The Seeing Stone

Following up on the initial volume of The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Field Guide, this second installment of the series sees Simon kidnapped by the goblins who live in the woods on the Spiderwick estate. Jared, with the aid (more or less) of Thimbletack the brownie, gains a stone that allows him to see the otherwise invisible faeries, and together with Mallory, he sets off to rescue his twin. After escaping the clutches of the the troll living in the nearby creek, they find Simon imprisoned in a tiny cage in the trees above the goblins' camp. In the process of freeing his brother, Jared also liberates Hogsqueal the hobgoblin, whose spittle, when applied to the eyes, gives all three siblings the ability to see the faeries without show more recourse to external aides. After luring the goblin crew to a gruesome end at the hands of the troll, the Grace children free the animals held prisoner, bringing a wounded griffin home for Simon to nurse back to health...

Every bit as engrossing as it predecessor, The Seeing Stone expands upon the initial volume in the series, fleshing out both the relationships between the Grace siblings and the magical world they are slowly discovering. I appreciated the fact that Mallory seems a little more supportive, and a little less aggressive towards her brothers than in the previous volume. Although of a fierce temperament, she clearly loves them. I also liked the fact that although he is seen as the trouble-maker, Jared's brother and sister also rely on him to get them out of trouble, when they come home at an outrageously late hour, and their mother is angry. Having disregarded Thimbletack's warnings about keeping Arthur Spiderwick's field guide in the first book, it was clear that the Grace siblings would encounter some sort of danger or threat from the faery world, and Simon's kidnapping felt like the first volley in an ongoing conflict. Young readers will finish this second installment of the series eager to pick up the third, Lucinda's Secret. I know I did! Recommended to young fantasy readers and faery-lovers, although they should be sure to read the The Field Guide first. show less

The second book in the Spiderwick series brings in fast-paced action along side development in the relationships between the three main siblings of the story. The book opens with Jared returning home from school, in a foul mood. He was in a fight, called to the principal's office, and he knows his mom is going to be very displeased. She is already angry with him because she thinks he was the cause of all the mischief that Thimbletack, the house brownie, raised in the last book. Jared is in no mood to help his brother find a lost cat, and instead decides to immerse himself in the pages of the field guide. Thimbletack pops in to warn him about his folly of finding the book, and then tells Jared that it is too late to listen now. Jared, show more not understanding, looks out the window and sees Simon being attacked and carried off by an invisible foe.

Jared is in a panic, but he listens to Thimbletack and heads to the carriage house instead of immediately following Simon, picking up Mallory along the way. Inside an old box, they find a seeing stone, a round stone with a circle naturally hollowed out of the middle. Seeing stones give people the Sight. When Thimbletack plays some of his faerie games, and tries to test Jared to see if he is worthy of receiving the stone, Jared forces it away from the brownie. He takes a peek through the hole, and sees the creatures that attacked his brother - goblins. He also sees that more are headed for the carriage house. Using the Sight from the stone, Jared gives Mallory directions and she takes the goblins with her fencing rapier. After they have dispatched the band of goblins, Jared and Mallory head into the woods adjoining their property, in search of Simon.

To save their brother, the Grace children have to outwit a troll, befriend a hobgoblin, and devise a plan to rescue Simon from the wooden cages strung from trees above a group of ten goblins. The intrepid children manage to accomplish all three tasks, and even use the malignant troll to their advantage, tricking the goblins to run into his watery lair. The children also acquire the Sight permanently, by letting Hogsqueal the hobgoblin spit in their eye, and rescue a wounded griffin. By the time they manage to make their way back home, they are scratched and bruised and dirty, and their mother is tearful and terrified. She grounds them all, as they have no decent excuse to offer, and they head to their rooms. Everything is tidy and clean, except for Jared's bed, a mess of shredded sheets. The children remember that an angry brownie becomes a boggart, and Jared knows that he has more challenges ahead.

The first book in the series sets up the premise, the characters, and the setting, and does a fantastic job. The entry story also has a Gothic atmosphere, with a spooky house revealing its secrets, and the children laying traps and searching for clues at night. This story, while continuing the same plot and character trajectories, has a completely different feel. This is an adventure quest, not a ghost story, as Jared and Mallory trek through a forest that is both familiar and strange. Everything is more menacing now that they have the sight. The authors made a good decision here. The first book was eerie and wonderful introduction, but we needed then needed proof that the fairies were as dangerous as Thimbletack warned. The second book is the proof. We see three menacing new creatures (goblins, trolls, and griffins), and we also witness the intelligence and bravery of our main characters as they rise to the challenge.

The series continues to explore family dynamics, focusing on the children. Mallory reveals that she can be a caring big sister, and Jared and Simon show that despite their petty quarrels they are very close. All three are willing to risk their lives for the others. With their family unit so recently torn apart, the siblings are relying on each other more and more, and this trend seems likely to continue now that they have an enemy only they can see. Hopefully, this doesn't estrange them from their mom, but based on the scene with her at the end, that seems a likely possibility. The fairy adventure mixed with family drama provides wonderful storytelling, and frequent incorporation of DiTerlizzi's fabulous illustrations only strengthens the experience. This second book solidifies every element of the series, and confirms the potential revealed in the first book. Let the Spiderwick adventure begin. show less

It's rather frustrating that these Spiderwick books are so short. The five book series is more like a single book split into 5 tiny parts to maximize profit. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for these, find them at a yard sale if you can (to give an idea, each book is only about 1 hour in audiobook format).

The story is fun and very simple, great for younger kids (and older 'kids' too). Very simple, but it doesn't try to be anything more.

The audiobook version is fun, Mark Hamill does a great read and lends his fun, mysterious voice well. There are a few times when his vocal inflection is 'off' from the text, but his bizarre voices for the fairy creatures make up for it.

While fun enough, this sequel didn’t feel like it had quite as much depth or story arc as the first book managed to cram into its equally short length.

There wasn’t much set up before this plunged into the adventure of locating a missing sibling, nor was there much exploration of the characters. This does have decent sense of humor and if you’re looking for a quick read with non-stop action, this isn’t a bad choice, I just wished there had been a bit more to the story and character development, and I’m always going to want more Mallory in these books.

In a continuation of book one, Jared, Mallory and Simon live in a big, moderately spooky, old house with their mother, and are settling into the new rythms of a new life. The story opens with Jared getting home from school and immediately retreating from his first detention into the secret library of his Great-Great Uncle, Arthur Spiderwick. While there, Thimbletack the house's resident brownie, reminds Jared that he has set things, large things, in motion by discovering and revealing the book. This is proved when he witnesses his brother kidnapped by goblins from the second story window. He and Mallory must set into the woods to seek out Simon, braving more of the creatures he has read about within the field guide in order to save show more their brother.

If you're sensing a trend here, I support it. And I might have to go make use of another coupon at the bookstore because this series is entirely enjoyable. Again, a short story [beating out book one at 108 pages] which makes it somewhat less intimidating than putting all five in one volume [which, honestly is my preference, but I'm more a experienced reader than a lot of the intended age group may be...]. The style is light and unchanged from the first, carrying the reader through the events of the story with an ease that allows for anyone to pick it up and enjoy [unless you're, I don't know, a hardcore heavy-duty lit fan who doesn't enjoy a book they can't fight with], but still employs enough description and mystery to delve into the fantastic illustrations and their own imaginations to create the world for themselves.

Now, I honestly do not know if the authors intended it to be five novels or if it was supposed to be one, but it works either way; each novel of the series can stand on its own as a short story, but I have a feeling will continue to flow into the next as the first did into the second. Give me a week or so. I might blow more of my hard-earned-retail-slavery cash on these instead of food.

It's really quite likely. show less

This series is really cute and well written for the age group it targets. This second book has Jared and MAllory rescuing Simon from a band of Goblins. They encounter several interesting creatures along the way. The illustrations add to the fun!

These three are short, but they were so woven to be one story, that I'm giving them only one review. They are beyond adorable. I adore them and I want to have them for my kids.

And I love how all the races are done, the words in each of them, and how they connect. And the art! How can I not tell you about the art! Half of the fun of moving on through any of the stories is the art that's everywhere, brightening everything.

I love Mallory, Jared and Simon in their own ways, and I love how completely un-cliche they each are really. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles one day too!