The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1: The Field Guide
My best friend Ashley got this book out of our school library and said I soooooooo had to read it. I took it and looked at it and it was like the littlest book I ever seen! But we like same books so I took it home and wow, she was right!!
The story is all about these three kids, Mallory, Simon and Jared. Who are brothers and sister and move into the old run down house after their father leaves their mom. Mallory is the oldest, she is kinda like me, a tomboy dad calls it. She likes Fenching and sports, Simon is the next oldest; he collects insects and loves animals. He is the most happiest about moving because now he can have more room for his pets. (and more pets!) Jared is the youngest, he is the most shy and tends to read and be by himself more. He also got into trouble at his old school, but it sounds to me like it wasn’t his fault.
Almost immediately weird things start happening, and it begins with something scratching inside the walls and scurrying all over the house. Simon wants to find out what it is because he thinks it’s a squirrel, and he’s the pet lover in the group. Jared tends to be the one who fights because he hasn’t quite adjusted to the idea of Dad leaving. Mallory is interested in fencing (with swords, not wooden barriers around yards!).
Together, they begin their investigation and quickly find a dumbwaiter inside the wall that leads up to a secret room with no doors. The room is filled with books — and it also has a threatening note (written in rhyme) that tells them they should all leave. Of course, the kids have nowhere to go and they’re not going to just walk away from a puzzle.
The story continues to get more creepy and intense (Mallory wakes up with her hair tied in knots to her bed and Simon gets beaten black and blue). Worst of all, Mom blames Jared for everything, and his brother and sister aren’t sure that he didn’t do it. (i didnt get that part. why she would blame him for that stuff.)
This first book deals with them exploring the house, find this way cool old book, and finding out what the scratching is. Is it a squirel or something else?? You’ll just have to read to see. hehe.
What I liked best about this book was how they figured out what was going on and what they needed to do to stop it. it was a puzzel, the rhyme and I love puzzels. I also liked the pictures in the book and the map. it heped me picture things better.
What I’ll always remember about the book is the old house. Sounds like there are many many rooms still left to explore and all kinds of adventures yet. ( read all of these and yeps, LOTS of adventures.) We have a house down by where i go to school thats one 200 years old. And the people that own it added on to it a lot, more rooms, a sun room in back, a balcony all kinds of things. Its now HUUUUUGE!! So now after reading these books it makes me think of wow wouldn’t be cool to live there and explore that place?
I don’t want to tell you what they find making the scratching noise in the walls. That would spoil it.
If you looking for a short book to read that’s really good, then check these out!! They are 107 pages so it won’t take long. but they are very good!!!
Sometimes something small is best! Like me!
See you guys later. Get to reading!!
The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book One) Written by Holly Black, Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (May 2003)
ISBN-10: 0689859368
ISBN-13: 978-0689859366
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
