Jacob's Little Giant by Barbara Smucker Date of Publication: 1989 ISBN: 0-14-032326-0 Number of Pages: 133

REQUIRED READING ABILITY:Junior: Low/Average Intermediate: Low
GENRES: Realism
THEMES : Family – Loyalty - Coming of Age

SUMMARY:
Things rarely work out for Jacob, who is always the "youngest" at home and the "smallest" in his class. He desperately wishes to fit in and be successful, whether it is helping the men on the farm or playing baseball at school.
When little Jacob becomes involved with a co-operative, raising Giant Canadian Geese on the family farm, he has the chance to prove not only to his family, but to himself, that he is responsible, brave and strong.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- loves animals and nature
- loves a little adventure
- is small, but strong
- feels under-appreciated by his family
- is into farming


WHAT ELSE?
The author also wrote Underground to Canada and a number of other works, and is from Ontario. The story takes place in Southwestern Ontario on a potato farm and, though the characters are fictional, the parts about the geese are true.