The Ironwood Tree [Paperback]

Tony DiTerlizzi (Author), Holly Black (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster (2004)
• ASIN: B00190M4RW
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars going strong and holding the suspense..., April 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ironwood Tree (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 4) (Hardcover)

Well, I bought it the second day it was released and had it finished, in a few hours. That's the great thing if you have a few hours you've finished the book, that's also the sad thing... now I have to wait for book 5 til Sept.

This series is fun and charming and exciting, regaurdless your age. I teach school and don't always make time for myself. These books are perfect fits into a hectic day and the small amounts of time I save for myself. Since that time is cherished I like making the most of it and Spiderwick books fit into my precious time ... so they have to be good for me, to recommend them.

Grandma's do you want a fun read that is as exciting as Harry Potter, that will impress your grandkids and help them remember your activities, something you can do in a few short hours together. This is it!

Excited Teacher in Nevada

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Up to the Last Two, March 26, 2009

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ironwood Tree (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 4) (Hardcover)

It's been two weeks since anything weird has happened to the Grace family. But all that changes on the day of the Mallory's fencing tournament. While watching from the bleachers, Jared spies someone going through Mallory's bag. Then Mallory disappears. Can Jared and Simon find her?

This is the first book in the series I didn't recognize from the movie. But I can understand why the writers left it out. In many ways, it feels like a retread of book two with the missing sibling angle. About the only thing that happens to advance the overall story happens in the last few pages.

Now this isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the book. The plot moved forward very quickly. Simon finally got a chance to shine here. The final scene was powerful. In fact, parents may want to preview it so they can talk to their kids about it.

Even if this book isn't as strong as some of the others, it is still a good read that kids and fantasy lovers will enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The End Is Near, December 7, 2005

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ironwood Tree (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 4) (Hardcover)

Things have been quiet for the Grace children ever since they tricked a group of nefarious faeries a few weeks ago. But when you're a resident of the Spiderwick Estate, and surrounded by various forms of mythical creatures, things can never stay quiet for long. And they don't. Which is quite evident, when Jared runs into a menacing shape-shifter that has taken on his characteristics, at Mallory's fencing match. But before Simon and Jared can figure out who the shape-shifter truly is, or inform Mallory about the mysterious character, she disappears - kidnapped, apparently. In an attempt to save their sister before something terrible happens to her, Simon and Jared embark on a journey into a local quarry, where they soon end up prisoners of some very strange characters, and find Mallory wearing something very strange...a dress.

With each book in the SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES series that I read, I become a bigger and bigger fan of the Grace children. The marvelous adventures they take part in throughout each installment are enthralling, and keep the reader on the edge of their seat; while the spectacular illustrations serve as eye candy for the detail oriented art-lovers. While each book in the series has featured a mixture of dark and light storylines, THE IRONWOOD TREE features the darkest storyline thus far in the series, yet also includes the most detail of what is going on within the walls of the quarry. Overall, THE IRONWOOD TREE is an enchanting story that cannot be missed by those who have read the previous books in the series, as it sets the pace for the last installment, THE WRATH OF MULGARATH.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper