What do you think?
Rate this book
The Giant from the Fire Sea
Jat is a boy who wants more from life than collecting coal from the Fire Sea.
Newton is a misfit giant, cast out of his homeland for his love of science and reading.
Brought together by chance, the two become the best of friends. But when enemy giants threaten to ruin everything, it's up to Jat and Newton to defend Jat’s village, leading to the journey of a lifetime.
Newton is a misfit giant, cast out of his homeland for his love of science and reading.
Brought together by chance, the two become the best of friends. But when enemy giants threaten to ruin everything, it's up to Jat and Newton to defend Jat’s village, leading to the journey of a lifetime.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2019
4 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
John Himmelman
135 books45 followersJohn Himmelman is the author and illustrator of more than sixty books for children, including Chickens to the Rescue. He lives in Connecticut with his family.
According John's Facebook page, he has been "making up stories and scribbling pictures since I could hold a crayon in my hand. It became my job in 1981, when my first book, "Talester the Lizard" was published during my last year in college (School of Visual Arts)....It behooves a writer to try and turn what interests them into their work. I've been fortunate to do that with my love of nature, with books - for adults and children - focusing on different natural history topics."
According John's Facebook page, he has been "making up stories and scribbling pictures since I could hold a crayon in my hand. It became my job in 1981, when my first book, "Talester the Lizard" was published during my last year in college (School of Visual Arts)....It behooves a writer to try and turn what interests them into their work. I've been fortunate to do that with my love of nature, with books - for adults and children - focusing on different natural history topics."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 29, 2020
The giant Newton walks out of the fire sea one day and Jat, the first human he's ever seen, is terrified. Jat usually braves the tides of liquid fire to gather coal to sell so he and his mother can survive.
But Newton decides he's not going to eat Jat, who smells kinda like a giant, especially when Jat leads him to a herd of juicy cows he downs in a few bites. They quickly become friends, and Jat helps Newton settle into the village. Newton makes an enemy when he eats those cows, namely the cow-rustler who stole them, and it comes back to haunt him tragically later.
Newton hasn't told Jat about the pain inside that's eating him up. It was caused by the Maker's Voice, or a lightning strike. Newton violated the laws of giants, by reading books and fashioning a telescope to observe the skies, where the Maker is supposed to live. In punishment, his fellow giants made him rise a sort of lightning rod that would have destroyed him, if not for an old friend -- a smaller giant, not-so-smart, coming to his rescue.
Newton's running from his fellow giants and their cousins, the Punchers, even bigger, meaner creatures sent after Newton to bring him back to the land of giants to be destroyed, turned to rock and shattered, by the Maker's Voice.
Newton does his best to try and save the village from the giantess and Punchers who find him, but in the end, he and Jat are forced to run far, far away. They come to a strange land where Newton reunites with an old friend and -- yeah, this was the payoff for us -- dragons! (Wink, wink!)
This is a great summer read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
But Newton decides he's not going to eat Jat, who smells kinda like a giant, especially when Jat leads him to a herd of juicy cows he downs in a few bites. They quickly become friends, and Jat helps Newton settle into the village. Newton makes an enemy when he eats those cows, namely the cow-rustler who stole them, and it comes back to haunt him tragically later.
Newton hasn't told Jat about the pain inside that's eating him up. It was caused by the Maker's Voice, or a lightning strike. Newton violated the laws of giants, by reading books and fashioning a telescope to observe the skies, where the Maker is supposed to live. In punishment, his fellow giants made him rise a sort of lightning rod that would have destroyed him, if not for an old friend -- a smaller giant, not-so-smart, coming to his rescue.
Newton's running from his fellow giants and their cousins, the Punchers, even bigger, meaner creatures sent after Newton to bring him back to the land of giants to be destroyed, turned to rock and shattered, by the Maker's Voice.
Newton does his best to try and save the village from the giantess and Punchers who find him, but in the end, he and Jat are forced to run far, far away. They come to a strange land where Newton reunites with an old friend and -- yeah, this was the payoff for us -- dragons! (Wink, wink!)
This is a great summer read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
September 19, 2019
I truly enjoyed this fantasy, it had a tone of science fiction mixed with the Middle Ages, wow! Oh, did I mention there were giants!
The writing was very descriptive, I felt like I was right there in the middle of it all!
I especially enjoyed the friendships that developed, giant friendships, LOL!
I gave it five stars!
The writing was very descriptive, I felt like I was right there in the middle of it all!
I especially enjoyed the friendships that developed, giant friendships, LOL!
I gave it five stars!
March 29, 2019
Some funny moments and sad ones. S0me great moments, too. So many interesting characters. Much like Marlite, we liked Bonnie.
October 26, 2022
the book has a rambling plot with no sense of direction. there is no clear climax so the end doesn’t come to a satisfying conclusion.
June 2, 2025
A little tough to imagine the settings and imagery. Weird concept all in all, kind of hard to comprehend.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews