By Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black
published by SIMON AND SCHUSTER 2003
4-6 grade level
Modern Fantasy
Summary of Plot:
Opening on a troubling scene of an old Victorian house, in new England, with a young family moving in, we find Jared Grace quite upset. He and his family had just been up-rooted which everyone believes to be his fault. First Jared's Father left him and his family, made up of his mother, Helen, his thirteen year old sister, Mallory, and his twin brother Simon. Jared found himself so upset because of this abandonment that he begins getting in fights at school and causing trouble. So his mother moved the family away from their home in the city before Jared could get thrown out of school. Helen believed this new home to be the answer to their problems. The house they were moving into was Helen's Aunt Lucinda Spinderwick's home. She had been in an institution for quite a while. People believed her to be crazy, saying little men brought her food and no one ever saw her eat a scrap... and yet she still lived on. So as Jared is left in the great hall of the entry of the house he hears the walls make strange noises. The family blames it on a squirrel but Jared doesn't believe it. Late that night his sister wakes the boys up to tell them she hear the squirrel and that they should go catch it. The are led to the kitchen where Mallory busts open the wall with a broom to find a little home of some sort. Some creature (not a squirrel) is hording all kinds of things in this wall. They continue to hear noises and they believe it has gone up through the dumb waiter. So Mallory talks Jared into getting inside the dumb waiter and riding up to the highest room possible. Jared finds himself in a room that had no door and had been untouched for years. He finds many different clues that point to this office belonging to his Aunts father Arthur Spiderwick. Arthur's books are filled with clues and Jared finds his way into the attic where he finds a guide book to all the faeries that Arthur believes dwell around the estate. Jared begins reading the book and keeping it with him every where he goes. This worries his siblings as bad things have been happening, such as Mallory's hair getting tied to her bed. Mallory (with less hair) believes it has something to do with the book. So they find their way up to Arthur's office and find a little man sitting on the table. This creature bursts out in rhyme that if they do not destroy the book, much evil will come to them. As they try to decide what they should do the book ends.
My Reaction:
I actually loved this book. I read it straight through. I found it adventurous and fun to try to guess what was going to happen next. The pictures were fun, done in pen and ink, i enjoyed that you could follow the story through pictures and get a feel for what the settings looked like and the little creatures that Jared found himself to enthralled with. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.
Potential Problems:
I know some parent's do not like their kids reading about magic and creatures. I think it may be a little scary for some kids, because these creatures torture the kids for a couple of days and it is a little worry some to think about. Other than that I found it quite adventurous and fun.
Recommendations:
I think kids who have a hard time with divorce of disharmony in their families could connect with this family very well. I think anyone who liked the "Harry Potter" books, or even the "Series of Unfortunate Events" would really love these books.
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