Customer Reviews

Lucinda's Secret: AND The Ironwood Tree

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These wouldn't be so bad if the publishing company hadn't completely tried to cash in on the Harry Potter craze with the marketing and covers of these books. My kids dig these but not with the burning passion they (and I) reserve for the H.P. books. A nice diversion until the next H.P. book comes out, but probably forgettable in the long run.

I must admit I am addicted to these books, read three of them in 2 days and will more than likely reread the whole series again and again. Some books are like a bottle of Gatorade that you just chug back, some like a nice cup of tea that you sip, and some like a fine wine that you savour slowly. Right now I am drinking these books back because I need to know what happens next. But I know I will go back and drink them in slowly like a big mug of Irish Breakfast tea on my second reading. Black and DiTerlizzi have written a wonderful series that I can highly recommend. Their books are very enjoyable, and much like the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, will be enjoyed by both the young and young at heart!

In this book the Grace children, Malory, and the twins Jared and Simon, visit their Great Aunt Lucinda and discover that even though she is committed she is not really crazy. In this book we also meet more creatures from the other world, and find out that many different beings want Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, and they all seem malevolent to some extent. We also discover that something lost for more than 70 years might really be close at hand. And Thimbletack does not appear, but signs of his mischief abound. In this book we meet a unicorn, fairies, and elves. It is another wonderful book in an awesome series.

They may have dealt with the whole goblin disaster for the moment, but the problems are not over for the kids of the Spiderwick Chronicles. Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's "Lucinda's Secret" provides a little back history to this brief series, as well as expanding the world of the fairies AND introducing the elusive Great Aunt Lucinda. Also: spooky wood elves.

A fight breaks out among the siblings -- Mallory wants to destroy the Guide, Jared wants to keep it, and Simon is sort of in the middle. To find out more about the fairies and the Guide, the kids go to visit their Great-Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick, and she's more than happy to fill them in on some of the backstory of the fairies and the Guide.

But things go wrong the moment they go home. Thimbletack has stolen the Guide, and while searching for it the kids discover a map of the nearby areas -- which turn out to have dangerous, mesmerizing fairy creatures lurking there. To get what they want, they will have to find the elves who dwell in the forest... but the elves might be just as dangerous as all the other creatures.

The "Spiderwick Chronicles" seems to have an unseen checklist of supernatural creatures to go through -- and in "Lucinda's Secret" we've got phookas and forest elves that are elegant, eerie and very dangerous. What's more, Black and DiTerlizzi unveil some new surprises for their audiences, including a major villain that is presumably going to loom large in the rest of the series.

As usual, Black's prose is a delicate shadowed thing, draped lightly in leaves and filled with sparkling moments ("The fruit smelled of fresh grass and honey, and was enclosed in a papery skin, but underneath Jared could see the red flesh"). And DiTerlizzi's old-fasioned ink drawings have the right mixture of delicacy and otherworldliness to match Black's work.

The twins seem to be a bit more attuned to the fairy world in this book, and are figuring out the loopholes to slip through. Mallory is a bossy pain, though her care for the gryphon Byron and the unicorn is rather touching. The most fascinating character is undoubtedly Great Aunt Lucinda, an aged lady who has spent most of her life seeing (and sometimes being tormented by) faerie creatures, and can't even eat human food any longer.

"Lucinda's Secret" introduces some new supernatural creatures and new plot twists to the Spiderwick Chronicles -- it's a bit short on plot, but a nice middle volume.

By now you have figured out that the Spiderwick Chronicles are actually one story split over several books much as the Tolkien story is not a trilogy but a one story split over three books.

In the last book we see that the children made up a lame excuse for their foray into the magical world around them.

Now they wonder why the Field Guide is of interest to every one and go to Aunt Lucinda for answers. As you recall Aunt Lucinda is in the Nut house, oops, rest home for eccentrics. They get more than they planned on.

We follow them as they discover the mystery of the missing Arthur Spiderwick. The adventure has a sort of Alice feel.

Be he alive or be he dead

They think they know

Which way Arthur fled.

In The Seeing Stone, Jared made Thimbletack very angry when he lost his temper and stole the seeing stone from him. Poor Jared with his temper - it's always getting him into trouble. His temper has the family in discomfort now, as Thimbletack has gone from being a friendly brownie to a menacing boggart once more. Mallory believes that everything ties back directly to the book, and she counsels firmly that they get rid of it, but Jared will have nothing of it! He claims the book as his own.

But the overriding question still exists: why do faerie creatures want this book? The all decide that the best person to ask is Aunt Lucinda, even though she's been rooted off to a looney bin. They decide to visit her, and indeed learn a great deal (and this is another scene where the authors flex their creative muscles, showing why - regardless of any comparisons to L.S. - they're in a league of their own), but also discover, much to everyone's dismay (and Jared's anger - he blames Mallory and is ready to fight her!) that Arthur Spiderwick's book is GONE.

They then find a note instructing them to bring the book to a certain location, but before reaching that location run into a Phooka who says things to them that, while seemingly senseless riddles, are most assuredly not. If the reader is careful and listens to what the Phooka says, and to what the Elves say when they meet them (for it was Elves who left the note, asking for the book), they will see a potentially most exciting development.

Once again, a marvelous read, with brilliant illustrations. I'm very glad that I'm reading these books back to back, for they're absolutely delightful reads. (Disappointing, though, that I'll have to wait a few months for the final book!)

Lucinda's Secret is the 3rd book in a series of 5. Jared, Simon, and, Mallory Grace want to go see their Great Aunt Lucinda in some sort of old people's mental hospital/ nursing home. Lucinda begins a story abouther missing father, Auther Spiderwick, The Feild Guide, and different faries. Real food tastes like ashes and Aunt Lucinda can't eat infront of people - they would learn her secret.

Jared prepares to show her the feild guide ,but it's not there! When Jared unwraps it, he finds a book called Microwave Magic.

While searching the library the three Grace children find old maps. They decide to go to an old meeting spot.
"It's really old. What could happen?" Jared assked.
"Famous last words. We'll go, but the second things get wierd we're leaving," Mallory replied.

On the way they meet a strange creature. He begins to talk what is seemingly nonsense. "Most don't make it this far - or this near," and, "You lost your uncle? How careless, but I hear humans live longer in captivity than in the wild." After reading this book several times I began to understand the creatures rants.

This is another remarkable peice of work from Tony Ditterlizi and Holly Black. When you read this book you find that you can't wait to read The Ironwood Tree.

This was by far the best of the Spidewick Chronicles. Less action, to be sure, but the backstory is very important here as it is in The Series of Unfortunate Events. Though not as entertaining as the latter, it introduces us to some very interesting characters.

Aunt Lucinda made this book for me. Had she not been here, I would hace given up on the series entirely. Maybe I just have a strange love of eccentrics in books, but she was awesome.

That said, since I can't remember the plot of the book very well, the action was not very memorable. Still, it was a good read for the hour it took to read the book.

After reading the other two, how could I help but rush ahead and read book 3 in this charming fantastical series. Once again the children are off on a magical adventure in search of the myteries surrounding their ancient home. I am continually delighted by the drawings accompaning each of these books. The artwork brings the words to life in such brillance, each mystical moment being captured for the delight of the reader. Quick read.

I loved these books! They were so much fun! It was so exciting and it kept you on the edge of your seat.

...can be found in this truly entertaining children's book. This is a quick and easy read for even the most stubborn of readers. I thourougly enjoyed it and can't wait for the next book. I am intrigued and entertained by the Grace children and their meetings with the "mythical" creatures.
The creatures may be myth to most, but the Grace children know the truth.
The illustrations are gorgeous and descriptive. You don't need any descriptions with Holly Black's wonderful writing, but Tony Di Terlizzi just makes this book more amazing than it already does.
All children should be able to have books like this available for them.