Warning to cat lovers

books:


	• The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2) Holly Black Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2003 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 64 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Book two just as fun

The Spiderwick Chronicles continue one afternoon just after school when Simon Grace, while looking for his missing cat at the edge of the yard of the dilapidated estate is dragged into the woods by unseen captors. Jared and Mallory race off in pursuit with a new talisman that allows them to see the fairy creatures they've learned about in the field guide. You'll meet more mythical creatures like trolls, goblins, and hobgoblins (there is a difference) and enjoy more of this clever little tale and Tony DiTerlizzi's wonderful pen and ink drawings. I just wish I'd bought the whole boxed set! I have to wait until pay day to order the next volume; or maybe I should just order them all!

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Warning to cat lovers

The Seeing Stone, like its predecessor, is a very short book. It took me roughly 20 minutes to start and finish this book. For younger readers, this is pretty ideal since many children are intimidated by longer books. Unfortunately, I thought the drawings of a cat roasting over a fire, along with mention of eating cats, kittens, and various other small creatures, to be more than a little disturbing. My family loves cats, and even though there's nothing very graphic in this book, both of my children (10 and 12) felt upset about the drawings and descriptions.

Otherwise, my kids enjoy these quick-read books.

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Goblins Awakening

The characters in the story are three kids Mallory, Simon, and Jared. They moved into a new house, that was their aunt's old house. The story builds up with each book because there are five books. At the end of each book, it begins a new book which is my favorite; it makes me want to read more. This book is a fun fantasy book for nine years old and up. One of the creatures in this book is a Goblin and it's army takes Simon. Jared and Mallory go out to find him.On the way, Jared finds a stone that lets him see the magical creatures. When they go and save him they find another goblin, the goblin spits in Jared's eye and lets him see the magical creature without the stone. I would recommend this book to others because if you start reading the book, it opens your mind and makes you want to read.If you really want to read this book, you need to start from the beginning of the book. It will also be a good idea to see the new movie and compaire the book to the movie. I love it when they make books into movies becausethey are completely different, like the characters personalities. The illistrations in the book helped you see the pictures in your mind. They are very detailed and also make you want to read more. The characters have their strengths. By reading the books you can tell that Mallory is the strong one in the family with her fencing. Jared is the adventure type. That is how they found the guide in the first book. Simon on the other hand is the scardie cat in the family. Im not sure if i would read another book because they were too easy.

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Good but too short

The second installment of the 'Spiderwick Chronicles' is again very good.
It has an engaging story, good characters and interesting ideas, as well as excellent illustrations. Probably deserving of four stars, but it's just too short. I really don't see the need to separate the story into five small books. I can see if they were catering to very young readers, but with a storyline involving family pets being roasted and eaten by goblins the target audience has to be 9-12 year olds not 5-8 year olds.
Anyways well worth reading, but the series probably needs to be read all at once- at least for adult readers

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Good but Scary

Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace are still adjusting to their new life after their parents' divorce. Not only do they have to adjust to a new school (Jared especially is having a hard time with this) but they are living in a house and area inhabited not only by humans but hobgoblins, trolls, fairies, and griffins. When Simon's cat disappears he goes looking for it and soon he also disappears. Jared and Mallory set off to help Simon, but they'll need some help in order to find him in time.

"The Seeing Stone" is the sequel to The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1) and is the second book in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series and for the most part it is pretty good fun. Children will love the fantasy elements of the goblins, trolls, fairies, griffins, etc. especially the rhyming Thimbletack. The Seeing Stone (which helps them see the Goblins) is a nice addition to the series and authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black invent a funny if somewhat gross way for the children to see the goblins without the seeing stone. What kept me from entirely enjoying the book is that I felt some of the scarier moments were a bit too scary for young children. I found the goblins especially bothersome with their cages full of kidnap victims. And the hint of what might have happened to Simon's cat may be traumatic for younger children.

"The Seeing Stone" is a good fantasy but parents may want to read it first to make sure their children can handle it.

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