the country with him as he exposes frauds and fakes. The Mattigan kids don't believe in things that go bump in the night. After all their dad is famous for proving such things are impossible.  But then their long-lost Grandpa Joe shows up during their travels with his mysterious monsters journal to enlist the children in his search for Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot).

Drawn into the search, Maddie, Max and Theo must deal with meddling babysitters, suspicious psychics, a YouTube disaster, and their furious father. To resolve the mystery of Bigfoot, these kids are going to have to rethink what is possible in the world. And what do they do when they actually stumble upon this elusive monster that most people on the planet consider a hoax?

The next book in the Mysterious Monsters series revolves around an ALIEN! After having discovered Bigfoot, the Mattigan kids join their dad as he does a television show in Las Vegas to disprove alien sightings. But now Maddie, Max and Theo know Mysterious Monsters are real they embark on their own investigation into the reality of aliens. Utilizing clever disguises, a well-hidden walkie talkie, and just a few broken eggs, the trio looks into whether something is actually hidden in the notorious Area 51 within the Nevada desert. What they find out is … surprising!

ALIEN and BIGFOOT are now available at Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart among other retailers where books are sold. Coming soon in this early chapter book series will be Vampire! (January 2019), Ghost! (February 2019), Werewolf! (September 2019), and The Collector! (November 2019). My son and daughter were both thrilled by the first two stories in the Mysterious Monsters series so David Michael Slater and Mauro Sorghienti both have earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for these books.

TALES FROM VADERS CASTLE

Based upon the orthodontics that are just getting put into place on my kids teeth combined with their food allergies there isn't a whole lot of candy that my son and daughter can actually eat from trick or treating this Halloween. So I've been gathering goodies to give them that they can trade in their trick or treat candy for.  These have included some Halloween themed Star Wars comic books from IDW Publishing.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES are Middle Grade Reading Level comic books that are written to be appealing and age appropriate to elementary school aged kids. These are perfect for my 9 year old twins!  During the month of October, IDW has been releasing a new issue each Wednesday for a 5-part mini-series which concludes on October 31st (Halloween) that tells spooky stories filled with ghosts and monsters titled TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE.

When a group of Rebels crash-land near Darth Vader's imposing fortress on the lava scorched planet of Mustafar, the hell-like appearance of the world gets the crew sharing spooky "campfire stories" about other creepy places and experiences they've had within the Star Wars universe.  Readers of TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE are treated to the main story of the group's escape from Vader's Castle along with an assortment of chilling short stories. Examples of some of these tales include a young Han Solo being ensnared by plants that suck people's lifeforce, the spaceship Ghost from the Star Wars: Rebels animated television series becoming possessed by an evil spirit, and a Clone Wars adventure that finds Ben Kenobi facing off against a vampire adversary that can transform someone into a bat-like monster slave.

While the stories presented in STAR WARS ADVENTURES: TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE are spooky they aren't overly scary making these fun comic books for the whole family to enjoy for some Halloween fun. Each issue is 32 pages long and rated for all-ages reading. You can pick up print editions of these comic books from your local comic book store or they are also available digitally from Amazon, Comixology, Google Play and iBooks.

SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER

A Geek Daddy's kids are at an age where they aren't old enough for Young Adult novels but have grown up too much for children's picture books.  So as a parent, I'm always on the look out for Middle Grade books that will capture their attention and imagination.  I wanted to share with you a great one my family discovered called THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER.

Books categorized as Middle Grade are primarily meant for boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve in third through sixth grade.  Middle Grade books tend to be the literary equivalent of a PG movie where sexual content and swearing is limited but there is plenty of action scenes and silly humor to make the reading especially entertaining to its core audience.  These books tend to have main characters that are around the same age as their targeted readers, incorporate illustrations throughout the story, and utilize sentence structures and vocabulary that are suitable for independent reading by elementary school aged children.  These are the type of books my nine year old twins are reading right now.

My son has been engrossed by reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER ever since Macmillan Children's Publishing Group sent the book our way to check out.  The story which is both written and illustrated by Marcus Emerson has really drawn him into it.  Every time I look around for the boy when he is home from school, I find him with his face buried in the book.  Instead of flipping on the television or picking up his tablet to screw around with when he has had some free time, my son has been enthusiastic about reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER instead.  Any book that can get a kid to voluntarily want to read without being prodded to do it like this one has absolutely earns A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

The story follows the adventures of Ben Braver who is essentially an ordinary kid probably a lot like the children reading this book.  All he wants to do is enjoy summer vacation watching television, playing video games and eating his favorite candy.  Then one day, Ben hears someone screaming for help and like his favorite comic book heroes he tries to save the day. 

Unfortunately, his leaping into action to put it simply ends badly.  But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers.  Though Ben apparently doesn't have any special powers he is still offered a spot at the school based upon his bravery.  Now he has the chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of being.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group has kindly provided a book for my family to enjoy and another one that A Geek Daddy can giveaway.  Just complete the entries in the form below before 11:59 pm ET on Monday, March 12, 2018.  One lucky randomly selected winner will be sent THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER from the publisher.  Must be a United State or Canadian resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the giveaway.

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Full of goofy humor, wacky characters and zany situations this 320 page hardcover book is sure to delight any elementary school aged reader who has dreamed of being a super hero.  Filled with eye-catching sketches and comic strips that compliment the story's text, Emerson transports readers to a fantastic place full of adventures and high jinks.  Its bravo and humor make THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER an entertaining tale which instills a subtle inspirational message that a person doesn't need to have fantastic abilities to be a hero.

Creature Files

Do you know a child that is fascinated by animals?  Then you should check out the Creature Files children's books by L.J. Tracosas.  Kids can learn about prehistoric dinosaurs, mythical dragons, and present day predators through this captivating book series.  Quarto Knows sent us a couple of these books, Creature Files: Dragons & Creature Files: Predators, to look over and they've been a real hit with my nine year old twins.  Both my son and daughter have been engrossed in reading them.

Each of the books is 48 pages filled with interesting facts, impressive illustrations and wonderful photographs showcasing 20 creatures.  Plus replica teeth and claws representing a creature(s) that can be strung on an included necklace come along with each book in the Creature Files series.  My kids thought these were really neat! I give kudos to the author for incorporating this fun idea into her books.

The author does a nice job of using these claw/teeth replicas to draw kids into learning while they read the books. Each creature profile has a special fact section related to the type of necklace included with a book. Dragons has a tooth to be hung upon the necklace so every creature profile includes a DRAGON BITE NOTE discussing different types of teeth and how they would benefit a creature. Predators included several different types of claws to hang on the necklace so each creature profile has a CLAW FILE that explains how animals' claws are unique and used by the creatures. 

Having a physical component that children can touch and feel provides a great way for them to associate with the content within the books.  My children really got into looking through the pictures and illustrations in each book trying to match up the teeth and claws on their necklaces with the creatures they belonged to.  As a parent, I appreciate how the author utilized these necklaces to get kids enthused about reading through the books.

CREATURE FILES: DRAGONS

Ok maybe dragons are fictitious but this book delves into the real life cultures from places around the globe including Africa, China, Europe, India and South America that created these creatures.  Each dragon profile includes information about the region that created the mythology and points the area out on a map as well as provides a description about the creature's appearance and behaviors taken from examples of local folklore.  The book also has a section that describes real life creatures that may have inspired dragon myths and comes with a realistic looking dragon-tooth necklace.

Additionally the dragon illustrations within  the book are stunning!  My kids have been flipping through the book over and over again just to check out the dragon images.  I've even perused through the book a few times because it is full of some incredible artwork.  Thumbs up for a job very well done!

CREATURE FILES: PREDATORS

Learn about some of the most vicious predators on the planet ranging from alligators to wolverines.  This book contains great stats about these creatures including their average height and weight along with a map in each profile that show where on the globe these featured animals live.  Kids will learn that while a lot of big cats live in Africa you'll only find wild Tigers living in the Asian jungles of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.  Plus the book comes with three realistic replica claws.  Have fun searching through the book to see if you can identify which creature each claw belongs to.

Each profile also showcases some juice facts about the highlighted creature to chew on.  Did you know that while Lions are called "the king of the jungle" they actually prefer living in grasslands?  Komodo Dragons poison their prey through biting them allowing these lizards to hunt pigs, deer and water buffalo that may be much larger than them.  Polar Bears are the largest land predators in the world ... I would have thought it was Grizzly Bears myself before my daughter shared this fact from the book with me.  Lots of educational information packed in this book that is also very interesting for inquiring minds to learn about.

The book is also filled with amazing photographs of the twenty creatures highlighted within it.  You won't want to get too near these animals if you ever encountered one in person but Creature Files: Predators provides excellent up close views of them.  Both of my kids have been enjoying themselves flipping through these pictures.  They were particularly impressed with the Fossa pictures which is an animal from Madagascar they'd never seen or heard of before.  Always great to find out they've learned something brand new from reading a book!

L.J. Tracosas' Creature Files books have earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for providing an immersive educational experience that is also very entertaining for kids.  Filled with informative facts, interesting physical props and top notch pictures these books have been a joy for our family to read.  I especially appreciate how the remarkable photographs and illustrations in Creature Files, as well as the included necklaces, compliment the layout of the text so as to encourage kids to actually read the books instead of just looking at the pictures.  My nine year old twins have been reading these books over and over again.

Recommended for ages 8 and up by the publisher. Additional books also focus on dinosaurs, reptiles and sharks. In my opinion probably best suited for boys and girls between third and fifth grade based upon the book's reading level. A nice middle grade book. For more information about Creature Files and other great books for kids, please visit quartoknows.com.

CHOOSE YOUR PATH FOOTBALL BOOK

Know a 9 to 12 year old kid who is a football fan? Here is a great Middle Grade book that he or she is sure to enjoy:  BACK TO PASS.  This kids' football book is written in the popular "choose your path" format, in which the reader is cast as the main character and has a say in how events in the story unfold.

Every few pages, the reader comes across a tough predicament and must choose what to do next.  Making wrong choices can result in the character being injured with a broken bone or getting kicked off the team which brings the story to an early conclusion.  Making right choices keeps the story going to its climatic ending plus earn the reader special bonus points for either confidence, skill, speed or teamwork.

The story's point system differentiates it from other "choose your path" books.  If a reader earns enough points, they upgrade the main character's skills enough to win the big game at the story's end.  Choices that impact achieving enough points to win the game aren't all about football either. 

BACK TO PASS incorporates real world drama wrapped around a high school football season.  Off the field decisions made determine things such as whether or not the character will be homeless living on the street or academically eligible to play on the team.  The book provides children with some important messages about how family, education and teamwork are important for athletic success in addition to being an entertaining read.

My son has really enjoyed reading BACK TO PASS. So a book that gets him excited about reading gets a nod of approval from me.  This choose your path football back written by Lisa M. Bolt Simons is available at Barnes & Nobles,  Target, and other book and gift stores.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KiDS ALMANAC 2018

My kids love swimming in the lake when at the state park where we go every summer for family camping trips.  Yes lakes in Michigan may be filled with murky water but at least you don't have to worry about encountering a shark while swimming.  Well actually we did have a run in with some sharks in the lake during a recent outing courtesy of Melissa & Doug.  As part of a promotion with National Geographic to highlight a shark being the "cover animal" for the most recent National Geographic KiDS Almanac 2018, we were provided a Melissa & Doug Spark Shark Toss & Catch water toy set. 

Spark Shark Toss & Catch is a fun game played in the water where two people toss a ball back and forth trying to get it to land within the mouth of the shark they are holding in their hand.  It may sound easy but the game can actually be fairly challenging.  Our whole family got in on the action and had a great time playing the game.  When you need to take a rest a nice feature of the shark nets is they float in the water so you can just grab them again when ready to pick up the game.  This game is nice for helping kids with their gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they toss and catch the ball plus is nice for encouraging interpersonal skills as you are working with a partner instead of competing against an opponent when playing Spark Shark Toss & Catch.

When the kids weren't playing in the lake they spent some of their down time reading the new National Geographic KiDS Almanac which features one of the biggest creatures to live in the water on its cover...a great white shark.  While sharks may seem scary they really are an important part of a healthy underwater ecosystem.  Actually humans are more dangerous to shark than they are to us.  Millions of sharks are killed by people each year!  National Geographic KiDS Almanac 2018 has a special section devoted to "Save Our Sharks" in an effort to reverse that trend.  So while we were nowhere near where sharks may be they are all my twins wanted to talk about during this camping trip.

In addition to providing information about the oceans' sharks, National Geographic KiDS Almanac 2018 also is filled with impressive photos, fun facts, craft ideas, interesting activities and some incredible features on creatures, scientific topics and technology.  Enhancements to this year's almanac include three new chapters (Engineering / Space / Life Sciences), a guide about the city of New Orleans to celebrate its 300th birthday, an updated Fun and Games section filled with all-new activities, comics, crafts, jokes, games and weird-but-true acts, along with every chapter in the book highlighting "18 Facts for 2018."  Of course all the reference material throughout the book has been reviewed and updated as well.

The National Geographic KiDS Almanac 2018 has earned A Geek Daddy's nod of approval for being a book that is both educational and entertaining that will have children enjoying learning while they read it.  Recommended for children aged 8 to 12 between the second and seventh grade this is a resource parents can depend on to capture the interest and imagination of their kids. With the reputation of National Geographic behind it this publication is a trust-worthy resource that will keep kids attention whether they are looking for a distraction to pass the time during a long road trip or doing some after-school reading for homework or fun.

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is a graphic novel (a book that tells a story through a comic strip format) which presents a fairy tale in a modern day setting with a pair of young teenagers as the adventure's heroes making it very relatable for today's kids.  Written and illustrated by Ben Hatke, who also created the New York Times-bestselling Zita the Spacegirl graphic novel trilogy, his Mighty Jack adventures are a reinvention of the classic fable Jack and the Beanstalk.  Might Jack and the Goblin King which will arrive to comic shop and book store shelves on September 5, 2017, is the second act in Hatke's contemporary Jack and the Beanstalk tale following his initial graphic novel Mighty Jack released in 2016.  In these stories, readers are transported to a fantasy world that contains ogres, goblins, giants and a number of other bizarre creatures that range from being really adorable to very dangerous and deadly.

In Mighty Jack, the garden behind Jack's house has become filled with amazing creatures that have gone wild in his backyard after being set loose by magic beans that he and his little sister Maddy planted.  That graphic novel concludes with Maddy being taken by one of the creatures to a place located at the top of a gigantic beanstalk inhabited by giants that grind the bones of human children to feed a beast within their castle in the sky.  Mighty Jack and the Goblin King starts off with Jack and his neighbor Lilly in fast pursuit up the beanstalk.  Will they be able to save Maddy and what role does the Goblin King play in Jack and Lilly's exploits?  You'll have to read the comic to find out!

Hatke's Mighty Jack graphic novels are Middle Grade Books meant primarily for a reading audience of 8 to 12 year olds. My eight year old twins both read the complimentary review copy of Might Jack and the Goblin King that A Geek Daddy received and really got into the story and enjoyed it.  In fact I read it too and found it to be a fun read as well.

My son particularly liked the illustrated action scenes that captured his attention and enticed him to want to read through the whole story.  He also was really excited about all the different creatures included within the story; especially the .... DRAGON!  Enjoying drawing himself, my son also relished Hatke's illustrations and I've seen him doodling some of the characters from the graphic novel since he read it.

My daughter was equally impressed by Mighty Jack and the Goblin King.  She really appreciated how Lilly was a strong, likeable character that was portrayed equally as a heroine rather than as a sidekick to Jack.  The warm coloring style of the comic strips was something she pointed out as particularly drawing her into the graphic novel's story so I'll give a shout out to Alex Campbell and Hilary Sycamore for the work they contributed to the book.  And her favorite scene?  "The goblin babies ... they are so cute!" she exclaimed.

While not excessive or explicit the graphic novel does contain violence and death scenes.  Depending on the age and maturity of a reader as well as a family's tolerance for this type of content a parent may want to peruse the book first before letting a child read it.  That being said there wasn't any type of material in Might Jack and the Goblin King that my kids hadn't already seen in PG rated movies so I didn't have a problem with them reading it.  I wouldn't recommend the book though for kids younger than a Middle Grade reading level though because of some of this content.

All in all my kids delighted in reading Mighty Jack and the Goblin King and I appreciated how it had them enjoying reading during their summer break from elementary school.  If you have a Middle Grade reader at home or are a parent of a teen you want to encourage to do some more reading this graphic novel would be an excellent selection to pick up for them.  Might Jack and the Goblin King has earned A GEEK DADDY nod of approval for its eye-catching artwork that is matched with a story that compels children not to just look at the graphic novel's imagery but also become engaged in reading its text.

Add Ben Hatke's Might Jack stories to your home library by clicking on either of the two title's covers below and purchasing them from Amazon.com: