The Field Guide: The Spiderwick Chronicles - Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide - Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Pages: 107
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 4th August 2003

Other Titles in the Series: The Seeing Stone, Lucinda’s Secret, The Ironwood Tree, The Wrath of Mulgarath

From Amazon: We are very proud (and a bit wary) to announce the publication of The Spiderwick Chronicles. But beware, the faeries will use all their power to stop you from reading these books. Book 1 of The Spiderwick Chronicles in which Mallory, Simon and Jared get acquainted with their new home but find many unexpected things. It all starts when Jared Grace find their great uncle's book, "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You." and realises that are not alone in their new house. Now the Grace kids want to tell their story but the faeries will do everything to stop them...Its up to you to spread the word about their discovery. But heed their warnings, wear some red, turn your clothes inside out - all anti-faerie devices - and get ready to enter a world that you never knew existed...Its closer than you think!

As an official fan girl of Holly Black’s books, I fully expected to love The Field Guide. I wasn’t disappointed.

This book was very short but filled with Tony DiTerlizzi’s beautiful illustrations that made up for it’s lack of length. They complemented the story perfectly and helped to build a really clear picture of Aunt Lucinda’s house and the Grace children. Their rough and sketchy quality suited the angry Jared and the falling-down, ramshackle house full of mystery.

I loved the house that the Grace family moved into. It’s a house full of history and secrets that you could explore for a week and still have corners left untouched. Aunt Lucinda’s house seems to me to be the type of house that lays hidden deep in the woods and is surrounded by tales of magic and haunting. I’ve always wanted to stay in a place like that and have a huge magical adventure!

Another part of The Field Guide that I really enjoyed was the rhyming riddles, messages and speech of Thimbletack. I revert to being a child when I hear rhymes, for some reason, and repeat them over and over again. I just love the way they sound! I really wish I could make up such clever rhymes.

I really enjoyed The Field Guide and I’m looking forward to reading The Seeing Stone which is the next book in The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Sophie