The nixie's song (edition 2007)

My Spiderwick-loving heart was delighted to discover that Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi had teamed up again for another small series set in the Spiderwick world. This trilogy begins with a new family, different from the Grace children in character and personality, but similar in messed up family dynamics. The third person narrator focuses on Nicholas's perspective. He and his older brother Jules and his father have dealt with the death of Nick's mom, but now Nick's dad is moving on; in fact, he has remarried, and Nick is not too happy about having a new stepmother and stepsister. Especially since Laurie, his sister, is his age and completely unlike him. Nick likes to play video games and Laurie is into fairies. He likes his old room and Laurie has taken it. Worst of all, she seems excited about the new marriage, and Nick just wishes that it had never happened.

His dad wants Nick to play nice, though, so he has to join her on her fairy hunt through their new housing development that his dad is building. Laurie owns the Spiderwick Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, and is using information from the book to search for clues to any fairy presence. When Nick finds a four leaf clover (which Laurie told him will give him the Sight) he decides to keep it a secret. He skips out on Laurie because her antics become too far-fetched for him to handle, but later that night, when he sees a body on the lawn, he worries that Laurie may have been hurt in his absence. He dashes outside, only to discover that the body is not Laurie's, and is not even human. It's a water nixie. For help. he has to enlist the only person who has any knowledge about this crazy stuff: his stepsister. Suddenly they are bound together in their secret knowledge. After rescuing Taloa, the water nixie, she entreats them to find her missing sisters. Nick wants to refuse, but that becomes difficult when Taloa summons a wakened giant with her singing. Now Nick and Laurie have no choice but to agree to help Taloa, along with dealing the giant sitting in their backyard.

Once again, Black does a fantastic job of melding together fairy adventures with family problems that are real issues for many children in today's society. The result is tension that impacts not only the plot of the novel, but the characters themselves. I was just as eager to see how Nick and Laurie would resolve some of the issues in their relationship as I was to see how they would fix their giant situation. Also, the family background makes the children more likable, because we can relate to them, we can see where their flaws are coming from, we know that they are good people dealing with some bad history, and we want them to grow past it. I like stories where people rebuild a family structure after life has shattered what they once had; I like the hope and the love that is integral to that process. Since this is the first in a trilogy, I know I'll have to wait until the conclusion of all three books to see significant changes in the family dynamics, but the story rightly starts with Nick and Laurie's relationship, as these two are at the core of the action.

And the action is wonderful, too. The integration of fairy world into a new housing development in Florida is just fun. The author does a good job of making me believe that kids could really find these kind of creatures. The giant looks like a hill to anyone else, and the nixies hide in ponds and lakes and streams, and their songs sound like the chorus of outdoor animals. That is, to people without the sight. Once Nick and Laurie find the secret, their world is transformed. Lucky for the reader, we get the sight along with them, thanks to DiTerlizzi's beautiful drawings that liberally accompany the story. His artwork is fantastic. I am probably using too many positive superlatives, but they are indicators of how much I like this book, and all the Spiderwick entries. I saw on DiTerlizzi's website that he and Holly Black are too busy with other projects to consider any new collaborations, and that makes me sad, because I would be ecstatic to see more stories set in the Spiderwick world. Other children could buy the Field Guide and find fairies, all over the place. The possibilities for ideas are abundant! I hope some day the writers have just as much a desire to create more books as I have to read them. ( )

I didn't like this book as much as the first five in the series, but it's still an enjoyable read. The characters are interesting enough, and the plot is still fun and exciting. Just dark enough to be "scary" for kids (and not boring for adults). There is a cameo by Jared and Simon, sadly Jared seems to have become the jerk everyone thought he was in the first five books. I'll finish the series, but I hope the next two are better. ( )

I really disliked how Jared was portrayed in this book. Immensely. ( )

From the Authors of the New York Times bestselling series “the Spiderwick Chronicles”.

Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles starts with Book One “The Nixie’s Song”. Regular kid Nick and his new wacko step sister Laurie, stumble upon the world of the faerie. While Laurie a devout Spiderwick enthusiast is overjoyed to be brought into this fantastical new reality, Nick is horrified by what he discovers namely an injured Nixie. Nick and Laurie decide to help the injured Nixie, and in the process are drug into a heart stopping race to fulfill a pact with fairy creatures to prevent a giant from destroying their home and killing their family.

In the tradition of the Spiderwick Chronicles “The Nixie’s Song” places regular kids in a fantastical world full of strange creatures and hidden dangers. Where they must be the heroes and protect themselves, and the adult world from the troubles that they alone can see. The action is fast paced and follows unexpected twists and turns. A good read for fans of the Spiderwick Chronicles. ( )

A little creepy at times because the main characters couldn't really trust any of the magical creatures or the people involved. Humorous at other times. I especially liked the breaking of the fourth wall. I am not sure if I liked it better than the orginal Spiderwick Chronicles or about the same. In all, it was a good short story and I will be reading the rest of the new series. ( )