Series: Tree Street Kids #6
Published by Moody Publishers on August 5, 2025
Genres: Children's
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Jack Finch is seeing stars.
And it has nothing to do with Christmas. Snowball wars are being waged against the Tree Street Kids, and Jack has taken a hit to the eye from one of Buzz Rublatz’s polar projectiles. Jack plans the perfect defense–the Abominable Snowman-ator. But building your greatest invention is tough when you’re also practicing for the starring role in the school nativity play. One cold, starry night, a neighborhood catastrophe disturbs the peacefulness of the snow-covered streets and twinkling lights. What's that terrible orange glow down the block? And does Buzz know more about it than he’s telling? Jack is determined to find out. But, first, he needs a Christmas miracle. Will Jack find room in his heart to welcome an unexpected addition to the stage and his home? To Jack’s surprise, he gives the neighborhood bully a greater gift than either of them could have imagined.
Book Six in the Tree Street Kids Series
Jack and the Red Giant is a short chapter book that tackles big topics. Jack wants to get revenge on Buzz, a neighborhood bully. But after Buzz’s house goes up in flames, Jack’s parents invite Buzz to temporarily stay in their home. This challenging dynamic adds more stress to Jack’s life, especially since Buzz also joins the Christmas pageant that Jack and his sister, Midge, are doing at church. The story is fast-paced and has strong character development, and also includes fun fact inserts related to the characters’ interests.
These inserts explain things like science facts, historical details, and literary references that come up in the story. Midge is going to be the Star of Bethlehem in the play, which fits with her passion for astronomy. It’s nice to see a story that casually represents a girl’s interest in STEM without turning it into a heavy-handed talking point. Speaking of which, the Christian themes also feel natural, with author Amanda Cleary Eastep weaving them into the story in a way that feels authentic to the characters. This book offers good messages about loving your enemies and explores the Nativity story from the perspectives of the kids in the church pageant.
My one hesitation is that this book doesn’t spell out a stronger lesson about the tricky topic of Jack having to share his room with a bully. Jack’s parents acknowledge that this is hard for him, and they explain why it’s important to be hospitable while Buzz’s family is in crisis. (His older brother is in the hospital, which is consuming his parents’ time and energy.) However, even though Jack’s family is doing a good deed, sharing a room with Buzz could put Jack in danger in ways that his parents don’t fully realize. The book addresses this some, but I wish that the author had put a stronger emphasis on weighing risks and prioritizing your safety. I wouldn’t want a kid who reads this to believe that their safety is unimportant, or that putting themselves in harm’s way is their only option in a situation like this.
Jack and the Red Giant will appeal to Christian families who are looking for fun, engaging chapter books that will appeal to both boys and girls. Also, this is part of a series, and I would recommend reading the Tree Street Kids books in order. This story stands on its own and re-introduces side characters for people who are new to the series, but it’s clear that the characters’ relationships and personal dynamics have developed a lot over the previous five volumes, so readers will enjoy the books most of they read them in sequence.