The Iron Giant [Library Binding]

Ted Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

From Ted Hughes, England's Poet Laureate,  Knopf is proud to present a children's classic which has been unavailable in the U.S. for many years.  First published in 1968, The Iron Giant is a modern fantasy about a massive giant who stalks the earth devouring metal, terrifying farmers and townspeople everywhere. Despite his insatiable hunger, the Iron Giant is quite gentle and good-natured, though the townspeople are too frightened of him to realize it.  So they capture him and put him in a scrapyard, where he happily stuffs himself with stoves and bicycles.  The people forget about the Iron Giant until a space-bat the size of Australia hovers over the earth, poised to destroy it.  Earth needs a hero and only the Iron Giant is big enough and brave enough to do battle with the hideous creature from outer space.  With a tractor-eating giant, a menacing space-bat, and a young boy-hero, The Iron Giant is an accessible, early chapter book with plenty of appeal for reluctant readers and budding science fiction and fantasy fans.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A huge, mysterious iron man stands at the top of a cliff, surveying the ocean. His eyes glow white, red, infrared. Then, he lifts one enormous foot and steps out into nothingness. Crraaasssssh! His head, arms, legs, ears, hands all break off as he tumbles onto the rocks below. The end of the story? No, it's only the beginning of this modern parable of peace in the universe. The Iron Giant has an insatiable appetite for barbed wire, tractors, and rusty chains. While farmers and townspeople run around trying to stop him, destroy him, capture him, only one boy understands what must be done. Meanwhile, an even bigger threat hovers over the land, in the shape of an evil-looking space-bat-angel-dragon. How will the people of the world survive the impending doom?

Ted Hughes, poet laureate of England, first wrote this compelling tall tale in 1968. Clearly, the need for its message of peace has not diminished in the decades since. Simple, repetitive sentences carry the mesmerizing spirit of traditional fairy tales. And Andrew Davidson's black-and-white illustrations, with their menacing air and timeless appeal, drive the point home in vivid style. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A tall-tale hero in a parable for today.  The author's intensely felt theme and his invention of dramatic details make this brief piece of fiction high-spirited and entertaining."--The Horn Book

"A clever, inventive fantasy of timely appeal to children."--Booklist

"Written with such great gusto, with such vivid precision, that children will sit spellbound in their ringside seats."--Publishers Weekly

"A great book to start up a family reading tradition.  Irresistible."--Boston Phoenix

"Reckoned one of the greatest of modern fairy tales."--The Observer  (England)

"A thrilling and unforgettable tale, magnificently told."--Trade News (England)

"Hughes has never written more compellingly...with linguistic tact and imaginative power to achieve something of possible enduring consequence."--The Times (England)

"Riveting."--The Tablet (England)

"Brilliant."--The Listener (England)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 96 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375901671
• ISBN-13: 978-0375901676
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,941,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See the Movie; Read the Book; The Two Are Very Different, October 4, 1999

By 

Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Iron Giant (Paperback)

Director Brad Bird's take on Ted Hughes' memorable 1968 tale, The Iron Giant, differs substantially from the story. So much so, that the book and the film may not have the same audience. Then again, those taken with the movie will likely want to explore the brief (80 page) book. This recent paperback edition features a beautiful cover drawn from the Warner Bros. movie, although the story is Hughes' original. Priced far below the lavish library volumes, this edition may be the best of both worlds, providing a look at the film's inspiration for the Iron Giant's many curious fans.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny, exciting book that teaches about war and peace., July 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Iron Giant (Hardcover)

I think this is a really good book, so I think you should read it.

It was very funny sometimes, like when the seagulls found the giant in tiny pieces, and he came up with a funny way to find all his parts!

It was very exciting. The Iron Giant has to go into fire against a space monster that is bothering the world.

This book teaches about living in peace and not having so many wars. I am 71/2 years old, and it was not too hard for me to read by myself.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excitement and suspense without violence!, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Iron Giant (Paperback)

I have read this book with my Fourth Grade classes for the last eight years. The reading, while "easy", is nonetheless rich. My students' writing is often rife with violence. It can be difficultto convince them that excitement and suspense canbe achieved without "blood and guts". After reading the Iron Giant, they are pleasantly surprised and often write "sequels" to the Iron Giant's adventures. The prose is poetic. It makes a terrific read aloud.