The Horn Book Guide

YOUNGER FICTION

Ellis, Sarah

The Several Lives of Orphan Jack

84 pp. | Groundwood | September, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-88899-529-6 $$14.95

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin. For his first twelve years, all spent at the Opportunities School for Orphans and Foundlings, Jack has specialized in staying out of trouble. He's avoided floggings, but, as Ellis shows in this agile tale about wanderlust and the power of words, he also hasn't done much living. Jack runs away and discovers that he's a natural-born "ideas peddler." The book serves as a fanciful example of how a quick mind can take you far.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003