Rating:  Summary: Sneaky Review: 'Lucinda's Secret' is the third book in the Spiderwick Chronicles - continuing from where Book 2 -'The Seeing Stone' left off.
The Grace children are in more danger than ever. Thimbletack their house-boggart has fallen out with nine year-old-Jared because he refuses to give him Arthur Spiderwick's old book containing the truth about the invisible faerie world - only now, it isn't invisible to the Grace kids any longer. A hobgoblin spat in their eyes, giving them 'the sight,' and now they see magical creatures that are invisible to their mother and everyone else. This is perhaps as well, as Jared's twin brother Simon is looking after an enormous injured griffin!
The old house that the Grace family live in belongs to their Great Aunt Lucinda - locked away in an insane asylum for refusing food and claiming she is fed by faeries. Jared realizes that their mad relative isn't perhaps as insane as people think - so he, Simon and Mallory visit her, to ask her advice about what they should do with the Field Guide. But when they return home they are in for an unpleasant surprise. This time their adventure involves a phooka, a unicorn and some beautiful yet sinister elves.
These little books are like something from a bygone era. The writing is a delight - but it is the illustrations that make them truly special. They are amply illustrated with fabulous 'Arthur Rackham' style pictures that will delight children from 8 to 80.
This book is the third in a series of five - about the strange, magical, and decidedly dangerous inhabitants of the invisible faerie world that surrounds us. The Spiderwick Chronicles continue with: Book 4 - 'The Ironwood Tree.'
Rating:  Summary: Faeries, Griffins and other "Mythical" Creatures... Review: ...can be found in this truly entertaining children's book. This is a quick and easy read for even the most stubborn of readers. I thourougly enjoyed it and can't wait for the next book. I am intrigued and entertained by the Grace children and their meetings with the "mythical" creatures. The creatures may be myth to most, but the Grace children know the truth. The illustrations are gorgeous and descriptive. You don't need any descriptions with Holly Black's wonderful writing, but Tony Di Terlizzi just makes this book more amazing than it already does. All children should be able to have books like this available for them.
Rating:  Summary: Anxious to continue the saga Review: After reading the other two, how could I help but rush ahead and read book 3 in this charming fantastical series. Once again the children are off on a magical adventure in search of the myteries surrounding their ancient home. I am continually delighted by the drawings accompaning each of these books. The artwork brings the words to life in such brillance, each mystical moment being captured for the delight of the reader. Quick read.
Rating:  Summary: The children meet Aunt Lucy, Review: By now you have figured out that the Spiderwick Chronicles are actually one story split over several books much as the Tolkien story is not a trilogy but a one story split over three books.
In the last book we see that the children made up a lame excuse for their foray into the magical world around them.
Now they wonder why the Field Guide is of interest to every one and go to Aunt Lucinda for answers. As you recall Aunt Lucinda is in the Nut house, oops, rest home for eccentrics. They get more than they planned on.
We follow them as they discover the mystery of the missing Arthur Spiderwick. The adventure has a sort of Alice feel.
Be he alive or be he dead
They think they know
Which way Arthur fled.
Rating:  Summary: ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Review: I loved these books! They were so much fun! It was so exciting and it kept you on the edge of your seat.
Rating:  Summary: They've done it again, funer then Harry! Review: I read this book in two reads, ok so it's suppose to be a children's series, that doesn't keep adults from reading Harry Potter, now does it. This is a fun quick series, I like that you could read them in a few doctors visits... heck take all the kids to the dentist and finish this great story while you wait! Not all classics and books worth reading need to be 3" thick! Alot of ground is covered and the imagination is delighted! Now if we could just get the authors to write faster and WHY is there only going to be two more books, boo-hoo! Waiting on #4 already! Excited Teacher!
Rating:  Summary: In Which a Most Exciting Foreshadowing Occurs Review: In The Seeing Stone, Jared made Thimbletack very angry when he lost his temper and stole the seeing stone from him. Poor Jared with his temper - it's always getting him into trouble. His temper has the family in discomfort now, as Thimbletack has gone from being a friendly brownie to a menacing boggart once more. Mallory believes that everything ties back directly to the book, and she counsels firmly that they get rid of it, but Jared will have nothing of it! He claims the book as his own.But the overriding question still exists: why do faerie creatures want this book? The all decide that the best person to ask is Aunt Lucinda, even though she's been rooted off to a looney bin. They decide to visit her, and indeed learn a great deal (and this is another scene where the authors flex their creative muscles, showing why - regardless of any comparisons to L.S. - they're in a league of their own), but also discover, much to everyone's dismay (and Jared's anger - he blames Mallory and is ready to fight her!) that Arthur Spiderwick's book is GONE. They then find a note instructing them to bring the book to a certain location, but before reaching that location run into a Phooka who says things to them that, while seemingly senseless riddles, are most assuredly not. If the reader is careful and listens to what the Phooka says, and to what the Elves say when they meet them (for it was Elves who left the note, asking for the book), they will see a potentially most exciting development. Once again, a marvelous read, with brilliant illustrations. I'm very glad that I'm reading these books back to back, for they're absolutely delightful reads. (Disappointing, though, that I'll have to wait a few months for the final book!)
Rating:  Summary: In Which a Secret is Missing Review: Lucinda's Secret is the 3rd book in a series of 5. Jared, Simon, and, Mallory Grace want to go see their Great Aunt Lucinda in some sort of old people's mental hospital/ nursing home. Lucinda begins a story abouther missing father, Auther Spiderwick, The Feild Guide, and different faries. Real food tastes like ashes and Aunt Lucinda can't eat infront of people - they would learn her secret. Jared prepares to show her the feild guide ,but it's not there! When Jared unwraps it, he finds a book called Microwave Magic. While searching the library the three Grace children find old maps. They decide to go to an old meeting spot. "It's really old. What could happen?" Jared assked. "Famous last words. We'll go, but the second things get wierd we're leaving," Mallory replied. On the way they meet a strange creature. He begins to talk what is seemingly nonsense. "Most don't make it this far - or this near," and, "You lost your uncle? How careless, but I hear humans live longer in captivity than in the wild." After reading this book several times I began to understand the creatures rants. This is another remarkable peice of work from Tony Ditterlizi and Holly Black. When you read this book you find that you can't wait to read The Ironwood Tree.
Rating:  Summary: A verse of warning, if you want to see morning Review: Lucinda's Secret's book three of the five
Put clothing on backwards, wear red to survive
When feeding a griffin, be sure to add meat
The water is burning - it used to be sweet
Beware of the boggart, who's trying to steal
Arthur Spiderwick's Guide, the trophy ideal
It's up to the children if faerie to look
"We really must get rid of that stupid book!"
Great Aunt Lucinda will not eat her food
The hospital thinks she's strange and quite rude
She's living on faerie food, red as a rose
It's highly addictive as everyone knows.
When goblins attack, you've the option to run
Or follow the map into lands with no sun
Beware of the Phooka, a shape shifting beast
Its riddles annoy, but he's harmless at least
Lorengorm, Leaf-Horn and Green-Eyes, all elves
Also want Spiderwick's guide for themselves
A maiden and a unicorn meet in a glade
She's shaken, but still somehow quite unafraid.
A clever switch tactic helps a twin to stay free
From an eternal trap in the land of Faerie
That's it in a nutshell, the story to date
There's two more to come, but you'll just have to wait
This review is nearly as long as the story
I'll close it off now, in the midst of its glory
Remember these words and you might save your skin
"The more you know, the more danger you're in"
Amanda Richards, October 30, 2004
Rating:  Summary: Lucinda's Secret (Book 3) Review: Mallory, Jared, and Simon are back again, this time uncovering more secrets to the world of Faerie.
They go to meet their Aunt Lucinda in a hospital, and discover things about Arthur Spiderwick (the man in the painting). The Field Guide has mysteriously disappeared. More interesting creatures are showing themselves (Sprites, Elves, Unicorns, and the odd Phooka). A map is discovered and the children decide to take a journey, to try and find answers about their Uncle.
I don't want to give anything else away, but these books just get better and better. They are so vivid, and the world of Faerie becomes more "dark". The 3rd book is still as long as the others (about 108 pages of reading), but it's still fantastic. The illustrations are amazing, and they really help you to feel what this "world" is about.
I am looking forward to reading the 4th book, and I recommend THIS book to everyone. Make sure you read the first 2 though, because each book dives in from where the last book left off.
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