Jack's Black Book

by Jack Gantos

Book Overview

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of Dead End in Norvelt, the uproarious final volume of Jack Henry stories

According to his new motto--A WRITER'S JOB IS TO TURN HIS WORST EXPERIENCES INTO MONEY--Jack Gantos's alter ego Jack Henry is going to be filty rich even before he gets out of junior high, for his life is filled with the worst experiences imaginable. For instance, in the course of the few months covered in this closing...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374437165
• ISBN13: 9780374437169
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

Jack's Black Book

"Then the odor of rotting BeauBeau hit me, I could feel my face contorting as if someone were trying to rip it off, and I began to gag." This quote is from Jack's Black Book. This a story about a young boy, Jack Henry, who wants to become a writer, but when he takes the IQ test it says that he is not smart enough to do anything but manual labor. The book tells all about what kind of troubles and adventures he gets into over the summer, and never giving up on his dream of becoming a writer. Jack Gantos also writes other stories about fictional events, however his tales about Jack Henry are all true events that happened to him during his childhood. He also writes children's books. Some of his other books include tales of Joey Pigza. My recommendation for this book is for anyone who has a sense of humor and needs a good laugh, but isn't too light at the stomach. Girls or boys would enjoy this book. Probably this would be more organized under children's literature. Personally, this is one of the best books I've ever read.

Teach Me!

I have read this book to my students (sixth grade) for two years now and each group has overwhelmingly loved it! They enjoy Jack's humor, his follies, and most of all his tell-all style of portraying the middle grade age.

A great book by a great author

Jack Gantos' book Jack's Black Book is witty and funny. It's filled with emotion (mostly humor)I would recomend his whole Jack series by Jack Gantos. He's a great author who doesn't mind stopping into local schools and library's to talk, sign his books and perform. The book is off the wall funny and i recomend it strongly.

Maggie's Review

I had never read a book by Jack Gantos before. He came to my school as a visiting author, and I thought he was hysterical! He told us many stories about his life as a kid. Our school was selling books by him and I decided I would by this one. My brother also got a Rotten Ralph book. When I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. I finished this book in about two days. His books are really funny because I know that they are true, and they are what kids our age (10-13) like to laugh about. This book I thought was very hysterical and I think you should read it!

Andrew's Review of Jack's Black Book

Jack's Black Book is about a kid about my age(13) who has alot of problems. I couldn't put this book down. This is in part due to the fact that the format of the book is a bunch of short stories. I would recommend this book to anyone in the age range of 9-15. Anyone younger might not get some of the hummor.