The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2)

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Summary: Spiderwick Chronicles Part 2
Review: 'The Seeing Stone' is the second book in the Spiderwick Chronicles - continuing from where Book 1 - 'The Field Guide,' left off.

Once again, the three Grace children (Jared, Simon and Mallory) are in danger from the inhabitants of the faerie world. Jared has befriended Thimbletack, their house-boggart - but he warns Jared that unless he hands over Arther Spiderwick's mysterious book, his family are in mortal danger. Jared refuses, and moments later Simon is dragged away by invisible goblins - which can only be seen by mortals through a magical 'Seeing Stone.' Jared and his sister, fencing expert Mallory, set off to rescue their brother - but they are in for a few surprises along the way - including a troll, a friendly hobgoblin and a gigantic griffin.

For those unfamiliar with the series, these 5 little books are a real retro-style treat to the eyes. The quality of the binding is considerable, the stories charming - and the illustrations superlative. If only more children's books were illustrated to this high standard! Each story is divided into seven chapters making it ideal for a week of bedtime stories. The writing style is easily accessible to the young, yet will appeal to all ages. The words have a clarity and simplicity that will not overtax the young reader whilst using an intersting enough vocbulary to appeal to older readers too.

This book is the second in a series of five. The stories revolve around the magical inhabitants of the faerie world - but these faeries are not the twee Enid Blyton variety - neither are they the like the feisty gun-toting elves of the Artemis Fowl books. They are strange, magical, and decidedly dangerous. The Spiderwick story continues with: Book 3 - 'Lucinda's Secret.



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Summary: A nice feature
Review: A good thing about this book is that it includes old pictures and newspaper articles, in which doing so leads you to believe this world of fairies is real.

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Summary: Not Grandma's favorite
Review: Glad I read this before giving it to my grand daughter. A pet cat captured by goblins and roasting over an open fire did not appeal to me and I am sure it would have given her nighmares for weeks. One doesn't have to have a PHD in child development to know that kids do not like stories where animals don't win out in the end. These goblins are also very cruel to an injured griffin - not character traits I wish exemplified in any child.

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Summary: Hurry up with Book 4!
Review: I am in third grade & my entire class loved this book! We just finished the second book and I went and got Lucinda's Secret with my mom. Now, I can't wait to read the next one. Hurry up! Please write faster. The story and the pictures are full of adventures and cool creatures.

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Summary: Too Disturbing
Review: I cannot agree with other reviews calling this "mildly disturbing" and exciting. I enjoyed reading the first book with my 9 year old son and after previewing this book will be voting with my dollars by returning it to the place of purchase. The scenes of the faeries eating household pets and singing about it should disturb all who read it and I'd be concerned if not. Fiction it is but not appropriate for any child.

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Summary: Wonder where the cat went??!!!
Review: I finished the first of the set in 30 minutes and had to get started on the second right away. I liked how the authors let the story pick up right away, like you never left the scene of all the problems. This one was very good, as you can only see the little creatures after a weird looking fairie spits in your eye, or using a particular stone with glass in it. I loved how the children where quick thinkers and dragged the goblins to there doom in the stream. I finished this book in about the same time as the one before. I am positively on pins and needles waiting for the next book. I hope two more come out at the same time. Does anyone know how many are gonna be in this set??

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Summary: The Seeing Stone is Awesome!
Review: I first heard about the Spiderwick books when I was in my third grade class and the teacher read us book 1. I thought how cool the books might be and I started reading them myself. When I read a series I decide which book I like the most. I was deciding about the Spiderwick books and I thought that The Seeing Stone was the most adventurous & exciting and you got to meet a lot of new creatures. I think it's a really good book that everyone should read.

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Summary: I loved the Spiderwick Chronicles
Review: I loved the Spiderwick Chronicles. I read them two times and I am going to read them again. I have read a lot of books and I thought about all the books I could do a book report on when I had to do a diarama project in my class and I chose The Seeing Stone. My diarama was really cool with the swamp troll and bad goblins. This book has really cool pictures.

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Summary: this book is great
Review: I think this book is great. I think this book should receive a silver medal to. In this book bad goblins take away Simon's cat and Jared's brother Simon. Jared and his sister have to go into the woods to find them. Theres a funny good goblin that helps them. This book has really good pictures. I recommend you read this book. It is really good like the first book The Field Guide. I can't wait for the third book.

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Summary: Kid Napped
Review: In book one of The Spiderwick Chronicles, the brownie Thimbletack had warned the Grace kids to destroy their ancestor's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. He told them that as long as it existed it would lead to bad events, but since when have children even listened to wisdom? Sure enough, as Jared is looking out the window of Arthur Spiderwick's study, he sees his brother being assaulted by invisible goblins and forcibly taken into the forest. How will Jared and Mallory be able to save Simon if they can't even see what they're fighting against? Thimbletack reveals that he can lead them to a seeing stone which will allow them to see the unseen. But will the two kids be able to find their brother before he becomes a monster's dinner? And there are worse things than goblins wandering the woods...

This second volume wasn't as interesting to me as the first. The thing that I liked about Volume 1 was the sense of mystery and fear. In volume 2, we get into full-fledged fantasy with goblins and trolls and griffins etc., and the book becomes more of a magical tale than a mystery. It's still a recommended read but I thought the magical beings were better when they were mysterious and invisible.