A surprising adventure is possible for Jack if he stays true to his heart and to his love of knowledge. Apprenticed to a bookkeeper, Jack daydreams of watching over books, reading books, and keeping books from harm. He is surprised to find that instead of the dream job that he imagined, his days are to be filled with numbers and monotony. He decides to take another future and runs away from the orphanage, finding that he has a gift for creating stories and dreams, even succeeding at making a small living with this gift at a local fair. Clean writing with a subtle humor weaves a tale that will inspire readers to learn new words, even as they laugh along with spirited Jack. Black-and-white ink illustrations pepper the text, offering faces for the amusing characters. In a word—wonderful. (Fiction. 7-10)
