Title: The Spiderwick Chronicles – The Seeing Stone
Authors/Illustrators: Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 2003
Number of Pages:108
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fantasy
Summary
Jared is already getting in trouble again and at the beginning of book two has to stay after school. When he gets home his twin brother Simon’s cat has gone missing. Simon goes out to look for him as Jared sneaks upstairs inside the closet to get to Arthur Spiderwick’s secret library. As Jared is wandering through the library he looks out the window to see Simon kicking and being dragged by invisible beings. Thimbletack can see them and says they are goblins. Jared has to find a way to see the creatures so he can get his brother back. Jared has to steal the seeing stone, a round stone with a hole through the middle, in order to see the goblins. Thimbletack puts up a fight before Jared can get the stone from him. Jared and Mallory head out into the yard and Jared has to tell where to stab at the goblins with her rapier in order to get past them. They head into the forest and come to a stream. Mallory decides to wade across but takes a few steps and is completely submerged by water. A troll comes out of the water but just in the knick of time the two escape but without their swords. Jared and Mallory continue onward until they come upon the goblin camp. They first saw Simon’s cat being turned on a stick over a fire and lots of cages in the air. One of the cages contains Hogsqueal who blackmails Jared to free him first or he’ll alert the goblins below. Hogsqueal spits into a handkerchief and tells Jared to rub it in his eyes. This gives Jared the sight to see all the magical creatures without using the stone. Once Simon is out and they are about to leave Simon sees a wounded griffin and decides they need to rescue it. Hogsqueal makes a diversion for them but the goblins see the kids and start to chase them. The kids lead all the goblins to the stream and into the watery lair of the Troll. Before Simon will go home he insists they go back for the griffin and let the other animals that were caged out. The kids carry the griffin back to the house. All the kids have to make up a story to explain why they were all scratched up, wet, bruised and had articles of clothes missing. Their mom grounded them for the rest of the month.
Recommendation
I think that kids who want a quick adventure would love this book. Of course they would need to read the first book in order to follow this one. These are not books that can be read out of order.
Problems/Conflict
I recently watched the movie and there were quite a few things left out and I find the book far more enchanting. The creatures are pretty gruesome and some of the pictures are gross. Hopefully kids don’t get nightmares about these creatures.
My Reaction
After reading the first one I really wanted to continue the adventure and I really enjoyed how fast-paced book two was. It was primarily action now that the whole story had been introduced in book one. I plan to read the others over the break if I have time. Love how imaginative all of the creatures and some of their names are.
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