But Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black owe no one for the intensely absorbing world they've created. Superficially, the Spiderwick Chronicles smack of Lemony Snicket, with its 'true story' setup and breathless warnings ('Go away/close the book/put it down/do not look'). Ages 6-10.The first book in a beautifully produced series of five, The Field Guide sets up the story of the Grace children-13-year-old Mallory and 9-year-old twins Jared and Simon-who with their mother move into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate only to quickly find themselves sucked into a dark and fascinating world of faeries. Youngsters may well find themselves glancing over their shoulders as they eagerly follow the events. Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone (-85937-6), due the same month.

Often in trouble, Jared gets the blame for some odd occurrences (e.g., Mallory awakens to find her hair tied in knots around her headboard, Simon's tadpoles are frozen into ice cubes, etc.).

Here he spies a yellowing riddle in rhyme (reproduced on a glossy insert), which leads him to the attic and ultimately to Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You a handbook to the faerie realm. Jared encounters more mystery when a dumbwaiter carries him to a doorless upstairs library. After Jared hears scuttling inside the walls, Mallory pokes a broom through a kitchen wall and discovers a 'nest' filled with unusual trinkets a doll's head, tiny lead soldiers, bits of tattered fabric plus one of her own fencing medals. The paper-over-board volume opens to a Victorian-style design a full-page, framed pen-and-ink scene appears opposite each chapter opening (with clever headings such as 'In Which There Are Answers, Though Not Necessarily to the Right Questions'). The authors introduce the three Grace siblings 13-year-old Mallory and nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon and their recently divorced mother, who move into their great-aunt's dilapidated Victorian house. This snappy story, the inaugural title in The Spiderwick Chronicles, sets the scene for the next four books planned.

The field guide by tony diterlizzi