Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King
Ben Hatke
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Jack and Lilly are braver than anyone thinks—they dare to chase a kidnapper through a magical floating crossroads! Along the way, they face giant beasts and a Goblin King who rules with an iron fist. Their courage shows that even the smallest heroes can change the fate of a whole world.
Quick Assessment
Jack and Lilly follow their sister Maddy's captor into a strange realm where they face giants, rats, and a goblin king while struggling to survive and get home. Parents should know about frequent peril, injuries, and a dark element in which giants grind human children's bones to feed their beast, though it is presented in a graphic-novel adventure style. The story centers on sibling loyalty and an unexpected alliance.
Why we rated Mighty Jack and the Goblin King LE (Mild)
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is written at a Level 2-3 reading level across 205 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate Mighty Jack and the Goblin King as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.
Thematically, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King explores fantasy world-building, adventure, family, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781626722668
- Pages
- 205
- Publisher
- First Second Books
- Published
- 2017
- Type
- Fiction