THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES:THE FIELD GUIDE

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Black, Holly and Tony DiTerlizzi. 2003. THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES:THE FIELD GUIDE. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689859366

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Field Guide is a story that begins with Mallory, Jared and Simon (the Grace Children) moving into a new home with their Mother. The house is old, creepy and the children soon find themselves immersed into a world of fairies and strange happenings. They express in different ways, such as Jared gets into fights at school, Simon shuts them all out by immersing himself in the animal world, and Mallory furiously practices her fencing. These problems create an interesting interplay with the fantasy elements, as they see aspects of themselves expressed in the faerie world. The house has a secret room where one of the fairies lives and the tale of finding out who that fairy is, keeps you on your toes till the end of the story.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a briskly paced story with just enough darkness to chill young readers without scaring them into nightmares. Spiderwick is a narrative compression of the beloved, best-selling series of books by author Holly Black and illustrator Tony Diterlizzi. It is an enjoyable adventure fantasy that is sure to cast a spell over its audiences. But just as importantly, it weaves a story that resonates with spiritual truth. The Spiderwick Chronicles is a thrilling adventure for children of all ages.

The book is papered in dark colors with titles in suitably spidery antique font, and Tony DiTerlizzi's artwork is splendid. The black-and-white in depth illustrations that appear on almost every two page spread compliment the text while bringing the strange world the Spiderwick Estate alive. A table of contents, a list of “full-page” illustrations, a map of the Spiderwick Estate, and an introductory letter from the authors as well as a copy of the original letter to Mrs. Black and Mr. DiTerlizzi from the Grace children can be found at the beginning of the text. It is a delightful story that captures the interest of children and those of us young at heart.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
*From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6 - In this the dramatic conclusion to The Spiderwick Chronicles (Random, 2004), Holly Black continues the breathtaking action of the previous volumes. This episode begins with the Grace siblings, 13-year-old Mallory and nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon, returning to their home from the underground kingdom of the dwarfs, only to find it ransacked and their mother missing. Concluding that the terrible ogre Mulgarath is behind the chaos, the children join forces with Thimbletack the house-brownie, Hogsqueal the hobgoblin, and Byron the griffin in order to find Mulgarath and save their mother. They bravely rush into the world of faeries, hobgoblins, dragons, and elves, and to the junkyard realm of the goblins and the castle of the terrible Mulgarath. They are armed only with a sword and bits of nearly-forgotten advice from Arthur Spiderwick, the long-lost author of The Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, who makes an all-too-brief but magical appearance. Each fantastic and terrifying creature is brought to life by Mark Hamill's excellent vocal characterizations, clearly differentiating all the hobgoblins. Hamill also does a superb job of creating the innocent, eager voices of the young siblings on a quest. The series ends (is it really the end?) with a dramatic rescue and the demise of Mulgarath. - MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY
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*Starred review in Kirkus
“Readers who are too young to read Harry Potter independently will find these have just the right amount of menace laced with appealing humor and are blessed with crisp pacing and, of course, DiTerlizzi’s enticingly Gothic illustrations.”
Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone...Youngsters may well find themselves glancing over their shoulders as they eagerly follow the events.”
*Review in VOYA
“Nearly every second page is embellished with the ink drawings of DiTerlizzi, evoking a delicious classical sense in this modern fantasy. Black...keeps the dialogue snappy and the children’s personalities distinct.”
*Review in Horn Book
“The individual books do not stand alone and the first mostly sets the stage, but the writing is fast paced and action-packed. Retro black-and-white spot art adds atmosphere.”

5. CONNECTIONS:
*The students to writed a description and illustration of their personality including likes and dislikes.
*Watch The Spiderwick Chronicles Movie and have the students create a Venn Diagram to list the differences and similiarites between the movie and the books.
*Subsequent titles in this series:
The Seeing Stone. ISBN 9780689859373
The Ironwood Tree. ISBN 9780689859397
The Wrath of Mulgarath. ISBN 9780689859403