These are the last two books that I've read that we are being allowed to cheat and post as our "freebies". My two freebies that I just finished reading are:
1. The Spiderwick Chronicles (Books 1-5) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi: (Yes, I realize this is 5 books, not 1, but those of you who have read them will understand...they're kinda short books.)
In the first book we are introduced to the Grace children, the twins, Jared and Simon and their older sister, Mallory. They have moved with their newly divorced mother to the old, run-down, house that used to belong to their Uncle who was missing and their Aunt who is now in an institution. As they try to adjust to their new accommodations they discover a secret world populated by brownies, goblins, griffins, elves, and more. In the first book they meet Thimbletack, the family’s house brownie, who is mighty unhappy with the new occupants of his home, especially when Jared finds Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide. The Field Guide contains all of Arthur ’s observations on magical creatures, which could endanger all of the faerie world if it fell into the wrong hands.
Over the course of the rest of the books, the children learn the family secrets and how to make their way among the faeries through a series of adventures ending with a quest to save not only themselves and all of the good creatures of the faerie world, but all of the non-magical world as well.
For a set of Young Adult books, they were entertaining. The illustrations of the fairy-tale creatures and characters were very well done and really brought the characters to life...nothing like helping your imagination along. It was definitely written in a simple enough form for kids to read, so you don't need a dictionary to help you out with any words. Not too scary for pre-teen readers, but probably a bit much for younger ages. I really enjoyed reading them and cannot wait for my girls to be old enough to enjoy them as well.
Sidenote: The books are SO much better than the movie. I thought the movie was good, but it was annoying because the changed from the books way too much!
2. Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixie's Song (Book 1) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi: A great follow-up to the original Chronicles, The Nixie's Song takes readers...beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles. :0)
This first book introduces us to Nick Vargas and his family. Nick's father develops subdivisions, so they move around a lot. It's been a calm life for Nick and his older brother, until dad goes and does the unthinkable, he remarries. Now Nick has to give up his room to his new stepsister, Laurie. Laurie's a bit odd. She collects books and drawings about faeries. She knows they exist, because she's read The Spiderwick Chronicles, and she even has her own copy of The Field Guide. She knows how to see faeries, but hasn't been fortunate enough to actually have it happen.
All that is about to change when Nick finds a four-leaf clover, which, unknown to him, gives him the "Sight" to see things no one else can see, not even Laurie, who is so jealous. Thankfully they can share the clover which allows them to share the sight. What they end up seeing is an injured nixie, a water faerie, who has been cut off from the river she shared with her sisters and must now reside in the neighborhood's man-made lake.
The nixie, Taloa, binds Nick and Laurie into an agreement to find out what happened to her sisters. What Nick and Laurie find instead is a giant that has more danger to it than just its size. Soon, Nick and Laurie find themselves in need of help from somebody who's had a lot more experience with faeries than they have, which leads to some amusing and surprising encounters with some familiar characters.
This book is enjoyable, not only for those who have read the Chronicles, but for newcomers as well. Not quite as good as the original Chronicles, but still worth reading. I'm hoping that the plot develops into something a bit better as this new series continues. I'm looking forward to the second book coming out in September so I can continue on with the story...I hate being left hanging!
All posts related to Mark Lee's Summer Reading Club will be found here. Books that I haven't read yet, but am hoping to can be found in the right hand column of this blog.
My summer reading list is in the right hand column on the blog. I'm sure it will grow and change, but that's it for right now. :0) By the way, thanks Mark for putting this all together!
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