Available:*
Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607001588931 | Juvenile Fiction | PULLMAN | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Spring-Heeled Jack: The name evoked awe from both criminals and upstanding citizens alike. Some thought he was the devil, but he was actually the original superhero--leaping over the buildings of Victorian England with the help of springs in the heels of his shoes.
The story begins as three young innocents escape their orphanage one dark and stormy night. As they make their way through the treacherous streets of London danger lurks, for hiding in the shadows is Mack the
Knife, the most villainous of villains. Enter
Spring-Heeled Jack, the springiest of heroes. But will Jack's powers be enough to save
the orphans?
Originally published in paperback, Spring-Heeled Jack is back--now as a hardcover with eye-catching new jacket art.
Author Notes
Philip Pullman was born in Norwich on October 19, 1946. He graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English. He taught at various Oxford middle schools and at Westminster College for eight years. He is the author of many acclaimed novels, plays, and picture books for readers of all ages. His first book, Count Karlstein, was published in 1982. His other books include: The Firework-Maker's Daughter; I Was a Rat!; Clockwork or All Wound Up; and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. He is also the author of the Sally Lockhart series and the His Dark Materials Trilogy. He is the author of The Book of Dust, volume 1. He has received numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Fiction Award for Northern Lights (The Golden Compass), the Whitbread Book of the Year Award for The Amber Spyglass, the Eleanor Farjeon Award for children's literature in 2002, and the Astrid Lindgren Award in 2005.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-- The author of Ruby in the Smoke (Knopf, 1987) again pulls readers back to Victorian London for a tale of dark deeds and bright courage, aimed this time at a younger audience. Rose, Lily, and little Ned escape the Alderman Cawn-Plaster Memorial Orphanage one night, hoping to board ship and make a new life in America--but they don't reckon on running into cutthroat Mack the Knife and his evil band, or being so hotly pursued by the orphanage's nefarious supervisors, Gasket and Killjoy. With help from a good-hearted sailor, a small but fierce stray dog, and especially from Spring-Heeled Jack, a menacing caped figure in tights, tophat, and trick shoes that let him jump over tall buildings in a single bound, the brave children win their way to safety, and even find--O Joy!--their long-lost father. Pullman's prose is appropriately melodramatic, and breaks frequently into Mad Magazine -style cartoon panels, with dialogue in square balloons and small creatures at the edges making asides. The author and illustrator obviously had great fun with this funny, action-packed send-up, and so will readers. --John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Victorian London, three children escape an orphanage only to fall into the clutches of Mack the Knife. "Part narrative, part comic strip, this waggish, innovative story of a courageous trio is sure to engage even the most reluctant reader," wrote PW. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved