Book one of THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, THE FIELD GUIDE, introduces readers to the Grace children: Mallory, Simon and Jared. The three have come to live in their Aunt’s falling-apart old home with their mother. Through mysterious clues and exploration of the house, the children stumble upon the hidden library of Arthur Spiderwick. Here they find a strange book that tells of magical creatures living around the estate. Author Holly Black draws upon her childhood of Dungeons & Dragons and fairie stories to make these situations ring true. Along the way, the children upset a boggart living in the house and face the consequences. Again, Black’s experience with “haunted houses” or at least the idea of them, helps make the feeling authentic.

Jared is angry about his dad moving out and was acting out at his old school. When he gets blamed for the boggart’s mischief, students will exclaim over the unfairness of it all. When his mother confronted him, “Jared hung his head. He had no way of making her believe him.” In one class of third grade students, Jared’s situation prompted one boy to speak up about not being able to control his anger.

At the beginning of the first book, Black and DiTerlizzi have a “letter to the reader” explaining how the Grace children’s story is real and that they are merely sharing it with the world. Also included is a copy of the letter the Grace children wrote to the authors. This techniques introduces an element of wonder as students ask themselves and each other if this could be true. A glossy picture of the note Jared finds in the library adds to the mystery. Black gives the characters something unique to set them apart as well as to advance the story. Mallory is a fencer, sure to come in handy in further volumes. Simon is an animal enthusiast, a hobby which may be useful as magical creatures abound. The true-to-life sibling relationships portrayed by the dialogue make the book more believable. For example, Mallory tells her younger brothers, “Just shut up, both of you.” Older siblings will smile and younger siblings will nod in recognition at the dynamic of the Grace children.

In the second book, THE SEEING STONE, Jared and Mallory need to use the field guide to rescue Simon, who has been kidnapped by goblins. The action is compelling and the creatures strange in this next episode. Again, students wonder if this could really be true. In the third grade class, a clipping from an old newspaper (again shown on glossy paper) seals the deal and the belief is complete. In this book, Jared’s character begins to develop as the brave one who can lead them against the creatures in the field guide. As foreshadowed, Mallory uses her fencing skills to their advantage and Simon helps to care for a rather large magical creature.

DiTerlizzi’s illustrations bring the story to life with scenes on every few pages. The abundance of amazingly descriptive drawings help make this series readable and loved by the upper elementary crowd. Children’s Literature reviewer Suzanne Lieurance states that “Short paragraphs and “cliffhanger” chapters make the book especially unintimidating and intriguing for young readers.” Creatures are detailed and disgusting, the Grace children lanky and lithe. The outer covers of the hardback books are beautiful, the paper thick with uneven edges. Students want to hold the book in their hands, to feel and to flip though.

Another wonderful element are the teasers at the end of the books introducing the next mystery. DiTerlizzi draws a few characters, and although not much is said, the readers are hooked. Publisher’s Weekly says that, “Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone.” The third grade class was so enamored that they wrote a short review and submitted it to Barnes and Noble’s Web site. It reads:

Miss Machos's Third Grade, a group of 20 third graders in TX, February 5, 2004,

Coolest Book Ever...It's Freaky!

We are a third grade class at Bedford Heights Elementary. We read this story during storytime. We especially enjoyed the scary parts! It was an excellent mystery book. We voted on our favorite character and we liked Mallory best. We wish there were going to be more than five! We also loved what they found when they explored the house. We thought the pictures from the field guide were awesome! Mallory, Jared, and Simon were much braver than we would have been. We love this book and we recommend that every kid read it!

One student who head these books the previous year tracked down his teacher just to tell her that he had purchased the fifth book. A stirring introduction to the world of fantasy, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES will hook readers on the series and the genre.