Lucinda's Secret [Hardcover]

Tony Diterlizzi (Author), Holly Black (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

Things at the Grace residence are getting completely out of hand. As if being attacked by goblins and almost eaten by a bridge troll wasn't enough, now the house boggart, Thimbletack, is out to get Jared. Simon has a very hungry griffon recuperating in the carriage house, and Mallory is convinced that the only way to stop the madness is to get rid of the Guide. But fortunately for Jared, it seems that is not an option. With all kinds of creatures after them, the Guide is the only protection the Grace kids have. If only they could work out why the faeries are stalking them? Could it be the Guide that they want? There's only one person who might know the answer - their crazy old Aunt Lucinda.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Grace kids--13-year-old Mallory and 9-year-old twins Jared and Simon--get to catch their breath in the third installment of the Spiderwick Chronicles, as they visit their "crazy old" Aunt Lucinda for some help in deciding the fate of the troublesome Field Guide

Fresh from near-fatal goblin and troll attacks in the previous book (The Seeing Stone, the children are torn over whether to hang onto their long-lost great-great-uncle's book or to turn it over to the menacing faeries. Thimbletack--the house brownie who's transmogrified into an angry "boggart"--has lost his patience with the kids, and he starts subjecting Jared to increasingly nasty pranks. Hoping that Lucinda might know something about Uncle Arthur's fate (or at least have some advice on how to fend off the faeries), the three children talk their mom into a trip to the asylum for a visit--but there they learn their situation might be even more dangerous than they imagined. (And, as readers of the series know, the kids already thought they were in hot water.)

Holly Black doesn't dish up the action quite as fast as she did in the first two books, but Spiderwick fans won't be disappointed: We learn more Spiderwick family history, we get an ominous glimpse of events to come, and Tony DiTerlizzi introduces a few new faeries to the menagerie in his ever-evocative pen and ink--including a special treat, the Cheshire-esque phooka. ("You've lost your uncle! How careless.") Ages 6 to 10) --Paul Hughes --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-Simon, Mallory, and Jared Grace know that faeries are real-and that they aren't always the charming creatures portrayed in popular fairy tales. Ever since they discovered Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, the Grace family has been surrounded by magical beings with decidedly hostile attitudes. They have a wounded griffin convalescing in the carriage house, a spiteful house boggart playing malicious tricks, and even weirder oddities lurking around practically every corner. Hoping to learn more about the book and its long-vanished author, the kids decide to consult their Great-Aunt Lucy, Arthur's daughter. She has been hospitalized ever since she was attacked by faerie beings who suspected that she knew where her father's book was hidden. She warns that the family will be in grave danger if they remain at Spiderwick Estate. When the siblings find an old map that leads into the elves' secret forest, their aunt's grim prediction seems all too plausible. The story ends with a cliff-hanger, to be continued in book four. There is some background exposition, but familiarity with the plot and character relationships from the earlier volumes is assumed. The black-and-white Arthur Rackhamesque illustrations add a satisfyingly eerie note to this mock-gothic tale, which will be best appreciated by readers who have followed the "Spiderwick Chronicles" from the beginning.
Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606300414
• ISBN-13: 978-0606300414
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,677,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Forth Installment Can't Come Quickly Enough, October 31, 2003

By 

R. M. Fisher "Raye" (New Zealand = Middle Earth!) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3) (Hardcover)

The mysterious tale of the Spiderwick legacy continues in the third installment of the Chronicles, as the twins Jared and Simon Grace and their elder sister Mallory run into more members of the faery world in their ongoing study of great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Faery World.

After moving into the Spiderwick Estate with their divorced mother, the three siblings found the secret library of Arthur, who vanished several years ago, leaving only his comprehensive guide to the faery world that surrounds his home. It is this world that the Grace children are gradually getting to know, and already they have a couple of brownie/boggart and hobgoblin friends and an injured griffin in the barn. But it just so happens that after centuries of abuse and destruction, the faeries aren't so keen on humans learning about their world once more, and so are out to stop them by any means possible. Mallory and Simon are rather keen on ridding themselves of the Guidebook and thereby getting themselves out of trouble, but Jared, who feels the study of faeries is the only thing he's been really good at refuses, and instead suggest visiting great-aunt Lucinda, the daughter of Arthur Spiderwick, who might have some answers to their questions.

From the visit at the old person's home to the discovery of an old map in Arthur's libary, the three children decide to set out and discover what actually happened to Arthur. This leads them to the riddle-speaking Phooka (one of the book's best characters yet!) and the court of the noble, beautiful, but extremely suspicious elves, who are the guardians of the realm of faery, and not at all pleased that humans have breached their domain...

I am loving the Spiderwick Chronicles, and personally can't wait until the next installment "The Ironwood Tree" is published, as it promises even more faeries, including dwarfs! As the poem at the back of "Lucinda's Secret" says: "And beneath the old quarry, just outside of town, lives a king with a kingdom, but who wears the crown?" It is almost cruel that publishers make us wait so long.

To a point, "Lucinda's Secret" was not quite up to the success of the two previous books, as the story was quite clearly split into two: the visit to the nursing home, and the trek into the faery realms. Perhaps if they had found the map earlier, and shown it to Lucinda, the book would have felt more fluid. As such, I'm getting a tad concerned at the outcome of this series - its been established that there's only five books in the series, but so far more and more characters and situations are being introduced, with nothing really getting resolved. On top of the theme of the children inflicting on the secret world of the faeries (a theme I thought was more than enough to carry the series along) there were hints here that a good and evil plot strand is arriving soon, with mention of one Mulgarath the ogre gathering malevolent forces to him. Of course, its rather useless worrying about it yet, but I'd hate to be disappointed in this great series, and the sheer shortness of the books (I read "Lucinda's Secret in half an hour) means that there's a lot of ground to cover in the remaining two books, and I'd hate to see Thimbletack, Hogsqueal, Byron or the Phooka shortchanged in wrapping up the story.

Likewise, the promised "Lucinda's Secret" wasn't so much of a startling revelation than simply a little background to the Spiderwick family and reassurting what the children already know - not much of a secret! However, the faery lore that Holly Black places within the context of the story is truly wonderful - any long time scholars of faeries will delight in seeing the dangers of faery food, the technique of wearing one's clothes worn inside out, the faery use of stray sods and the power imbued in a name put to good use. And Tony DiTerlizzi's illustrations are an absolute delight. The beautifully clear and intricate pictures perfectly capture what the text describes, and creates what I consider the *real* nature of faery - not a silly, pretty little world, but quirky, intricate, and a little dangerous. Any fans of Brian Froud will adore Tony DiTerlizzi's drawings, and I myself almost wept with delight at his depiction of the unicorn - no sweet little pony, but small and stunted, with lion's paws and tail and a goat's beard: exactly how the original unicorns were depicted.

Finally, the presentation of the book is stunning, especially in regard to the way the author creates it as a 'real story', with the children of the story actually writing to the authors with their story (and their letter is included!) The Spiderwick Chronicles are perfect for bringing lore of faery to a new generation, and I can't wait for the next book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spellbound, August 19, 2004

By 

"misscanada" (Langley) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3) (Hardcover)

This book will leave you gasping for air- on account you haven't been able to breathe through the adventures of the Grace kids. It leaves you wanting more. It leaves you with a hint of a mystery. And if you can, do take an hour or two to closely examine the exquisitely detailed pictures that Tony DiTerlizzi has created. If I were to compare this book to Harry Potter, as a better kids book, "Lucinda's Secret" would win.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!, April 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3) (Hardcover)

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