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    The Field Guide
    The Field Guide
    The Field Guide
    Ebook115 pages49 minutes

    The Field Guide

    By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles and get ready for the series soon to be streaming on Roku with this first installment in the adventures of the Grace children featuring an all-new look.

    After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they’ve just moved into, Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory, discover that there’s a magical and maybe dangerous world existing parallel to their own—the world of faerie.

    The Grace children want to share their story, but the faeries will do everything possible to stop them...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
    Release dateMay 7, 2013
    ISBN9781442496194
    Author

    Tony DiTerlizzi

    #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi has been creating children’s books for over twenty years. From fanciful picture books like The Spider & the Fly to chapter book series like the Search for WondLa, DiTerlizzi imbues his stories with a rich imagination. With Holly Black, he created the middle grade series the Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold 20 million copies, been adapted into a feature film, and been translated in over thirty countries. The Norman Rockwell Museum’s exhibition “Never Abandon Imagination” featured artwork from the beginning of DiTerlizzi’s career as a contributing artist for Dungeons & Dragons and broke attendance records. He has been featured in Time magazine and USA TODAY and on CNN, PBS, NPR, the BBC, and the Today show.

    Read more from Tony Di Terlizzi

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    Reviews for The Field Guide

    4/5

    974 ratings60 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I've been meaning to read thes books for a while now and was a little surprised to find how low of a reading level it was. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it I just did not expect it. It was a really nice book. I did have to feel a bit bad for the children and how their mother acted.
    • 3/5
      Three siblings in a house new to them, but ancient, falling down, and seemingly filled inside and out with marvelous other worldly creatures. I think we may revisit this series over the summer or in 3rd grade.
    • 3/5
      The Grace family has just moved into a house that once belonged to Helen Grace's Aunt Lucy, now residing in a mental facility. There are many odd things about the family and even more about the house, as Jared Grace soon discovers. First, there are scrabbling noises in the walls--like a squirrel, maybe...but after finding a nest curiously filled with handless soldiers and a dumbwaiter that carries him up to a room with no door, mysteries abound. Soon the children realize that there is more to this delapidated old house than meets the eye, and perhaps to everything they might find therein as well. I am a huge fan of the movie The Spiderwick Chronicles. I adore it, and not just because Freddie Highmore looks like he's going to be a pretty darn awesome actor if he keeps on the way he is going [though I wish they would try and make more movies with actual twins instead of the weird twin dubbing type thing they do], and definitely not for Nick Nolte [though I have nothing against him]. It is an entirely entertaining movie with lots of fun creatures and well-done graphics. However. I did not know it was book! I suppose the first few times I watched I just never bothered to note the 'based on' line, but hah! I know now, and own the first of the five chronicles. The movie seems to have taken the plot of all five [they are short] novels and churned it into one amalgum [spelling?], toying with certain aspects as they are wont to do. However. Yes, I like howevers today. However, I believe that, from what I read here, they did an excellent job. I won't know for sure until I read the following four [which I plan to do in the quite near future], but I have a good feeling. Anywho, on to the book, which would be the purpose of this blog now, wouldn't it? The book is, as I said, short, ending at a mere 107 pages, and being filled with the quite excellent and appropriate illustrations. Quite simply written, the book is an excellent starter into the thicker and harder chapter books. I am, quite obviously, impressed with the books and will be purchasing the box set most likely [after, of course, finding someone to give book one to].
    • 3/5
      Nice illustrations.
    • 3/5
      Super cute, very quick read. Took me less than an hour :)
      Fun plot and diverse characters. Definitely a fun escape from the heavier reading material I have been consuming of late. DEFINTELY intended for the kiddos but a wonderful dive back into the superbly simple adventures of literature that brought back ALL the nostalgia of summer breaks in elementary school.
    • 5/5
      I dunno maybe it’s good old rustic charm- but a big thank you to the authors in making this book?
    • 5/5
      Such a rewarding reread! I remember when I was reading this as a kid, I already knew it was about faeries from the summary on the back of the book, so I spent most of the book just racing through like "Get to the faeries!" rather than dwelling on the suspense and creepiness. As an adult, the 'there's something inside the house' beats hit a little harder, and I also found myself empathizing with the mom a lot more. She has no reason to believe her sons aren't the ones tormenting their sister or trashing the place! It's really alarming for her! Even knowing what was coming, I was getting goosebumps.

      The illustrations were just as gorgeous as I remembered. Love you Spiderwick Chronicles <333
    • 1/5
      This is completely not working for me. The story is banal. It's your standard something-is-happening-and-no-one-believes kid tale coupled with the standard moving-to-a-new-house material. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend it to a kid. There's a lot here for a kid to love if they've just moved or they're interested in fairies. There isn't anything particularly engaging for an adult mind though.Also, I was disappointed with Mark Hamill's narration. He was a big part of why I grabbed this particular audiobook, but I don't care for his style. He sounds like a parent reading a book to their child. Which is fine if you are indeed a parent reading to your child. The relationship between you and the child adds a layer to the experience. However, I know for a fact that there are some exquisite performers out there reading kids' books (Jim Dale and Bahni Turpin, I'm looking at you), and Mr. Hamill just isn't up to that level as a vocal actor.So I'm DNFing this before the end of book one. I'm not starting my new year forcing myself to listen to something that makes me heave a sigh at the thought of hearing.
    • 3/5
      Three children move to a creepy new home.I wanted to love this, but I just couldn't. It's got all the right ingredients, but there aren't enough of them. It's like someone's invited you to a really good supper, then served you teeny, tiny portions of dishes that vaguely resemble what you feel like but don't really make the grade. And just when you're getting into the groove of the meal, just when you're starting to enjoy yourself after all, it ends.Part of the problem is that the book is so durned short. The story's over as soon as it's begun. The authors do a pretty good job of showing the stages the children go through as they come to accept the new world unfolding around them, and they've done some decent things with the familial issues, but nothing goes deep enough. Ideas are introduced, expounded upon, and finished with in record time. Yes, I realize that it's a children's book, but I don't think that's any sort of excuse. Just look at all the amazing children's lit that's out there right now. This one doesn't really stack up.And WHERE, may I ask, are all the faeries? They're in rather short supply for a book that's marketed as a creepy faerie story.But maybe the next few books add more to the story. I might pick 'em up if I happen to be having a dry couple of weeks, but I can't say as they're a priority right now. I was pretty disappointed with this. I do seem to be in the minority, though, so perhaps it'd be worth reading just to see what you think of it.(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
    • 4/5
      A bit abrupt at the end, but so much better than the Lemony Snicket books I recently read--no downtalking, and real, believable emotions and conflicts!
    • 4/5
      I read it once and loved it, but decided *since it had been a long time since then* to re-read it. Just for fun :D! I so love Jared ^^!
    • 5/5
      Short and simple, but oh so good. The three Grace children perfectly compliment each other, and the descriptions perfectly match the excellent illustrations. There are some very chilling elements to Spiderwick, which is expected since it's Holly Black. But even though I got a few shivers down my spine, I'd still feel comfortable giving this to a younger reader.
    • 3/5
      This is a cute story. I love the art but I think that it sometimes alters the image in my head of the characters... oh well.
    • 4/5
      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 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...
    • 2/5
      It's possible that I would have loved these as a 9-year-old. However, as a 19-year-old, the first book hasn't captured my imagination enough to make me want to read the rest of the series - though I might check out the movie sometime. As another reviewer pointed out, it's a beautifully packaged little book, but it isn't exceptionally well-written.
    • 1/5
      The main characters are Jared, Simon, and Mallory. Jared Is the one that opened the book.The book is about a guy named spiderwick.Spiderwick is the guy that made the book.The book basically says that everything magical is real.They kind of have a little war with trolls.This book to me is not really that good in my opinion.There is just much stuff.The story-line is weird.I think this series is base for a smaller audience.Well it took me one hour to read it.So that probably explains it.
    • 3/5
      The original reason I didn't read this book is because of all how it looked like simply a ripoff of the popularity of Series of Unfortunate Events. However, when the movie came out, I went and saw it and thought the story line was really cool so I decided to finally pick it up (plus I found out one of the coauthors was Holly Black, and I really loved her other books).
      While this book does have some, almost painful in their obviousness, similarities to Unfortunate Events, by the end of this short installment I had fallen in love with the original parts of the story. I also thought that the fact that the book was only 128 pages long might make it easier for younger readers to get through; this is one thing that might, perhaps, make it better then Unfortunate Events.
      As compared to the rest of Black's books, this work is slightly better then some of her attempts flying solo.
    • 5/5
      First of all, I think I should comment on the presentation of this book. I don't normally judge novels based on this but this is a work of art. I'm reading from the hardbacked version and it's certainly a keeper. It looks good on the shelf and is filled with wonderfully imaginative illustrations. I also love the way that it's all laid out to make it seem like a true story, with a photocopy of an original page from the guide book and letter from Holly Black explaining how she came by it. The book would certainly make a wonderful gift for a child and would earn a cherished place in their collect.As for the book itself, I actually enjoyed it far more than I was expecting. The story is very light and quick to read and utterly brimming with imagination. The setting is incredibly memorable and the story certainly kept its target audience in mind, creating a simple premise that was easy to follow and yet maintained an element of mystery up until the final page to hold a pre-teen's interest.The three main characters all had very different voices and so worked very well as a group, with Mallory as the tough older sister, Simon as the sensitive one and Jared as the trouble maker who nobody believed (even when he was telling the truth). I also liked the subplot about their parent's divorce as it added a bit of realism to their world, while at the same time explaining some of Jared's motivations.The only thing that I found disappointing was the length. The book is incredibly short and, as the series is just a five part story, the sceptic in me felt a little like it was so divided in order to wring more money out of the buyer. Yet, I'd say it's still probably worth it in the end - it was a really fun read!
    • 5/5
      Such a cool book!I absolutely loved the illustrations. They really brought the words to life.This book is one of those perfect pieces of literature that, while written for young readers, can be enjoyed by adults as well. This is truly a book for all ages. I have seen the movie adaptation of the series (three times, in fact) but I am still frantic to start the second book to find out what happens next.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 4/5
      As a start to a beginner's fantasy series, it does what it should do, hook the reader. There was only a hint of the magic that was to come here. Mostly, this book provided the background necessary to take this adventure wherever it was going to go. I find Jared, Simon, and Mallory fairly likable. Mallory definitely exhibits that in-charge older sister persona that a lot of children with a bossy older siblings will understand, but she is also tolerable and willing to take chances. The fencing is a bit strange, but maybe that's just my experience in schools.

      I've never seen a school fencing team in anywhere except in movies about fancy boarding schools and English preparatory schools. In my world, fencing is one of those sports that's reserved for Olympic events that get no television coverage and the boring pastimes of the pointless, remaining royal families of the world.

      For the first time in a long time, the mother here is at least present and semi-vigilant. Many times, the first thing a children's fantasy author does is try to find a way to get the parents completely out of the picture, making them non-factors in their children's lives through general negligence or some cruel twist of fate. The mother in this story is present throughout, even a bit of an obstacle for the children when they are involved in their more dangerous endeavors. I appreciate that. Even if she's not winning any mom of the year honors any time soon, at least she is mixed up in their lives.

      The one thing that I find odd is that there are only five books in the original series. This book seemed to hint at a much longer series than five books. The field guide was supposed to be "a big book, an absolutely huge book, too large to even comprehend." To only get a five book series from a work of that magnitude seems a little bit underwhelming. I'd expect a dozen books at the very least to come from a book that large. I wonder if that's what they were thinking when they finished the first book. This kind of left it open-ended for them. Kind of like saying to themselves, "Make as many of these books as you see fit." But they only made five, and the Beyond Spiderwick Trilogy. Interesting. There must be something more to this puzzle that I'm not understanding.
    • 4/5
      Good but the book could have ended later. But I guess that's how money works, ammiright?
    • 3/5
      I reserved this at the library after seeing previews for the movie; from the things I'd heard about it, I'd expected it to be the next Harry Potter. I was surprised when I picked up a tiny little hardback of 100 pages - this is definitely a story for young readers. That didn't stop me from reading it; it's a charming little book that I'd definitely start my future kids on when they're too young to enjoy the depth of the Harry Potter series.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      do not read the review by elliotclark it gives the away the entire story):
    • 5/5
      9
    • 5/5
      very good
    • 3/5
      This was fun. Kind of not necessary if you've seen the movie as not much was changed. In fact, I'd say the movie does a better job of moving along the action as not a lot happens in this first installment of the story. I did have this as an audio book, and Mark Hamill (yes, that Mark Hamill) does a great job with it. Passed the time nicely driving through Tennessee.
    • 3/5
      I've been reading a lot of fiction geared toward younger readers, claiming it's for my job. This series reminds me more of Lemony Snicket than Harry Potter. A very quick read. Good for kids who enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events books and younger Harry Potter readers.
    • 5/5
      I devoured these books when I was younger. They might as well have been fused to my body because they were not just something I read, they were the only things I read. Every elementary school project was somehow made to reference these books. I even made my own field guide once (wish I REALLY wish I still had). I was glad to find, that upon reading the first book again, almost ten years later, I was just as wonderstruck as with the first read. What is amazing about this book - and the series as a whole- is that the authors don't talk down to the reader. I recently discovered that my parents thought I was slow when in elementary school, which is comical when compared to my current stature. But the reason they thought this is because I was so damn stubborn that I would not do any work if I felt condescended or did not see the point. Which basically amounted to me coasting until middle school, which is when I decided I would start working, and brought back straight A's all three years. The point to that little anecdote is that these books provided me with that place to feel mature. To feel powerful and how an escape to be considered intelligent. The fantastical world is consuming. At one point I remember hiding the books in my closet at night because I was afraid the bad monsters would get me for reading them. The world the authors create is suspenseful, intriguing, and incredibly scary. They don't shy away from scaring young children, and that is a huge part of why I respected and loved (and still do) these books so much. This first installment takes place when the Grace family moves into the home previously occupied by their great Aunt Lucinda. Lucinda is currently residing in a mental hospital, after claiming the existence of numerous magical creatures. After a series of strange occurrences, one of the Grace twins finds a field guide by Arthur Spiderwick, chronicling all he knows about the magical world around him. This book sets off a series of misfortunes and life-threatening events. Owning the book puts them in great danger, but now that they have it, there is no safe way to get rid of it. Apart from the lovely writing style, this book is adorned with beautiful gothic style drawings. Some are full color, others are black and white, but all of them are equally gorgous. Each is taken from a specific line in the chapter, and they really add to the story experience. If you didn't read this book as a child, you definitely should pick it up. It took me only about an hour to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      Loved the Movie. Just got around to reading the books. 'The Field Guide' was only okay in my opinion. It's the first in the five book series. The pace was up and down. Not sure how I feel about the characters yet. But, I'm hoping the story gets better with each book.

    Book preview

    The Field Guide - Tony DiTerlizzi

    Cover: The Field Guide, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

    The Spiderwick Chronicles

    Book No. 1

    The Field Guide

    DiTerlizzi and Black

    The Field Guide, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, S&S Books for Young Readers

    Jared looked around the room.

    Map of the Spiderwick Estate and Surrounding Areas

    For my grandmother, Melvina, who said I should write a book just like this one and to whom I replied that I never would

    —H. B.

    For Arthur Rackham, may you continue to inspire others as you have me

    —T. D.

    Table of Contents

    LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

    LETTER FROM HOLLY BLACK

    LETTER FROM THE GRACE KIDS

    MAP OF THE SPIDERWICK ESTATE

    CHAPTER ONE: IN WHICH

    THE GRACE CHILDREN GET ACQUAINTED WITH THEIR NEW HOME

    CHAPTER TWO: IN WHICH

    TWO WALLS ARE EXPLORED BY VASTLY DIFFERENT METHODS

    CHAPTER THREE: IN WHICH

    THERE ARE MANY RIDDLES

    CHAPTER FOUR: IN WHICH

    THERE ARE ANSWERS, ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY TO THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

    CHAPTER FIVE: IN WHICH

    JARED READS A BOOK AND SETS A TRAP

    CHAPTER SIX: IN WHICH

    THEY FIND UNEXPECTED THINGS IN THE ICEBOX

    CHAPTER SEVEN: IN WHICH

    THE FATE OF THE MICE IS DISCOVERED

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    List of Full-Page Illustrations

    JARED LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM

    MAP OF THE SPIDERWICK ESTATE AND SURROUNDING AREAS

    IT WAS MORE LIKE A DOZEN SHACKS

    MOM?

    THE CREAK STARTLED HIM INTO JERKING UPRIGHT

    I’M GOING TO KNOCK OPEN THE WALL

    THE DUMBWAITER BEGAN TO MOVE

    JARED WASN’T SURE WHERE HE WAS

    JARED LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM

    WHAT ARE YOU?

    JUST CHOP IT

    UP AND UP AND UP AGAIN

    THE STRANGEST THING

    HE JUST WANTED TO KEEP READING

    LOOK AT THIS

    FROM THE FIELD GUIDE

    EVERYTHING WAS QUIET

    THE KITCHEN WAS A MESS

    MOM, I DIDN’T DO IT

    THERE WERE OTHER STRANGE THINGS

    MALLORY, NO!

    IT’S SO COOL IN HERE

    ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL

    THROW THE BOOK AWAY

    Dear Reader,

    Over the years that Tony and I have been friends, we’ve shared the same childhood fascination with faeries. We did not realize the importance of that bond or how it might be tested.

    One day Tony and I—along with several other authors—were doing a signing at a large bookstore. When the signing was over, we lingered, helping to stack books and chatting, until a clerk approached us. He said that there had been a letter left for us. When I inquired which one of us, we were surprised by his answer.

    Both of you, he said.

    The letter was exactly as reproduced on the following page. Tony spent a long time just staring at the photocopy that came with it. Then, in a hushed voice, he wondered aloud about the remainder of the manuscript. We hurriedly wrote a note, tucked it back into the envelope, and asked the clerk to deliver it to the Grace children.

    Not long after, a package arrived on my doorstep, bound in red ribbon. A few days after that, three children rang the bell and told me this story.

    What has happened since is hard to describe. Tony and I have been plunged into a world we never quite believed in. We now see that faeries are far more than childhood stories. There is an invisible world around us and we hope that you, dear reader, will open your eyes to it.

    HOLLY BLACK

    Dear Mrs. Black and Mr. DiTerlizzi:

    I know that a lot of

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