Tony DiTerlizzi

When a huge, pink, raspberry-loving creature named Ted knocks on his door one day and introduces all sorts of fun activities into his life, the young boy-narrator of this entertaining picture-book finds his loneliness abating. His busy father however, does not believe in Ted, and blames all the mess they create on the boy, getting more and more angry. It is only when it is revealed that Ted was also once friends with the father, who knew him as Ned, that matters between father and son are show more put to rights...

An engaging picture-book about the idea of imaginary (or not) friends, and the relations between fathers and sons, Ted offers quite a satisfying conclusion, one in which father, son and Ted all play a game together. There is something simultaneously heartwarming and humorous in that final scene! The artwork here is classic DiTerlizzi - beautiful, a little bit creepy, and a lot bit amusing. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about imaginary friends and play, or that address feeling neglected and/or misunderstood by one's busy parents. show less

The three Grace siblings, who discovered their great-great uncle's field guide to faeries in the first volume of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and confronted kidnapping goblins in the second, are faced with less-than benevolent elves in this third installment of the series. When Mallory suggests that they should rid themselves of the field guide because possessing it will involve them in too much danger, Jared is almost beside himself with anger and fear. He convinces Mallory and Simon to join show more him in asking the advice of the only other person who understands the significance of the field guide: their great-aunt Lucinda, daughter of the guide's creator, Arthur Spiderwick. But their visit to the psychiatric institution where Aunt Lucy now lives brings its own questions, and new heartache. Did Arthur Spiderwick really abandon his family, as Aunt Lucy believes? Or did something else, something mysterious and magical, happen to him? The children set out to discover the truth when they find one of his old maps, climbing into the hills near the Spiderwick Estate. Here they encounter three majestic elves, led by the stately Lorengorm, and discover that there are good reasons that the creatures of the woods - including a beautiful unicorn - don't trust humans...

Every bit as engaging a book as its predecessors, Lucinda's Secret continues to build on the story of the Grace children, as already set out in the earlier volumes. Although aimed at younger children who are just getting going with longer chapter-book fiction - we shelve it in the '7-9 Fiction' section in the bookstore where I work - there is an intelligence and complexity to this series that sets it apart from some of the other books available for this age-group, and makes it an engaging selection for readers of all ages. I myself found this third installment of the series the best so far, as it drew in a number of back-stories - Aunt Lucinda's knowledge of and interactions with faery, and how this translated into madness, in the eyes of those around her; Jared's feelings of abandonment, and the parallels he draws between his own absent father and Arthur Spiderwick - and connected them in emotionally resonant ways. It's impressive that Holly Black manages to tell so captivating a story - both as a family drama and as a fantastic journey of discovery - in such a brief text. The artwork by Tony DiTerlizzi - like the other volumes, there is a color frontispiece, and then profuse black and white illustrations throughout - is absolutely gorgeous, capturing the appeal, whether domestic or fey, of all the people and creatures depicted, and adding greatly to the pleasures of reading and perusal.

All in all, a strong third entry in a five-volume work of fantasy that is really meant to be read as one story, rather than as a series with discrete individual entries. Recommended to anyone who has read the first two titles in The Spiderwick Chronicles show less

This is the 2nd book in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone, which I did since I haven't yet quite had the time to read book one. I will be, however, since I really enjoyed this read!

Kenny is a rabbit, who's ending his school years and has 12 younger sisters. He's already thought of as something special, since he met his best friend, a dragon, and managed to prove that dragons won't eat everyone they see. Now, that life has settled down, he's off to the fair with his family and show more dragon friend. There he's lucky enough to become the owner of a fix-it-upper automobile...but he has no idea how good it is that he acquires a car, since a new adventure is about to begin.

This book is so cute and fun and adventurous and simply a lovely read! Kenny and his friends are a wonderful bunch, full of warmth and a bit of humor. His mother is careful. His father warns. And his dragon friend speaks so properly and yet, has a lot to learn. Kenny is the perfect rabbit for an adventure.

This book runs at a nice pace, starting out with a few scenes to let the reader sink into the life and characters before taking off in adventure. Its a bit slower than some novels, but still is never boring and definitely holds in the pages. When the adventure starts, there's a bit of tension, a bit of gruffness and a wonderful dab of humor filtered in. It's hard to put the book down, and even harder not to love these characters.

As an extra bonus, illustrations are heavily spread through the pages. These black and white sketches add so much to the fun and life. But then, I'm a huge fan of illustrations in books...and these really are very well done.

Summed up, this is a book I can highly recommend and believe it is a series, which many readers will love. show less

When siblings Jared, Simon and Mallory Grace move to the country with their mother after their parents' divorce, they aren't sure just what to make of their new home. A rambling old Victorian mansion on a large and wooded property somewhere in Pennsylvania, the Spiderwick Estate belongs to their great-aunt Lucinda, reputed to have gone insane, and is slowly falling into disrepair. Jared, known in his family as a trouble-maker ever since he began getting into fights at school, leads his twin show more brother and elder sister in a series of discoveries, as they find their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick's hidden library, and then his field guide to the various species of faery. It is only when the siblings actually meet a faery - Thimbletack the erstwhile boggart, restored to his more benevolent brownie form - that Simon and Mallory are truly convinced that Jared has been telling them the truth...

The first part of a five-volume work that is meant to be read as one long story, rather than as a series with discrete entries, The Field Guide does an excellent job of introducing readers to the three young heroes, briefly but ably capturing their differing personalities and interests. Fierce Mallory with her talent for fencing, dreamy Simon and his love of animals, and emotionally turbulent Jared, with his openness to new discoveries, all emerge as distinct and interesting characters, despite the brevity of the text. Black also succeeds in making the Spiderwick Estate feel like a real place - one the reader will want to visit and explore. A brief chapter-book for young readers just getting going with longer fiction, this is a book that will also interest older children, given the subject matter and presentation. The artwork, done in pen and ink by Tony DiTerlizzi, is just as engaging as the story, with a quirky appeal that reminded me quite a bit of the work of Chris Riddell - high praise, coming from me! Recommended to young fantasy lovers and children (or adults) who believe in faeries - just be sure to have the second volume of the story handy... show less