Winner of the Mr. Christie's Book Award and the IODE Violet Downey Book Award For young Jack, life is tough at the Opportunities School for Orphans. But Jack is good at staying out of trouble. He has skipped over trouble, danced around trouble, slid under trouble, melted away from trouble, talked his way out of trouble and slipped between two close troubles like a cat through a picket fence. When Jack turns twelve, he is given the biggest opportunity of all, but suddenly his life is nothing but trouble. Still, he is a clever and resilient boy, and eventually he makes his way into the big world. Jack is rich in ideas, and soon he finds there is a place for an enterprising boy who has whims, concepts, plans, opinions, impressions, notions and fancies to spare. In the tradition of Natalie Babbitt, Sarah Ellis brings her quirky sense of humor and imagination to bear in this witty, warm fable. Bruno St-Aubin's evocative black-and-white illustrations capture perfectly the dreadful Schoolmaster Bane, the crowlike accountant Mr. Ledger, Lou the skinny bun merchant, and Christabel, the miller's little daughter.

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book is aimed at children at US 2nd grade-5th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 7-10 years.

There are 88 pages in this book. This book was published in 2004 by Groundwood Books Ltd , Canada .

Sarah Ellis has written more than twenty novels and picture books for young readers. Her many honors include the Governor General's Award, the Mr. Christie Book Award, the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Book Prize, and the prestigious Vicky Metcalf Award for a body of work. Written from her insightful memories of her own childhood and keen observations of the world around her, Ellis' stories masterfully reflect her readers' own experiences. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carmen Mok is an illustrator who received her formal training from the University of Waterloo and Sheridan College. Her previous book publications include Here Babies, There Babies, Look at Me Now, and Ride the Big Machines in Winter. Numerous magazines, including Today's Parent and Owl Kids, have also published her work. Carmen lives in Niagara Region, Ontario.