The traditional story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is intermittently, but purposefully, interrupted in this entry in the Tale vs. Truth series (6 titles). Conversational sidebars encourage young readers to consider scientific facts behind Jack's outlandish adventure. When an enormous beanstalk stretches to the sky overnight, for example, a "Truth Time" sidebar explains that pole beans can reach 15 feet after a few months, but the stalks will be thin. Colorful, textured illustrations with a rural setting and characters in old-fashioned clothes retain the original spirit of the classic. Back matter extends comprehension with a chart ready for compare-and-contrast lessons, a list of common "Fairy Tale Traits" with accompanying guided questions, a glossary, a bibliography, and a list of related websites. A giant opportunity to integrate STEM and language arts.