The Thief and the Beanstalk

Further Tales Adventures #1

by P.W. Catanese

Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Everyone also knows that Jack's little adventure made him a very rich man. But what they don't know is what happened a long time after Jack....

That's where Nick comes in. Orphaned and desperate, Nick joins a rugged band of thieves in hopes of a warm meal and a little protection. In exchange Nick must help them break into the lavish white castle rumored to belong to an old man named Jack. Legend says it's full of riches from Jack's quest up a magical beanstalk decades ago.

When Nick's dangerous mission leads him straight to Jack, he sees a chance to climb the famed beanstalk himself. But what Nick doesn't know is that things are different from when Jack made his climb. There are new foes at the top now. Ones with cruel weapons and foul plans—plans that could destroy the world as Nick knows it. Will Nick come down the beanstalk a hero? Will he come down at all?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Middle Grade, Adventure

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2005

About the author

P.W. (Paul) Catanese is the author of fantasy-adventure novels (published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster). His next novel, DONNY'S INFERNO, a supernatural adventure, will be published in early 2016.

A crisp style, fast pacing, interesting characters and vivid descriptions have made Catanese a favorite with everyone from reluctant readers to teachers to adults seeking a thrilling escape. His books have been turned into acclaimed audiobooks, and translated into many foreign languages.

In its starred review, Publisher's Weekly said “Catanese dazzles in the first of the planned Books of Umber...Catanese packs a lot into the book: rich characterizations, well-choreographed action sequences and genuinely surprising twists at the end. An auspicious start to the series.”

VOYA called The Thief and the Beanstalk "a rollicking adventure meshed with complex characters and an intriguing spin on a familiar tale..."

Paul is always happy to hear from readers.

Reviews

[Gardenia L · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you know, we have been reading The Theif and the Beanstalk in Language Arts. I thought it was very suspenseful and the word choice was great. I like the idea that so much more events happened after the fairy tale.

Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Everyone also knows that Jack's adventure made him a very rich man. But what they don't know is what happened a long time after Jack's childhood...

Nick, an orphaned, desperate boy joins Finch's band of loyal thieves. In order to have protection and food, Nick has to climb the vines on the side of the tall, white castle that is said to belong to an old man named Jack. According to the legend, Jack's home was full of treasures beyond imagination from his quest up a magical beanstalk many years ago.
During his mission, Nick runs into Jack and sees a chance to climb the beanstalk himself. Betraying the band, he plants three magical beans and escapes to the world above. But the giants above are cleverer than the giants during Jack's adventure. They are planning to conquest the world of "little people". Nick finds a giantess tooken prisoner by her evil sons and decides to help her. He soon finds himself behind bars in the giant's castle.
Can he find a way to ruin their conquest? Can he survive?
This book made me feel scared, happy and understanding. Readers who like suspense, action and adventure will love this book.
If you liked Fablehaven, this is the book for you. Enjoy!

[Cherie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. But they don't know what happened a long time after Jack...
(Quick disclaimer: Jack is actually still alive)

Nick is an abandoned orphan, starving and lacking a home. He has been staying at a farm, but the farmer found him-and he was ready to kill him. So Nick just scavenged in another farm. An old, abandoned one. And there, he sees someone. Someone named Finch. Finch is handsome and strong, but despite his offhandedly demeanor, Nick knows that he has a reason to be there. And Nick is right. Finch is the leader of a gang of thieves, and he wants to rob Old Man Jack's house. jack is the oldest man in the village. There's rumors about him going up the beanstalk and finding wealth there, but Finch doesn't care about that. He wants to get the gold. The story can't be true, can it?

Finch needs a little kid to climb the weak vines that grow up Jack's fortress. Nick, skinny and starving, weighs barely a thing. He can climb those vines. And he does. Hanging up there, at a little girl, Ann's bedroom window. She isn't sleeping. She calls for guards, who catch up with Nick when he wanders into the little art gallery of paintings of giants, gold, hens that lay gold, and other stuff - all from the story. Jack tells the guards to leave, then lets Nick go after a quick conversation to know if he's alone, if there are other threats. It's very simple, and Nick is free - and he got something. Jack showed him some beans. These beans glow in the dark. Magic beans? Jack hides and Nick thinks he's gone. He knows what jack's intentions are. He wants nick to steal the beans and climb the beanstalk. It's obvious. Why? Nick doesn't have the slightest idea. But Jack is called Old Man Jack for a reason-he's the oldest man in the town, and anyone else who was around during the beanstalk growing and giants coming down is dead. Jack's all that's left. That's why no one really knows if Jack's story is true or what. And nick knows that what he really wants is to find out if it's true or not. He plants the seeds and the beanstalk grows. The story is true. Nick got what he wanted, right? Wrong. He has to go up.
He climbs up the beantalk, and soon sees the legendary - and stinky, deathly, and gloomy - castle that Jack went to all those years ago, but after he sees the giants. He knows that the one that followed jack is dead, so who are these guys? Nick, overcome with curiosity and faced with the only other choices of going down or over the the mountains, which he might not come back from, or the beanstalk might be gone when he does, decides to go to the castle. He finds plenty of gold in a giant's room, and also faces a mysterious gold statue that captures the essence of the ogre-giants perfectly. And he touches it and it shows him everything. Finch catching him. Jack's face, accusing and old. He gets the gold and jewels he'll need, and then before he makes a run for it he hears someone crying. It's a big Giantess - hardly bigger than the other two, but obviously older. Their mother, of course. She was easily recognizable. Nick had seen her in Jack's paintings. She sees him- and makes him sit with her. Here's her-Gullinda's- story:
jack came up the beanstalk, came to talk to her, they were became friends, and Jack went and stole the gold. Three times he betrayed her, and three times she forgave him. And then, her husband, Ramos, started chasing Jack. Ready to kill him. Didn't need any more gold stolen, did he? Though he did have an ocean full of it. Ramos never came back after he chased Jack down the beanstalk. But what's funny is that Jack thought he was the one to chop down the beanstalk, but while he took an axe to the bottom, Gullinda hacked it away at the top! Jack thought he killed Ramos, though. Anyway, Gullinda had to sons0the ogre-giants Nick saw. They were raised by Gullinda to be good and kind, but something corrupted them on the inside-and it was stronger than she was. Gnasher is strong of mind and weak of body, Basher the complete opposite. They plan to destroy the little people below, and Nick will have to save them. Nick gets Gullinda out of the room that she's been imprisoned in for thirty years already. He then is caught by Finch, and then Finch and Nick are caught by Gnasher and Basher. Finch and Nick are going to escape. They pick the locks on their doors, and run for it. Followed by spider humans. Spider body, human head. Yuck. But they escape-sort of. Finch left nick on his own and ran for it. Then Finch got attacked by the spider humans and nick couldn't save him-the rest of the world was more important. So Nick went and ruined their plans-tried to, at least. Gnasher and Basher ended up going down to the world below anyway. Joy to the world. Anyway, then their plans really did get ruined. Of course, I can't tell you any more than that, like how it got ruined, because then there would be no point in writing this review because you wouldn't even read the book. So go read it and you'll be able to get everything.

This book was really great. It easily showed and expressed how Nick, Jack, and Finch were feeling, and why this book has been published. It shows why Nick made the decisions he did, included important themes, and really explains howeveryone is different, so the morals don't apply to everyone. It's basically a fractured fairy tale, many years later.

[Cooper H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thief and the Beanstalk

This is a book about a boy named Nick. He lives around the time after Jack and the Beanstalk, in this book Nick is in a situation like Jacks, but for Nick he had no parents so every second he was struggling to live. A quarter way through the book Nick joins a group of bandits because they said they would feed him, later in the book Nick finds Jacks house and Jack offers him the magical beans. Read the book to find out if Nick accepts or denies the beans, this book was suspenseful and had many themes. I liked this book because it was cool to see a book that is in the future of another book.This book is like Jack and the Beanstalk but is 20 times better. People who like adventure and non-fiction books would like this book.

[Keira L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does everyone remember the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, good, because no one knew that the the robin had returned except for Jack. Nick is an orphaned boy who happens to be a thief. One day he joins a man named Finch. Finch, made Nick to prove himself he has to climb a tree that is dead. Little did he know he was going to be used for something he had never imagined. He was going to sneak into Jacks fortress. The plan was he was going to climb the vine, go to the front door an unlock it the raid the house. Nick had a good heart but when he really figured out what Finch would do he left the plan, and he knew what he really wanted to do. He wanted to see if the story is really true, about Jack and the Beanstalk.later that night Jack let Nick take the magic beans to see if something would work and to see what happened to her. Would Nick come down a thief or would he come down a good lad. I really enjoyed this book because it reminds me of the book Jack and the Beanstalk . I felt interested and intrigued to this book because it has so much adventure in it, and finding out who you really are.

[William R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thief and the Beanstalk is the sequel to the original story, Jack and the Beanstalk; When Jack came up the beanstalk, he stole the gold from he giant, and he came down as a thief. Now a thief named Nick is going up the beanstalk. What would happen? This story tells the tale of a poor boy named Nick. Nick is a thief, where he first stole food from a farmer. The farmer finds him, and he tries to kill him. Nick escapes, then travels out into the wilderness only to find an abandoned farm. Meanwhile new characters are introduced as a gang of thieves. The leader is named Finch. Finch's best man is Toothless John, and his spy is a guy named Squint. They intend to rob a fortress that was said to be Jack's house, and if the story was true, they want to rob the gold from him. They can't enter through the doorway or the window, since it would be guarded. They need someone to climb up the vines, through the window, and open the door for them from the inside. The vines are small, so they would need someone small to climb up it. Finch tells his gang to stay while he goes out to search for their little "mercenary." Meanwhile, Nick arrives at an abandoned farm. He thought this would be a safe place to hide from the farmer and the authorities. At the same time, Finch arrives. Finch thinks it would be better to hire an orphan rather than a kid with parents. When he finds Nick and traps him, he charms Nick into joining his clan. Nick accepts, clueless that Finch wants to kill him afterwards. When Finch comes back with Nick, he introduces all of the clan members to Nick. However, the clan members grow a bit jealous. Finch even lets Nick get the biggest portion of the stew, and even Pewt doesn't seem enthusiastic to share his cooking. Finch then gives the boy a challenging test that could risk his life. As Nick climbs up a tree, Finch and his friends taunt him down below. Nick nearly fell to his death, be he held strong. He finally passed it, and Finch qualified him. A few more tests happened, where a murder almost happens. Nick jumps out, telling them not to hurt the man, and Finch could still see that Nick had a good heart. Finch still tricked Nick into stealing however. When they arrive at the fortress, Nick climbs the vines, and nearly gets caught. When he gets inside the castle, he finds a room. While he explores and steals Jack's treasure from when he got down the beanstalk- when Jack catches him. Jack then talks with Nick giving him the sacred magical beans. Meanwhile, out there, Finch and his band are wondering why he is taking so long. Finch asks squint if he sees anything, and the news are shocking: Nick is seen running and the spy that Finch sent running back, talking about Nick running away. Finch starts to rage and then they all go to track Nick down. As Nick plants the beanstalk, Toothless John suddenly grabs Nick, and Finch comes in for the kill. He suddenly gets stopped when there are thousands of ants suddenly crawling up his trousers. Finch runs away because soon creatures from the ground are popping out. Nick soon realizes that the beanstalk is growing. It rips out of the ground, consuming all the water around it. As it grows, a giant cloud mass the size of a world comes in and blots out the sun. There are however, rays light coming out from where the beanstalk grew up to. Nick thought he was imagining, but this was an amazing sight. Nick soon has the urge to go up and climb the beanstalk. As he climbs, he experiences amazing energy searing through the beanstalk, making him climb real high into the glory. Higher and higher he climbs, and he soon arrives at the top. There, he finds a large rock anchoring it. Soon Nick explores the cloud island, shocked at what he was seeing right now. So many biomes around, mountains, forests, and more! But what he did find that was amazing was the castle. Just then, a wild boar attacked him. Nick battled it, and in the end, a trap comes out and kills the boar. Nick just escapes the trap barely. Then an ogre arrives and takes the boar. Nick secretly follows the ogre, named Gnasher. Nick then disappears out of sight. He ducks beside the castle, where he finds a giant spider. Then another ogre pops up and takes a bag of something that was beside Nick. He knocks on the door, and Gnasher pops out. He then calls the ogre a fool, who is named Basher. Gnasher then goes out to run an errand, and Basher stays behind. Nick sneaks into the castle and finds the treasure room. He also finds a golden statue, which reveals all of the shame that is inside a person. Nick finds himself a thief, Jack a guilty, sad man, and Finch a cold, gruesome demon. Jack then hears a cry. He finds the source of the sound, which comes from a giantess named Gullinda, who was the original giantess of the story between Jack and the beanstalk, and the wife of Ramos, the giant! Gullinda reveals and tells Nick many shocking answers, including the one in which Jack is wondering about! The best part of this book is when the suspense and complications REALLY happen. Nick rescues Gullinda, and then he nearly dies! More things happen, including the ogres catching Nick! Something bad happens to Finch, and the ogres, -well their plan just sorta you know- if you really want to find out what happened, read to find out! I would compare this to the Heroes of Olympus series, because there is a lot of suspense and breathtaking events. If you love the Heroes of Olympus series, you will love this too! Parts of it I felt angry, parts of it I just closed my eyes, and parts of it I cringe. Anyway, I hope you would want to read, and I hope you find this helpful. Good Luck! :)

[Jacobe D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody has heard the story of Jack and The Beanstalk, and most people also know that Jack was very rich after his little "adventure." But fast forward a few years, where there is a new generation of thieves. A new generation of danger....

Nick is an orphaned boy that has to steal to live. He has grown good at hiding, blending in, but has just recently lost his hideout and food source. Nick, as always, is back depending on his wits for survival. But when Nick is unfortunate enough to run into a professional thief and murderer named Finch, he has no choice but to join Finch's band of thieves for survival purposes.... and for the sake of his own life. Finch needs a little favor from Nick, nothing much, just climb into Jack's white fortress and unlock the door for Finch's gang; they will then steal the treasure that is rumored to be hidden in Jack's mansion. It's not like Finch believes in the folk stories of the beanstalk though; they are merrily an excuse for the money Jack has made. But when it all comes down to Nick, he realizes that by letting Finch into Jack's home, is basically sentencing Jack himself to death! Not to mention Jack's servants and the little girl that lives there too. All of a sudden Nick is back on his own again. And when Nick comes face-to-face with the ecentric man, he has a chance to climb the famed beanstalk himself; but time has passed. There are new foes at the top of that vine, new dangers to be conquered, new friends to keep. But the question still remains: will Nick be the only thing coming down that beanstalk? Will he come down a hero? Will he come down at all?

I loved The Thief and The Beanstalk! I was always hooked, and felt all Nick was feeling! P. W. Catanese does an amazing job; especially with the diction and descriptive words/sentences. There were times when I felt like laughing, like crying, and like screaming out of anger for what Nick must go through. Readers who like action-packed fantasies will like this book! The Thief and The Beanstalk Reminds me of Jack and The Beanstalk (go figure, right!?), a bit like The Little Princess, although I didn't finish that book. But it really reminds me of Pennyroyal Academy, and a bit of Harry Potter. I hope you enjoy, and remember, things arn't always what they seem!

[Ava M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theif And The Beanstalk is a wonderful book about the old fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. Where Nick, a young boy who's all alone due to the plague. Nick wanders into a band of thieves, they soon need Nick to attack Jacks house, but things soon turn around. Nick ends up climbing the beanstalk meeting new conflict and adventures.

[Mason W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about what happend after the book Jack And The Beanstalk. Nick was a poor orphan boy who lived in the wilderness, soon he met a band of thiefs. The thief who ran the band is called Finch, a dark and brudel man. Finch needed Nick because he climbed very well. If Nick can climb well the thiefs could break into Jack's foretress. One morning a man in a nice carriage came through the forest and Finch and his gang stopped the carriage and stole everything from him. Finch let him escape and he got back into his carriage and left in a rush. That night the thiefs broke into Jack's foretress. Nick climbed up the wall and snuck into the big foretress. Nick got caught by Jack in his gallery room, and Jack took him to a secret room. Jack gaave Nick the magical beans and Nick left without telling Finch. Nick went to a farm to plant the magic beans.

The beanstalk grew and Nick climbed it, when he got up there a boar chased him. The boar got killed by a trap and a red flag went up in the sky. Nick eventually found the giant's castle. When Nick came in the castle he saw an ogre sleeping, Nick also saw a door and squeezed through it. There were a lot of gold coins and other valuable items. In the back corner he saw a thing covered with sheets. He tore the sheets off and saw a golden figure. When he touched it, it became Finch and Nick did not like it. He left and went into another room and he heard crying a lady giant sat up, my name is Gullinda. Nick asked what's wrong. She told Nick that her sons put her in this room and won't let her escape. She also told Nick what really happend to her husband and Jack. Then she told that her sons are going to destroy the world of little people. Will Nick save Gullinda? Will Nick stop her sons?

What I liked about this book was the adventure, the characters, and the suspense. What I disliked about the book was all the violence. This book made me feel happy, glad, hopeful, and fearful. If anyone likes adventurous and suspenseful books you will love this book. This book reminded me of The Percy Jackson Series because they both are heros.

[Kade C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thief and the beanstalk is the sequel to the book Jack and The Beanstalk. This book is about a boy named Nick who is an orphan so he decides to join a gang of thiefs and the gang leader needs Nick to climb over the wall of a man named jack from jack and the beanstalk. When Nick is inside of Jacks fortress he decides to steal from Jack and leave finches gang behind, but while doing this he is caught by Jack and his bodyguards. They let Nick go and Jack gives Nick magic beans. Nick then plants the seeds a couple miles from jacks fortress. Nick climbs the beanstalk and goes in the Giants fortress to search for wealth. When Nick is on cloud island he is in the process of stealing treasure when he hears someone wailing, so he decides to check it out. He finds a big ogre named Gullinda who has been kept prisoner by her sons Gnasher and Basher. Gullinda also tells Nick that Gnasher and Basher are going to invade the land of the little people. Will there plan succeed? You should read the book to find out!
I liked this book because you didn't know what was going to happen next. It made me feel scared for nicks life. I think Sam would like this book because he likes suspenseful movies and books. This book is a lot like Jack and the beanstalk.

[Kate S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thief and the Beanstalk by P.W. Catanese is a fantasy novel about a boy named Nick who was left orphaned by the plague. When he joins a band of thieves, the leader, Finch, tells him he has a task for him. The task is to sneak into old man Jack's fortress. Could this possibly be the Jack from the legendary story of Jack and the Beanstalk? When Nick gets into the fortress, he is caught stealing from a room. Jack then gives him some beans! When Nick plants the beans, a giant beanstalk sprouts up. When Nick climbs it, he finds out that there are different dangers from when Jack climbed the beanstalk. Will Nick make it down safely? This action-packed book has suspense until the end! The Thief and the Beanstalk is also the first book in the Further Tales Adventures, also by P.W. Catanese. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fiction, action, and suspense.

[Maddox.R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is thrilling and has a lot of drama and adventure in it. Everybody read this book in our grade so probably I would recommend this book to my little brother because he loves old fairy tales and he would love a sequel to them. This book stars off with a young boy named Nick and was orphaned and starving when he woke up in a barn with a pitchfork above his chest and sprinted toward the barn door and ran all the way to an old broken down farm house. That's were he met Finch (a thief and murderer) he took Nick in and fed him only if he broke into old man Jacks house. When they broke into his house he was supposed to let the rest of Finches gang in. When he got caught by old man Jack himself and he gave him beans that had sprouted up after he had cut down the beanstalk when he was Nicks age. Jack told him to run and see what had happened to Gullinda the Giantess, so Nick ran to the old abandoned farm were he had met Finch and planted the beans. Meanwhile Finch and his gang were getting pretty anxious and they saw Nick running to the old farm and started after him. When Nick started to climb up the beanstalk Finch's gang finally caught up and they waited to see if Nick would come down. When Nick got up the beanstalk he saw a boar in front of a castle which Nick guessed that it was the castle that Jack had talked about, the boar started to chase Nick until it fell into a trap. Just then a huge ugly ogre came and picked the boar out of the trap and laughed at it in discussed. When the ogre was gone Nick went into the castle and found the treasure room to steal from and found a weird statue that made him change his mind that stealing was bad and he left that room. Across the hall he heard this crying, and went to check out what it was when he slid under the door he saw this giantess named Gulinda and talked to her for a while. She told him about her sons the ogres and how they trapped her in that room and they were going to invade the little world where Nick was from. Nick decided that he was going to help Gulinda escape and try to stop the ogre's evil plan by cutting down the rope that they had made and when he tried to do that he was caught by Finch and the ogre Gnasher and both of them were put in cages. Nick help Finch escape but instead of helping Nick escape when the spider heads came to eat them he abandoned him,so Nick saw Finch getting bitten with the poison by this the spider heads and Nick got out of the room so he could continue his plan. But this time Nick saw the ogres coming and made a run for the beanstalk and got down just in time and he saw Finch flying by him and he knew that Finch is going to be dead so when he got to the bottom he tried to cut it down but he couldn't find the ax so he burned it with a fire from the camp that Finch's gang was using. When that happened Basher came crumbling to the ground and was killed, just then Gnasher came and but he got caught in the rope and was taken away with the cloud island and eventually fell off the rope. Jack and Nick lived happily ever after that!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve all heard the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, but for a young boy named Nick, it is only a tale—until he is recruited by a band of thieves to help them break into an old man’s home. This old man is the fabled Jack, but people know him as a sad, wealthy old man who stays to himself. Nick can’t help but wonder what really happened to make him that way, and then he finds his own chance to climb the beanstalk; but his chance places the rest of his world in danger, and Nick is not so sure he wants to be the one to save the day.


It’s always interesting to see how people take well-known fairy tales and turn them into something new and interesting. However, some retellings are better than others and, while this retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk wasn’t bad, it isn’t anything special either.

Nick was a great main character, and I loved seeing him learn and grow. I think part of the reason he was so interesting was because he could have ended up the kind of thief Jack was, or he could have ended up the kind of thief Finch—one of the villains—was. He wasn’t outright trying to pick one side or another, but he was just trying to survive and find his own way, and his choices and desires worked well to contrast/compare to the other thieves; it helped to develop Jack as more of a character in his own right, rather than just a cardboard character from the tale.

What I loved most about this book was Finch. He’s one of those villains who is just so much fun to write/read, but one you would never want to cross. Those are my favorite type, with their silent power and cool demeanor. As such, I didn’t really like what happened with his character arc. I was a little disappointed in it.

Which might be part of the reason I liked the first half of the book better than the second. But a part of that is also, closer to the end, I begin to feel like the book was a little predictable. Not extremely, but I knew roughly how things would go, and it drew me out of the story when I should have been on the edge of my seat.

So, this wasn’t a bad book, and there were some things I really did like about it, but I don’t feel like I would be missing out on anything if I hadn’t read it.

[Jacob W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, The Thief and the Beanstalk, is about 70-80 years after the original story takes place, Jack is now a rich old man. His adventure up the beanstalk is now just a legend, and he lives a quiet life. Nick, on the other hand, is an orphan, barely able to keep himself fed.

Nick falls in with a bloodthirsty band of thieves who are out to rob Jack of all his money. With no choice but to do what they say, young Nick breaks into Jack's house in order to let the other thieves in. However, he's caught in action, let go with a gift of magic beans from Jack.

Nick plants the beans, and goes up the beanstalk. He's a desperate kid. He finds that some things up above have changed. The evil Giant's sons are now the rulers of the island and the kind Giant's wife is their prisoner.

Nick saves the giantess and try's to destroy Gnasher and Basher(evil giants sons) evil plan. The leader of the bloodthirsty band, finch, sneakily comes up the beanstalk with Nick and get caught by Gnasher. They are locked up in cages and Nick and Finch unlock the cages but Finch is selfish and leave Nick on his own and Finch dies from spiders that have human heads on the then gets thrown off the island.

Nick kills Gnasher and Basher and Nick lives in Jacks fortress and Jack said that he will die soon and Nick will become king. Later the beanstalk grows some seeds...

I think this book is a 4-star book because it has too much details for me but other than that, this book is very awesome. This book has a lot of action and it is very suspenseful. People who like the book Ranger Apprentice will love this book. This Book has a lot of suspense so this book is like the Da Vinci Code

[Taylor B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has heard about the story Jack and the beanstalk. The question is: do they know what happened afterward?
The Thief and the Beanstalk is about a boy named Nick. Nick's parents died of the plague when he was young and he has had to learn how to survive on his own. One day, a cruel man named Finch and his gang find Nick on an abandoned farm. Nick is perfect for Finch's plot to become rich. He wants to sneak into Old Man Jack's house and steal all of his treasure. When it is finally the night to sneak into Jack's house, Nick gets in pretty smoothly. But once he is in, Jack catches him!
Jack turns out to be pretty nice after all. He talks to Nick and lets him use the magic beans. Nick plants the magic beans and climbs up the beanstalk. When he gets up he is greeted by a mysterious creature named Greeneyes. Then he travels to the castle that the ogres, Gnasher and Basher, live. The two are brothers. Gnasher is as clever and wise as an owl but as weak as a mouse. Basher, on the other hand, is the strongest creature Jack will ever meet but he could not be any dumber. When Nick finds a prisoner, will Nick be able to set her free? Will Nick be able to save the little people from Gnasher's evil plan? Will Jack ever be happy again?
I liked this book because it was very suspenseful. It was a little boring at times though. The Thief and the Beanstalk made me feel scared and happy. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery or fantasy books. Of course, if you liked Jack and the Beanstalk you will like this book because it tells about what happened after the previous story. I enjoyed this book, and I hope that you will like it too!

[Vera P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is set about 60 years after the story Jack and the Beanstalk. Its about an orphan named Nick living alone on the streets as a theif. He becomes so desperate for food that he joins a gang af thieves. Together the thieves plan a risky burglary of Jacks fortress. Yes the same Jack from over 60 years ago. Jack is a wealthy man but is very sad and regretful of all his money. Nick breaks into the fortress one night. The plan was for Nick to get ito the fortress and open the door for the others, but instead he comes face to face with Jack. Jack practically lets Nick get away, but its not just Nick that left. He had taken some mysterious magic beans with him. Nick plants the beans on an old farm. From the beans grows a beanstalk that's larger than life, and Nick starts to climb. Will Nick climb down the beanstalk rich and regretful like Jack? Will the thieves come back for revenge? Or will Nick climb down learning a lesson that will change his life? I think this book will become as much of a classic as Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought this book was okay, but I don't normally read books like this, so that's probably why. This book made me feel like I was there climbing the beanstalk and I was there in Jacks fortress. I think if you liked The Harry Potter Series or any type of fantasy book you'll like this one. I recommend this book to Bridey D. I think she'd like the fantasy in this Book.

[Brittany Brattin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sequel from the original story of "Jack and the Beanstalk". In this book it is about a boy named Nick who is originally an orphan, with no parents. He is left all alone to survive on his own because of the plague. He is all alone until he runs into a band of theives. The captain of the band of thieves that he meets name is Finch. Finch informs Nick that he needs him to sneak into the old man Jack's fortress. Nick proceeds and sneaks into the old mans fortress searching for wealth. Next thing you know, Nick is inside of Jacks fortress. Nick tries to steal and gets caught. However, Nick does receive some magic beans and decides to plant them all around. He later climbs the beanstalk and encounters many adventures as he does.
I think that this book would be an amazing teaching tool to use in the classroom because it shows how you can take an original fairytale or story and totally put a twist to it. You could have students read a fairytale or any book of that matter and then have them write their own version of it. Students would be able to use their imaginations and come up with their own twist and adventures while still keeping somewhat of the same theme of the story. Then students could compare all of the different perspectives they used to write when making their own versions.

[Marlee B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theif and the Beanstalk starts out with a orphan boy named Nick who has survived a lot since his parents died he decided to join a band a thieves because that is better than living alone suffering to find a home but once he joins the thieves they say there is NO going back.

Nick is let into the band of theifs because they need a favor, but this favor leds Nick to a wealth man named Jack you might know the man from Jack and the Beanstalk which is where the beanstalk began and not where it ended because as soon as Nick gets a hold of the magical beans there is a little shake in the earth.

I recommend this book for everyone who loves suspense and action!!!! I think this book deserves a 5 star rating from what I read my eyes were glued on the page. Thief and the Beanstalk is a book that will interest both boys and girls. This book can be compared to Jack and the Beanstalk because they are similar just with a twist.

[Zara P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the theme of The Thief and the Beanstalk is that forgiveness can always be given. The adventure starts when Jack (an old man now) gives an orphan some magic beans so the orphan can go to the giants. At first look, it looks like just a kind gesture, but the actual reason Jack does this is because he betrayed the giant's wife. The wife helped him not get eaten by her husband, but all Jack did was steal their treasure and run away. Jack felt guilty about that a few decades later, so he sends another boy to see what happened to her. The orphaned boy (Nick) helps the giant's wife and she tells him that she forgave Jack a long time ago. Nick returns to the human realm and tells Jack that the wife forgave him, and finally Jack can rest easily. Jack adopts Nick and they live together, Nick isn't really an orphan anymore.

[Cullen P · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thief and The Beanstalk.This book is a book about what happened after the book Jack and the Beanstalk. It's about a kid named Nick, his parents died of plague, so right now he is an orphan. At the beginning of the story he is at a farmer's house and the farmer finds him. Nick runs away and ends up in a field, where a band of thief's find him. The band of thief's say they will give him food, water and supplies if he can get into Jack's house. So Nick says he will climb into Jack's house. Finch (the leader of the band) tells Pewt to start to make a soup. When it's ready Nick runs over there and is about to take some when, Finch won't let him. He says that he has to climb a tree to get his food (They wanted to make sure he would be able to climb up Jack's fortress). So when Nick tries to first climb up the tree, he fails. Most of the members start laughing. So, Nick tries again and he makes it. When he came down he got to eat his soup. Nick kept asking for more and more soup. Finally they set a fire and went to bed. The next morning they said they were going to attack a person. So, they did and when they were about to hurt the person, Nick told them to stop. The band gathered the books they stole and gave them to Nick. The next day they would go to Jack's fortress. When they got to Jack's fortress Nick started to climb the ivy. When he got up the little girl had fallen asleep. So Nick wandered around and came to a room filled with paintings. They were of Jack's story. After a while Jack came in and caught him. Nick thought that was going to be it when, Jack gave Nick three magical green beans. Then Nick thought, he didn't want to go back to the band so he ran away, with the beans. He planted them and a beanstalk grew. Nick climbed up the beanstalk and came up to the woods. When he figured out where he was he realized there was a boar chasing him. So he ran as fast as he could. Later the boar died. Nick came upon a person named "Green Eyes". He had a hour glass next to him and it was almost done. When he faded away he gave Nick a message. Nick saw and ogre coming so he ran. When Nick was hiding he hid by the castle and there was a spider who was trying to get on him. Nick went into the castle and went to the treasure room and found a statue that when he touched it moved. Soon it was over him and he was running out of air. Then the statue stopped. Nick herd someone crying so he went to check it out. It was a person named Gullinda. Gullinda told Nick a story about her past. Nick wanted to save her so he tried. He did and she ran away. Finch all of a sudden came up there and the ogres found them. Gnasher took them to his room and put them in cages. They escaped after Gnasher, asked them questions. Gnasher found Finch, but not Nick. Gnasher and Basher were going to go to the little world. Finch fell and died. Jack was at the bottom of the beanstalk and helped Nick burn it. Basher died and Gnasher moved away with the cloud. I liked the part where Nick got food and water. I didn't like the part where Finch found Nick. It made me feel tense. I would compare this book to Jack and the Beanstalk. I hope you decide to read this book, it was great.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son, Tristan brought this book home. He read it and liked it. It's a take on Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought the beginning chapter was a little too violent for a fourth grader but as the story progressed it lightened. It has a lesson within the pages and I thought was an exciting read. Sometimes the scenes went fast with lots of action. Other times it was setting up for excitement. Good read.

[Maddie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most kids grow up knowing the old story of Jack in the beanstalk. They recall that he climbed a giant beanstalk, and stole treasures from a giant, then came back down. What what many of us lack to know is what happened to Jack when he got back.
In this twist of a perfect fairytale we find out.
We start with a character named, Nick who comes many years after Jack. Nick is an abandon orphan who is a thief out of needing something to fill his belly up everyday. He is lacking a home, therefore he is staying at a farm where he's not wanted. One day the farmer found him and was ready to kill him. So Nick decided it was smart to retreat and scavenge around at another farm. At this new farm the next character, Finch is met. He appears handsome and strong. Nick wonders why Finch is there, and finds out that Nick is needed by Finch. Finch needs Nick to do a job for a robbery that only someone small can do. Nick excepts because he's willing to do the simple deed in exchange for a warm meal and a place to sleep. On the night of the robbery Nick climbs the vines that he was told to climb. They were scattered along the side of a tall white castle that belonged to Jack. The same Jack that climbed the beanstalk many years ago. When Nick reaches the castle he is granted a chance to climb the same beanstalk, and accepts. The seeds are planted and tea is ready to go. His journey up the beanstalk leads him to an ogres castle. The only problem is now the ogres are smarter than they were when Jack had his journey. Will Nick survive in the world of wonders above? Will he come down a new person? Or will he even come down at all? I recommend this book to readers who love suspense, action, and shock. I hope you enjoy P.W. Catenese's story as much as I did.

[Caroline P · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my English Language Arts class we have been reading a novel called Thief and the Beanstalk. When we first got our novels, I thought it was going to be very boring. But the truth is, it has a lot of suspense and surprising things are happening left and right, so I loved this novel. The Thief and the Beanstalk is written by P.W. Catanese. This novel is basically what happens after the classic fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk. Thief and the Beanstalk is about a kid named Nick who was orphaned young. He finds a barn to secretly stay in, until an angry farmer kicks him out, which leads him to Finch. Finch is a bully and thief who has a gang just like him, but Finch of course is the leader. Now all Finch wanted was to have all of the treasures from Jack's fortress. Finch's problem is that he can't climb the vines on the side of Jack's fortress. He needs someone desperate just like Nick. Finch's plan is to have Nick climb into the fortress then have Nick come and unlock the doors for the gang. Nick's morals get the best of him and he doesn't help Finch. Nick meets Jack who then gives Nick magic beans that Jack had got when he climbed the first beanstalk himself. Nick plants the beans and climbs the new beanstalk that rose from the earth attaching itself to the cloud island above.
Who does Nick meet on the cloud island?
Will anyone try to stop Nick?
Will Nick survive?
Well these are questions that would spoil too much of the book, but if you are curious to find out, I recommend you go read this book yourself! If you like action packed and suspenseful books or the book series Whatever After this is the book for you!

[AUSTIN N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thief and the Beanstalk is told from different prespectives such as the protagonist, Nick, the antagonist, Finch, and more characters introduced further in the story. The book starts about a poor wretched orphan, Nick, and a greedy theif, Finch.
Finch heard a tale about an old man named Jack, who lived in a white stone castle, as white as ivory. He hears about these little riches such as pure, shiny, golden eggs, a diamond magical harp, and even some magical so-called beans that can grow a massive beanstalk! When Finch realizes he needs a wee, clever, smart lad for a little job. That's when Nick comes in. He is Finch's little companian ready for anything. Finch creates promises to lure Nick in his band of theives such as hot food, new clothes, and even warm shelter.
When Nick does Finch's order, Nick reaches Jack's detailed castle. When Nick finds his chance to climb the beanstalk, he accepts and starts climbing the beanstalk. What Nick doesn't know is that there are new creatures looming in the dark, rennvated, new cloud island. New chances, new choices to make, and even maybe a new enemy. When Nick reaches Cloud Island, he meets and old friend and....an enemy.

This book made me feel tense a lot of the time because the rising action eemed real. P. W. Cantonese really knows how to paint picture in your brain. When you read this book, you will never look at the story of the original Jack and the Beanstalk the same again! People who really like Fantasy and Fairytales will love and get addicted to thos book. Well done P. W. Cantonese!!!!

[Finn W]

The book thief in the beanstalk is about an orphan named Nick who's family died from a plague Ina small village. Nick is now and orphan and he is hungry. Soon enough Nick comes across a ragged band of thieves with a leader named Finch. Nick decides to join the band in hopes of a warm meal but then he finds out that they are not just thieves but murders to. Now Finch and the gang decide to steal from a man named Jack who legend has it climbed a bean stalk decades ago and stole gold from a giant and became very wealthy. When Nick gets inside of Jack's fortress he steels beans and plants them and that grows a beanstalk. Nick decides to climb up the beanstalk without Finch and the Gang to steal some gold. Soon as it comes across too very ugly and smelly ogres up in the cloud the beanstalk led to. Nick quietly sneak past these ogres and makes his way to a treasure room. When he has a sack full of gold ready to head back to the beanstalk he hears cries under a door. He decides to slip under it and sees a giant named Gullinda. Tito said that the two ogres off the planet that down to the real world and become rulers of the world. Will Nick decide to stop the Ogres or will he e greedy and escape with his life. Read theif and the beanstalk to find out!

[Natalie R.]

I thought The Thief and the Beanstalk was a very suspenseful and action packed book. It is about a boy named Nick. His parents dyed of the plague, so he has lived an orphan most of his life. A band of thiefs toled him that if he climbed up the vines into Jack's (from Jack and the Beanstalk) house to steel the tresure they would supply him with food and a place to live. When Nick broke into Jacks house he got caught. Jack showed him three magic beans. Just like the beans he planted that grew the big beanstalk. Nick stole the beans and planted them. He climbed up the beanstalk into Cloud island. The band of thieves were now mad at him because Nick ditched them. Then Finch (the leader of the band) came after him. Nick made friends with one of the giants, but he made enemies with the others. You will have to read the rest to find out what happens next. I liked that Nick ditched the band of thieves, but I did not like when he talked about his parents dying. This book made me feel very on edge. I have not ever read a book like this before. I think you will like thi book if you like action stories.

[Maddy Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thief and the Beanstalk , a novel by P.W. Catanese, is about Nick, a young boy, who climbs a beanstalk just like Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk. This book is like a sequel to Jack and the Beanstalk. The exposition of the book is where Nick is a young, hungry orphan. He foolishly joins a band of thieves and realizes that he's made a mistake. From there, the story unravels. This novel has many unexpected twists and turns. One of the important themes in this book is that size doesn't matter. Nick is a smart boy, yet he outsmarts many characters bigger them throughout the story. I really liked this book. I think the author, P.W. Catanese, set amazing and fabulous diction, with figurative language all throughout. I think if I could find one tiny little thing I disliked, it would be that I don't think the author had to have included the last chapter. If you liked the book Jack, Red, or Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, I think you would really enjoy this book because they are all twists on classic fairy tales.

[Tate P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick the orphan finds Finch and his band of thieves by a abandoned barn house. Finch offers him family, food and friends. Nick has to accept, for these are what he wants most. His job is to get into Old Man Jack's house and open the front gates to let the thieves in. As he gets in he realizes that he shouldn't do it because he would be killing a lot of people. Jack gives Nick beans that will regrow the magic beanstalk and Nick plants them. A couple minutes later the beanstalk grows and Nick start his climb. What will he find in the land of the clouds? Find out in this amazing novel. This book is very suspenseful and I was always on edge. This book is a story of what happened after Jack and the Beanstalk. People who like action/ fantasy novels will like this book. I cant relate this book to another I have read, because of how unique it is.

[Greyson G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Nick is abandoned in the wilderness to fend for his own, until a band of theifs comes along and recruits him. He is, at least at first, grateful. But when the leader Finch almost kills a man without a second thought, he is not so sure he wants to stay in the band. Then he is asked to do the theiving for them, and break into Old Man Jack's fortress. How will he escape Finch and the band?

I loved this book, it was just a little slow is why I only gave it four stars. I would recommend it to any Harry Potter lovers, or Percy Jackson etc. etc.. It was a great after story for Jack and the beanstalk.

[Garrett S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based of the book jack and the beanstalk and starts with a orphaned thief named nick.nick is found by a guy named finch that takes him under his wing but little does he no finch is up to no good.while Nick is with finch,finch puts Nick to a few tests to see if nick has what takes to steal but Nick is oblivious to what he is testing him for. One of the tests finch gives nich is to climb a a huge tree to see if nick is good a climbing. Little did nick know soon he would be trying to climb into the house of Jack ,the boy who many years ago climbed the beanstalk and became rich

[«-(¯`v´¯)-« Чїп Чїп »-(¯`v´¯)-» · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a guy called Nick. He is an orphan and he doesn't get enough foods in the orphanage. He joins a band of thieves to get enough and a warm meal and protection from them. In exchange, the thieves want him to help them break into the Iavish white castle to steal his riches from the castle. The owner is called Jack. People say that the riches from Jack's quest up a magic beanstalk a long time ago.