Jared, Simon, and Mallory must pit their courage, wits, and ingenuity against the ogre and the various inhabitants of faerie; including goblins, elves, a griffin, dragons, dwarves, a variety of pixies, nixes and spites, and of course Mugarath the ogre if they hope to not only save their lives, but the world itself. Their adventures span the pages of all five books of The Spiderwick Chronicles and author Holly Black and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi have done an amazing job of not only bringing these adventures to life, but making their world very real.
Black's story not only includes adventures among the strange and wondrous creatures from the pages of Arthur Spiderwick's book, but also does a good job of describing the reality the kids deal with in the so called real world. Jared has been having a hard time adjusting to his parent's divorce and is continually losing his temper and getting in trouble at school. Unlike many books of this kind we never forget that our world exists and plays just as important a role in the character's lives as the fantastic one does.
Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrations are so good that it's hard to know how or where to begin when talking about them. Not only do they compliment the story perfectly by bringing all the characters to life, they add an element of wonder and enchantment that stirs the reader's imagination. Equally impressive are his illustrations of the human world, especially those of the children. He is able to capture the children's characteristics and ages with accuracy and charm.
The Spidderwick Chronicles are without a doubt one of the best series of stories that I have read for young readers in a long time. Intelligent, fun, and adventurous they deal with the real world and the fantastical with equal care and attention to detail so we never forget that it's all taking place in our world. I'm happy to say that my prejudices have been dispelled and I no longer believe that only the Brits can write high quality stories for children.
For those wishing to purchase a copy of The Spiderwick Chronicles you can order a copy directly from the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada or an on line retailer like Amazon.ca
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