"This memorable novel, a skillful combination of real life and fantasy, is by turns uplifting and saddening.  Distinctive, emotionally honest characters and consistently engrossing prose make this book a standout."
- Publishers Weekly 

“Young readers who know polio solely as something they're immunized against will not quickly forget this moving, imaginative glimpse of the not-so-long-ago past.”
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal  Read full review

“A master of combining wit and terror, Lawrence is a perfect writer for young adults, with a keen sense of the jagged rhythms of adolescence.”
—Denver Post  Read full review

“Despite the title, this compelling story-within-a-story is not about giant slayers, but about children with giant spirits.”
—Booklist

 “This profound, magical, dryly comical novel reminds readers of the power of story, but they will already be feeling it in their bones. Masterful.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“…[A] wonderful exploration of the power of the imagination and of how stories shape our lives as much as our lives shape the stories that we tell.”
—The Globe and Mail  Read full review     

“The author creates a masterful tale-within-a-tale while also shining a light on a rarely discussed era that affected tens of thousands of North American children. Most of all, he reminds us that stories have the power to carry the spirit through even the darkest days.”
—Jennifer M. Brown Shelf Awareness

“Iain Lawrence has told a memorable story that not only accurately recreates the frightening years of the polio epidemic, but creates a richly-imagined fantasy landscape where courage, love, and the magic they create can bring remarkable things to pass.”
—Provo City Library Children’s Book Review  Read full review

“…explor[es] the power of story …. and transport[s] both the characters and the readers far beyond their worlds.”
—Booklist Online  Read full review

“Lawrence has composed a beautifully written book that aptly creates two different worlds.”
—lindseyslibrary.com  Read full review

The American Library Association named The Giant-Slayer a "Notable Children's Book" for 2009.  According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.