Black, Holly & DiTerlizzi, Tony : The Spiderwick Chronicles 1&2

The first book in a beautifully produced series of five, The Field Guide sets up the story of the Grace children--13-year-old Mallory and 9-year-old twins Jared and Simon--who with their mother move into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate only to quickly find themselves sucked into a dark and fascinating world of faeries.

Superficially, the Spiderwick Chronicles smack of Lemony Snicket, with its "true story" setup and breathless warnings ("Go away/close the book/put it down/do not look"). By the authors combining their ample skill with thoughtful art direction and demanding production values, the duo has succeeded in creating a series with irresistible appeal. Each book promises a quick read, snappy plot progression, and dozens of DiTerlizzi's imaginative pen-and-ink drawings. So if you're drawn to The Field Guide at all, you might as well save yourself the trouble and make sure you have the second book (The Seeing Stone) handy. Any age group can enjoy this book whether they are 6 to 106, they can still get some fun and learn some good lessons from this series.

Books so far: 2
Pages so far: 503
Rating: five out of five stars
Length: 128 pages
Source: Library
Challenges: The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: I can't seem to think of anything. Any ideas?
Other books I've read by this author: none

In the Spiderwick Chronicles' second book, things get even more exciting--and kind of scary--for the Grace kids, as the strange faerie world hinted at in The Field Guide blooms to full life around them.

**Spoiler Alert Maybe**

After making tentative peace with Thimbletack (a coveralled house brownie who's "the size of a pencil"), Jared chooses to ignore the creature's pleas that he destroy his great-great-uncle's mysterious tome, Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. Thimbletack warns, "You kept the book despite my advice./Sooner or later there'll be a price." Sure enough, the brownie soon sniffs out a "fowl smell in the air," and the disappearance of Simon's new cat starts to make sense. And if the chapter titled "IN WHICH Mallory Finally Gets to Put Her Rapier to Good Use" doesn't get your heart racing as fast as the kids', just wait till you get a load of the troll. ("Cooome baaack. I haaave something for youuu.")

The series' already-fast pace picks up quickly in the second installment, and we can begin to imagine what other sorts of trouble these three will turn up as they learn the rules to this odd (and dangerous) new world--while, of course, trying to explain away the strange goings-on to their mother. Next up, book three, Lucinda's Secret. (What's her secret? I want to know. Now!

Books so far: 3
Pages so far: 631
Rating: five out of five stars
Length: 128 pages
Source: Library
Challenges: The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: I can't seem to think of anything. Any ideas?
Other books I've read by this author: none
Currently Reading: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (any thoughts on this book: no spoilers please!!! =[])