The Nixie's Song (Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1) by Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Nixie's Song (Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1)
Book Review: A huge caveat for parents
Summary: 2 Stars
I read every night to my sons, age 8 and 9. We have been following most of the major fantasy series, like Hiccup Haddock, Araminta Spooky and Spiderwick. Some of these have scatalogical humor and mild epithets that I have to be careful about (Dragon Slayers Academy does not have any offensive language and scant comic book violence, while Moongobble, for younger readers only has 1 or 2 words that bear watching out for). The first Spiderwick series had some complex psychology of anger over a divorce, some capricious behaviour by the faeries, some rather scary death scenes and a very unnecessary mild 4 letter word that appeared with regularity in all the books. I was annoyed and edited it out as I read them aloud; at the time my boys were younger.
The Nixie's Song shares the strengths of the preceding series. It is a beautiful hard cover, perfectly sized for younger readers. Production values are flawless. It is packed with with the marvelous drawings of Tony DiTerlizzi. It is just about the right length, not too long, which I consider a good thing in the age of door stop weight science fiction. The plot is interesting and well handled, as discussed by other reviewers, although I find that the device of the authors inserting themselves into the story to be misguided; as a result a bit of the magic of the first series is missing.
My biggest problem was with a very specific epithet. The main characters encounter Simon Grace about half way through the book and here he is represented as an altogether unpleasant child. He almost gets in a a fight with the chunky protagonist, and then calls him a vulgar name, lard-****** (I am not allowed to print it on the family friendly Amazon site; does that give you a clue?). The curse word even appears as a caption in a picture, redoubling its resonance. And it was so needless! Anything else might have conveyed the same venemous intent to hurt. What was Ms. Black thinking? The recommended age range for these books is 9-12, and they are heavily marketed to even younger readers, what with the upcoming movie and all. I know you can hear worse on the playground, but is this the sort of word you want your 9, 10 or 12 year old repeating? I tried to edit it out, so my 8 year old, who is really reading now, later went back and flipped through the book, and then went to his mother and asked, "Mommy, what's a lard-####?" Thanks a lot Spiderwick.
Caveat emptor. Parents do a read ahead.
Book Review: A1 Quality
Summary: 5 Stars
This seller uses exact descriptions for items, has reasonable prices and very fast shipping. I was very pleased !!!!!!Book Review: Nixie's Song will stay in your head- a giant hit!
Summary: 5 Stars
Di Terlizzi and Black transform a tale of a stepsister and brother that courageously creep through the Florida landscape to uncover mystical creatures into an action filled page- turner. Tony Di Terlizzi's awesome drawings confirm the well-developed characters. I loved the way the authors tied in the 'Spiderwick' legends and characters. Excellent read for kids, and yes adults! This book is already flying off the shelves in my library! 'Nixie's Song' is a treasure to own and add to your collection.Book Review: Faerie heat
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're a fan of Spiderwick
You'll love "The Nixie's Song"
For boys and girls of eight & up
(It isn't very long)
A Nixie needs a little help
She's high and dry on land
Nick and Laurie do their best
But get more than they planned
The faerie down in Florida
Are turning up the heat
A giant's woken in a rage
And now he's on his feet
There's just one thing to calm him down
Or slow him up at least
And that's the thing that's always used
To sooth a savage beast
The children have to find a way
To save the State from burning
Their only hope's a character
From Spiderwick returning
The ending is a bit abrupt
There's more to come, I know
This one may get your boys to read
And leave the Nintendo
Amanda Richards, September 28 2007
Book Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
My son was very excited to get this book. OK, I'll admit it, I like this book and the previous series, too. We're looking forward to the movie coming out in 2008.