title: The Tale of Jack Frost
author:  David Melling 
description: Kindergarten-Grade 3--Somewhere there is a magical forest, filled with enchanted creatures, that is closed to the surrounding world, especially the nasty goblins who smell like boiled cabbage. Somehow, a strange little boy, Jack Frost, has penetrated the forest, leaving the way open, and has been discovered sleeping in his pajama bottoms in the snow. Jack can turn anything to ice, and his cleverness helps him outsmart the goblins. Although there are many engaging elements to the plot, young readers may be left with questions; for example: why does Jack develop wings? Where did he come from? What is he? Melling's illustrations are creative and funny, showing critters with hairy knees and large-nosed goblins, and creatures that sleep on their backs with their legs straight up. The visual sequence in which Jack tricks the not-too-smart goblins has many humorous touches that children will spot and enjoy, but the story itself leaves too many details unexplained.<i>--Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: Jackaby
  
  William Ritter
  
  ![](Images/image00125.jpeg)
  
  ALGONQUIN 2014
  
   _For Jack, who makes me want to create impossible things,_
  
   _and for Kat, who convinces me I can and insists that I do._
  
  Contents
  
  Chapter One
  
  Chapter Two
  
  Chapter Three
  
  Chapter Four
  
  Chapter Five
  
  Chapter Six
  
  Chapter Seven
  
  Chapter Eight
  
  Chapter Nine
  
  Chapter Ten
  
  Chapter Eleven
  
  Chapter Twelve
  
  Chapter Thirteen
  
  Chapter Fourteen
  
  Chapter Fifteen
  
  Chapter Sixteen
  
  Chapter Seventeen
  
  Chapter Eighteen
  
  Chapter Nineteen
  
  Chapter Twenty
  
  Chapter Twenty-One
  
  Chapter Twenty-Two
  
  Chapter Twenty-Three
  
  Chapter Twenty-Four
  
  Chapter Twenty-Five
  
  Chapter Twenty-Six
  
  Chapter Twenty-Seven
  
  Chapter Twenty-Eight
  
  Chapter Twenty-Nine
  
  Chapter Thirty
  
  Chapter Thirty-One
  
  Supplemental Material
  
   _Reader’s Guide_
  
   _About the Author_
  
   _About Algonquin_
  
  Chapter One
  
  It was late January, and New England wore a fresh coat of snow as I stepped
  along the gangplank to the shore. The city of New Fiddleham glistened in the
  fading dus