| Title | : | The Spiderwick Chronicles Box Set (The Spiderwick Chronicles, #1-5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0689040342 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780689040344 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 602 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2004 |
Five captivating books!
One thrilling adventure!
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles Box Set (The Spiderwick Chronicles, #1-5) Reviews
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Obviously I loved re-reading my favorite series of all-time!
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This was a very fun series to read. The books are short (only 100 pages each or so, including pages of beautiful illustrations that add to the overall enjoyment) and each book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so you really need to read the whole series to enjoy it.
Three siblings (twin boys and their older sister) move to a relative's old house with their mom and discover their great-great-uncle's book about goblins, dwarves, brownies, elves, etc. - and these creatures live in the land but are invisible to the naked human eye! They make mischief around the house and the area, and soon the siblings find themselves drawn into a battle in this world because of the book's existence and their possession of it.
The three kids are very easy to like. They're pretty typical, each with their own interest, and occasionally bicker between themselves in an amusing way. I continually wanted to root for them and to discover what they'd get into next. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the illustrations are excellent as well.
The only thing that surprised me about this series was that it's supposed to be for ages 7+ but had a bit of violence in it and the word "crap" was used a number of times. So, if you're planning to read this with kids, just be aware.
Overall, an enjoyable series. The plot was interesting, the characters were good, there were both funny and exciting moments, and the writing was excellent. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie and seeing how it measures up... -
A very charming book
the delightful illustrations only added to the magic
and to the story
a well-made movie with the lovely Irish Sarah Bolger rounded things off nicely.
A truly beautiful edition. -
I really really enjoyed this!
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Cosa non sono le illustrazioni? SONO BELLISSIME!
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Really enjoyed re-reading the series that was one of my favourites as a child.
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this is a good book, more like 4.5 stars.
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4.5 🌟
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2021 review:
I think the time has come these days that you might as well edit books as you read them. There are things I might as well do with technology so a book will be how I wanted it the next time I read it.
It might sound sad to do this, if books are supposed to be new experiences from the author's unique perspective. But there are some books that you might as well change, and this just seemed to be one of them.
That's why at the sixth reading, I made a few tweaks to things I always wished were slightly different. I didn't think the divorce thread added anything and minimized that aspect. I worded some of the dialogue to be more believable, took out filter words and some redundant internal dialogue. I changed some minor details that felt ready to be dated.
I can't say I have any regrets. If I'm going to read it so many times, I might as well. At least it's an interesting experiment instead of just saying what I didn't like in a review.
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2020 review:
There's a fine line between books I hate and books I read many times in a row.
Here are some subtle reasons this series is (at least a little better) than the average library book:
1. The creatures are magical (not "with a twist," "modern spin," or ulterior motive).
2. The art (in most library books the illustrations don't fit with the story, and look painfully like commissions; i.e Septimus Heap. These ones fit because the illustrator was a co-author. And they happen to be very good illustrations).
3. It's about a family. (No tacked on "best friend" or "token sidekick" main characters).
4. They're short. (If a story is going to be straightforward and simple, this is wise). -
It must be hard to be a children's fiction writer in a post-Harry Potter world. So many new fantasy series' seem at once to be grasping for the same level of fandom by using so many of the same devices as the Potter books, and yet at the same time desperately trying to assert their originality. There are a lot of good things to be said for the Spiderwick Chronicles, and I'm looking forward to the movie version's release in a few weeks. But at the same time, there's something kind of hollow about this series. The fact that it is even a series at all seems to scream loudly of desire to become one of those beloved episodic stories that kids wait in line for the release of at midnight, but as far as the story itself goes, the devision into several books is completely unjustified. Each book is full of engaging pictures, and with the type size, it takes only about a half hour to read each one. The cozy box set may fit nicely along side it's more accomplished siblings, but inside the pages where it counts, there just isn't the same strength of heart.
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Συμπαθητικό ,αλλά δεν με ενθουσίασε.
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The Field Guide - 3/5
Simon, Jared and Mallory Grace move in to a creepy Victorian house with their mother after their parents divorce and the three kids get themselves in trouble. After moving in, they discover that something isn't quite right with the house. It's haunted, but not by ghosts. It's haunted by fairies and other classic fantasy creatures from another world.
It's a fun little mystery book with cool fantasy elements and it does a good job setting up the characters and premise at an incredibly fast speed without feeling rushed. The ending shows a lot of promise for the future of the series. My only complaint is that it ended too soon, just when I was about to get into the meat and bones of the fantasy side of things. I enjoyed what little I was given though and I plan on reading the rest of the series.
***
The Seeing Stone - 3/5
Things get weirder and a helluva lot more dark for the Grace kids when Simon gets kidnapped by a pack of bloodthirsty goblins. One thing I really loved about this one is how disturbing the monster designs are. They look like something you would see in a 18+ dark fantasy manga, not a kid friendly adventure story. There were also scenes where the goblins cooked cats alive over a fire while making Simon watch as they planned to cook him alive next. Surprisingly brutal and scary for the age rating and I think I liked this one more than the first for that reason.
The stakes were higher and the monsters were impressive. The Grace kids seem to be growing closer to each other as they find themselves thrown into one nasty situation after the other. As Stranger Things would say, shared trauma brings people together.
***
Lucinda's Secret - 3/5
Simon, Jared and Mallory pay a visit to their aunt Lucinda after learning that she might not be so crazy even though she’s been locked away in an asylum for quite some time. It turns out that she had troubles with mischievous fairies just like the Grace kids and she offer them some guidance on how to confront the problem.
There were some interesting tidbits revealed about Arthur(the author of The Guide) and his history with the fairy world and we got to meet some royal denizens of the realm. It’s the first time hearing the name Mulgarath who might become the main villain at a later point. And as always, the art is fantastic.
Again, my biggest complaint about the book is that it’s way too short and feels choppy because of it. Certain details and plot points don’t have enough time to stick their landing. It wasn't as intense or dark as book 2.
***
The Ironwood Tree - 3/5
Mallory gets kidnapped by mischievous dwarves and gets turned into a parody of Sleeping Beauty. Simon and Jared scheme up a clever plan to get their sister back by offering them a fake copy of Arthur's Guide. During the operation however, the Grace kids finally come face-to-face with Morgarath for the first time and he's a scary and ruthless ogre. Most of the story felt like filler but in such a short book that didn't bother me too much. I'm looking forward to seeing Morgarath in action in the final book.
***
The Wrath of Mulgarath - 3/5
The Grace kids have been tormented by the inhabitants of the fairy world for quite some time now, but when Mulgarath kidnaps their mother, things get personal. The final book was the best in my opinion. It wrapped things up in a neat way and the final confrontation between the Grace kids and Mulgarath resolved a lot of other issues that have been going on since book one such as the rocky relationship between the siblings, the misunderstandings between the Grace kids and their mom as well as the mystery of Arthur and the fairies. The fight scenes were cool, the art was great and things were surprisingly brutal at times. It was a simple and enjoyable fantasy adventure. -
Bij de derde voorleesbeurt uit dit boek, begon mijn zoon "Dit doet me denken aan een film... en dan gebeurt dit, en daarna dat..." waarop mijn dochter "Ja, en dan dat!".
Ik: "Zou het misschien de film van dit boek kunnen zijn?"
Mijn kinderen: (hard nadenkend) ".... Oh ja!"
Conclusie: mijn kinderen kijken veel te veel tv.
Maar goed, dit boek. Ik had het gekozen als afwisseling met Harry Potter (expliciete vraag van mijn dochter), en dit zei me heel vaag iets, dus nam ik het maar mee uit de bib. Mij was het dus helemaal onbekend, ook de film nooit gezien, wat leidde tot de grappige situatie dat mijn kinderen mij niets mochten verklappen terwijl ik hen voorlas.
Wat opvalt is dat het puur qua lengte, taal (en grootte van de letters) duidelijk afgestemd is op een jonger publiek. Al vliegend door de pagina's vraag je je af hoe de auteur hier in godsnaam vijf boeken met elk hun eigen verhaal uit kan krijgen.
Maar zie: hij kan het. Meer nog, ik hield erg van de familieband tussen de twee broers en de zus die hier beschreven wordt, die is zo mooi, ze komen echt voor elkaar op. Ik keek na het voorlezen van het boek ook naar de film tesamen met mijn kinderen, en die is helemaal anders op dat vlak: de kinderen zijn (allemaal) een stuk vervelender, in het bijzonder voor elkaar.
Plezant kinderboek dat echte monsters niet uit de weg gaat: ik vond dit, ook al is het dus echt wel geschreven voor een jong publiek, echt goed meevallen.
(3.5 sterren)
PS: Tips voor goede voorleesboeken mogen jullie altijd met me delen! -
This was such a fun read. I was inspired to read this because of the movie and I’m glad I did. So many details that weren’t in the movie, were in the books. I loved the world that is created, and the creatures. The creativity and imagination and the feel that this is something that can happen in the real world, is a testament to the illustrator and author. Kind of inspired me to create my own world.
‘the world in silver and copper and iron.” Simon crawled to the edge of the cage. “That doesn’t make any sense. What are you going to eat? How are you going to breathe without plants to make oxygen?’ -
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a series that I missed out on as a child but I remember my younger brother had the first few books. I have read the first two a few times previously but never the whole series so I was excited to give them a go.
I sped through them within just a few days; the writing style is easy to get through being that they are written for a younger audience and the illustrations really break up the text nicely. I think that although the books are pretty consistent, there was a dip around the third book but that definitely picked up again. I love all of the magical creatures that are introduced in the series and the illustrations make them feel all the more fantastical.
The only real issue I had with the series is that I feel that the final few pages were a little rushed; the ending seemed a little abrupt to me. However, there is another three books in this world, the Beyond Spiderwick trilogy, and so I can forgive the ending slightly, knowing that there is more to read!
I would highly recommend this to children who like the idea of books such as Harry Potter but aren't old enough yet or anyone who wants a quick children's fantasy series that is action-packed and imaginative. -
so, we're at Lisa & Raul's for Christmas and they've got the recently released movie The Spiderwick Chronicles. They're blown away by the "lore" they've never heard of. None of it is "new" to me, but the movie was good, so I hunted down a copy of the omnibused stories to read...
After Christmas, bought another 2 copies and sent them to Texas and Maryland for my sisters' young-uns to enjoy... -
3.5 stars
I first read the Spiderwick Chronicles when I was quite young; I remember I took the first book camping and was so proud when I actually finished it XD So, because of that, I definitely have fond memories of this series! I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to- the books were super short and I could read them in one sitting. They weren't overly complicated (I mean, it says they're for 7+ on the back of the book XD), but I was still able to enjoy them as a teen!
Likes
The illustrations
The siblings actually got along. It's hard to find that sometimes, especially with younger characters!
They acted like their ages, but were still pretty mature, too
The worldbuilding was simple, but you could tell it was much more complicated than what was described
It was rather unique!
Honestly, I don't really have any dislikes. It's not like this was amazing or anything, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it to younger kids. (Though they do have more violence that I remembered; I think I just have more of an imagination now XD) Overall, I liked this and am not ashamed to say it 😂 -
Dal mio
post sul blog
[...]forse il secondo mi ha presa un po’ meno, mentre il quarto e il quinto mi son piaciuti ancora di più, ma nel complesso è una serie che mi ha proprio fatto piacere leggere.[...]
Una serie in cinque libri perfettamente godibile anche dagli adulti, una storia illustrata magistralmente che chiede a gran voce di essere presente sui vostri scaffali o nelle vostre librerie digitali, un barattolo pieno di lucciole che chiedono di essere liberate per lasciarsi ammirare mentre baluginano nel buio; questo è solo uno degli aspetti di questa storia che mi sento di provare a condividere, per tutti gli altri: ci sono 5 libri che aspettano solo di essere letti.
[Un 4.5 arrotondato per difetto perchè, a volte, sono troppo esigente] -
Υπέροχο βιβλίο για παιδιά (κ για ενήλικες παιδιά). Γιατί όταν ήμουν παιδί δεν μου έφερναν τέτοια βιβλία; Πόσο μου εξάπτουν τη φαντασία; Νεράιδες, ξωτικά τρολς και καλικάτζαροι σε μια μεγάλη έπαυλη που θα γίνει το σπίτι τους και γύρω από αυτή! Οοοολα αυτά τα έβαλαν μέσα σε αυτόν τον κόσμο όχι σε κάποιον άλλον, υπάρχουν στις αυλές μας, στα βουνά, στα δάση! Καταπληκτικό για τα παιδιά!
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Anbefales ved lesetørke! Les boka, se på tegningene, hopp over filmen.
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Uno di quei libri che ti fanno tornare bambino, una lettura proprio apprezzata ♥
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Just plain fun!
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My childhood was shaped by those stories while growing up
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4.5 ⭐
I've seen the film when I was very little and as soon as I saw that I had the books to read I got so excited that all the memories of what I felt watching the film came back. It made me want to read it even more so I picked it up immediately.
I couldn't wait to be a part of this world again, I missed each and every character especially my favourite, Thimbletack 🥺.
It's interesting how all the Grace children are so different from each other but together they make a great team: Mallory with her fencing, Simon with his love for animals and Jared for his drawings and wit. I flicked through it so quickly that I can't wait to watch the film again just to see what are the differences with the books. 🥰 -
Really enjoyed the audiobook 🤩
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Wonderful! This story immerses you into a new world.
I got two other people to buy it... -
Love love love it! One of my favourite books as a kid, it put me back to a magical time. I wish there where more books like this its too good!
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De ouders van Mallory en haar tweelingbroertjes Jared en Simon zijn gescheiden en hun moeder neemt haar drie kinderen vanuit New York mee naar een verlaten huis van hun oudoom Arthur Spiderwick. Het is een oud huis en er gebeuren allemaal vreemde dingen. Dingen verdwijnen en er zijn wat opmerkelijke ongelukjes. Jared krijgt alleen maar de schuld van zijn moeder, maar de kinderen vermoeden dat er iets gaande is in het huis van Spiderwick. Ze gaan op onderzoek uit en vinden het boek van Arthur Spiderwick, wat hun meeneemt naar bijzondere avonturen en het zien van fantastische wezens...
Aangezien ik Holly Black kon interviewen, wilde ik wat meer van haar boeken lezen. Ik had een paar jaar geleden de film gezien van The Spiderwick Chronicles, dus ik wilde dit boek wel lezen. Ik herinnerde me nog weinig van de film, dus ik had niet veel verwachtingen voor het boek. Ik wist wel dat het vol met fantasywezens zou zitten, wat ik altijd wel kan waarderen.
De Spiderwick Chronicles is een luchtig boek wat je heel snel kan uitlezen. Het lettertype is erg groot en de helft van de bladzijdes zit vol met tekeningen zodat je eigenlijk met veel gemak door dit boek gaat. Deze serie bestaat uit 5 delen die bij elkaar zijn gekomen in één boek. Ik gok dat je zeker elk anderhalf uur één boek uit kan lezen, en dan moet je wel een traag leestempo hebben. Het leest dus erg vlot en het is dan ook bedoeld voor een wat jonger publiek. Oudere tieners kunnen dit eerder als tussendoortje lezen.
Het verhaal is leuk om te lezen. Het is lekker kinderlijk en de spanning wordt rustig opgebouwd. Je wordt beetje bij beetje geïntroduceerd in de aparte wezens waar Arthur Spiderwick over heeft geschreven. Je komt langzaamaan in dit magische wereldje!
Wat ik een plus- en minpunt vind, zijn de vele tekeningen in het boek. De tekeningen zijn erg mooi, maar je verbeeldingsvermogen wordt er al veel minder op. Uiteindelijk was ik redelijk lui om bepaalde wezens in mijn hoofd te bedenken, aangezien er toch genoeg tekeningen van ze zijn. Voor beginnende lezers is dit geweldig, maar ik vond de fantasie die je voor dit boek moet gebruiken erg laag, terwijl er juist veel fantasie bij te pas hoort te komen! Mooie tekeningen dus, alleen is het wel een afbreuk voor je leesplezier.
De Spiderwick Chronicles is een leuk boek voor jonger publiek die zich willen wagen aan het Fantasy-genre. Holly Black schrijft op een vlotte manier waardoor je met gemak door dit boek heen komt. Elfen, dwergen, kobolden, je vindt ze hier! De tekeningen zijn daarbij prachtig, maar zorgen wel voor wat minder verbeeldingskracht. Een fijn boek voor tussendoor!
http://nerdygeekyfanboy.blogspot.nl/2... -
I read the entire series in one go during a bout of insomnia. Youth literature is not really my "thing", but I have been reading and re-reading some things lately because of a few children's librarians I know (one in particular, mmm), and I generally like to read books before watching film adaptations. The only problem is nowadays I'm generally not even aware that a film is an adaptation of a book. I guess I should just assume since Hollywood doesn't seem particularly creative in general anymore.
ANYWAY.
I'm not sure exactly what age range this is geared toward, but I loved the matter-of-fact treatment of Faerie (their spelling; I still can't decide which works best). I also thought there was a surprisingly honest treatment of divorce recovery for a family over the course of the five books.
The Grace family (sans Papa) move to Spiderwick Estate after Papa buggers off on them, leaving Helen, the mother, Mallory, the thirteen year old sister, and the nine year old twins, Jared and Simon. Helen, a librarian (!), gets her family into a quaint (read: dangerously decaying) old Victorian house that's in the extended family. She works and does her best to take care of the family. But she isn't perfect. Being a single mother is generally considered one of the most difficult things to do in life. Mallory focuses on her fencing. Simon focuses on his animals. Jared has general, unspecific rage. He reminded me a little of Max from Where the Wild Things Are except the narrative is much more developed and the accompanying pictures, though brilliant, are not the driving force in the storytelling. (In fact, the combination of sketches with the text reminded me of the way they worked in the Larklight series, which I also enjoyed.)
His family tries to cope with his coping mechanism while Faerie moves in on them. Their adventures really aren't escapism, because they didn't ask for a boggart in the house. But what else is a neglected brownie to become? Right?
I think the series could have been combined into one book, so either they were attempting to make more money by splitting it up, or they didn't think they could keep their target audience's attention for a book five times the length of each little book ... anyway, I'm interested to see how it works on film. -
I first read this series when I was in my first year high school. I remembered that every time I went to our school library which is every day, I always find time to get the latest/recent fiction book. I spotted this beautiful book and the Goosebumps series! Yknow, kids. HAHA! And, from then on, I always make it a point to ask if the next book is already available, and so on. I finished this whole damn set for two years because our library wasn't able to get their copies on time.
After seven years, I saw these books again in a book shop near us. I wasn't paying attention to who wrote it when I was younger unlike now, and was surprised that this set was written by one of the most awesome writers, Holly Black, together with Tony DiTerlizzi. I decided to borrow (from a friend of mine who also loves the series) and read this for the nth time on the first week of Jan 2015. Though it took time before finishing it due to having school activities and school requirements, I still pushed my way through each book. The story brings joy to my heart, again and I am still captivated by how the whole series portray love, family, friendship, forgiveness and equality.
You see, books really leave an imprint to our soul. Even though I haven't read the series for a long time, the effect is still there, hidden. And, that's maybe the start of why I love reading fantasy/paranormal genres of books. Btw, I watched the movie and it's not even close to how beautiful the book is.
I will forever love this. <3
