The Field Guide (Spiderwick Chronicles) (Hardcover)

The three main characters are the children of the Grace family, Jared, Simon and Mallory, who move into a dilapidated mansion, and stumble upon a world of magical folk.

With the aid of the Field Guide of the title, which Jared discovers after solving a riddle he finds in a secret room, they begin their adventures in the faerie world, realizing that they have just glimpsed the tip of the fantasy iceberg.

Though not a challenging read for older folk, this book provides good groundwork for future forays into the world of Narnia, Lemony Snicket and Artemis Fowl, though not necessarily in that order.

Magically lure your 6 to 10 year olds into the world of fantasy - get them The Spiderwick Chronicles today.

Amanda Richards

The writing has a clarity that will suit young readers whilst not being overly simple for slightly older readers. The vocabulary is good, but not off-putting for those still feeling their way through books alone. Pages are small - less than half the amount of words per page found in a standard children's book, enabling younger readers to really feel that they're progressing.

Each book is divided into 7 chapters - making it ideal for a week of bedtime stories. Furthermore, what really makes these little books special is the stunning quality of the line illustrations. The artist dedicates his work to Arthur Rackham - and it is clear that Rackham has been his inspiration. There is hardly a double-page-spread without some little picture and there are plenty of highly detailed full page illustrations too - yet again making it perfect for bedtime reading.

Although the style of the books is intentionally retro, the story is anything but. The plot of the first book: 'The Field Guide' revolves around the three Grace children; nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon, and their older sister Mallory. They move into their Great Aunt Lucinda's derelict house - and soon discover that it is not quite as empty as they thought. While trying to trace the source of the mysterious noises within the walls, Jared discovers a strange hidden room in which he finds an old hand-written book belonging to his long-lost Uncle, Arthur Spiderwick, which contains the terrible truth about the faerie world. Once he opens it, his life will never be the same again.

This book is the first in a series of five. Although the stories revolve around the magical inhabitants of the faerie world - don't assume that these books are just for girls. Jared, the main character, is very much a boy - into fighting, getting expelled from school and generally being difficult! Even the faeries are not the twee Enid Blyton variety - neither are they the like the feisty gun-toting elves of the Artemis Fowl books. No, they seem much more realistic: Strange, magical, slightly dangerous and determined to stop at nothing to protect their world and reclaim Arthur Spiderwick's powerful book. Subsequent stories include a whole menagerie of mystical beasts, including: goblins, griffins, unicorns, boggarts, ogres, dwarves and elves. The Spiderwick story continues with: Book 2 - 'The Seeing Stone'