Thanks to barnesandnoble.com for the image.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, BOOK 4: THE IRONWOOD TREE

SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
AUTHORS: Tony DiTerlizzi (illustrator) and Holly Black (writer)
ISBN: 0-689-85939-2; hardback
114 pp., Text with B&W illos., $9.95

Peculiar things start to happen the moment Jared Grace and his family:  his twin brother, Simon, his older sister, Mallory, and their mother, Helen, move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick.  Practically as soon as those peculiar things start happening, Jared gets the blame for these many out of the ordinary accidents and pranks that occur.  His family even sees him as the culprit behind the strange disappearances of household and personal items.

Then, the children discover a hidden library and a worn old book, “Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You.”  Investigating their new home, the Grace children discover the truth about the Spiderwick estate and the unseen fantastic world around them and the creatures that inhabit it.

As The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book Four of Five: The Ironwood Tree begins, the Grace children haven’t experienced any faerie activity for two weeks, but as they get set to watch Mallory participate in a fencing match, something is about to make its move.  Before long, Jared is in the most trouble he has ever been, and Mallory is spirited away…

THE LOWDOWN:  In The Ironwood Tree, The Spiderwick Chronicles turns much darker as the writer, Holly Black, takes control of the narrative.  Tony DiTerlizzi’s illustrations are still illuminating, but now it is Black’s breezy prose that increases the tension as the young heroes find themselves facing an increasing number of perilous situations.  The Ironwood Tree is a testament to the ability of the DiTerlizzi and Black to alter the pace and mood of the plot in a variety of ways that keep The Spiderwick Chronicles a lively and engaging read.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Although this series is aimed at the “Young Adult” audience, older readers will recall through The Spiderwick Chronicles the joyful reading experience of their first beloved fantasy novel.

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