Product Description: Talk about out of the frying pan, into the fire! I was pretty sure that my freaky stepsister and that freaky field guide of hers would ruin my life. But now it looks like they're going to ruin all of Florida, too! Okay, maybe that's not fair. Maybe all these stupid giants would be waking up anyway, but if it wasn't for her and that book, I'd be home playing video games and this would be someone else's giant problem!
The giants are revolting (yes, they certainly are) Down in the Florida swamps lies a giant problem. No, make that several giant problems. The fire-breathing giants are beginning to wake up, and only people with "the sight" can see them.
When the giants lay waste to an entire housing development project, it's high time for the giant slaying team to do something about it.
Unfortunately, the giant slaying team is made up of an old blind man, a chubby youth named Nick, his stepsister Laurie, his older brother Jules, and Jules' girlfriend Cindy.
Continuing the adventure from book one, The Nixie's Song, this episode pushes the envelope trying to cram too many things into one little book. You also get the impression that the author was in a bit of a hurry, as there are loose ends, continuity problems and far too many coincidences.
A quick read, and as usual, beautifully illustrated, but certainly not in the league of the original Spiderwick Chronicles. On the bright side, the ending of the book indicates that there's lots of excitement to come. Get this if you've already read The Nixie's Song, and hope that the next one will be better.
Amanda Richards, October 4, 2008
A Giant Leap Ahead I loved the original SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. I devoured the whole set of five books within the same day. At the end of THE WRATH OF MULGARATH, Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi had hinted that there might be more to the Spiderwick story, and that definitely made me excited. A GIANT PROBLEM is now book two in the new BEYOND THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES series, and I must say that it's taken until this book to really make me enjoy these further adventures.
The story picks up immediately from book number one, and I had to go glance back through THE NIXIE'S SONG to remember different plot details. Pretty much, Nick and Laurie are off on further adventures to stop the coming onslaught of giants destroying by fire the whole of the state of Florida. A daunting task for two kids and a blind old man named Noseeum Jack. I had been hoping all along through the first book and in beginning this second one that the story would grow beyond stopping giants from randomly destroying things. Yes, the problem seemed large, but just not enough for me -- especially after the original five books. That's why I was pleasantly surprised and chilled to come to the twist ending of A GIANT PROBLEM. It took the whole series to a new height, and I am extremely excited to get my hands on book number three, which I won't even tell the title of since it holds a bit of the secret.
The writing is as usual superb, and the illustrations dazzling in that throwback style that DiTerlizzi is so brilliant at. Just looking at his drawings sucks the reader into another world. My only complaint is that I had to wait so long for book number two. I really hope that we don't have to wait another year before the final installment.
Grandson's Books The continuing saga and just as good as the original Spiderwick series. We always sign up as soon as these series are available for our grandson, who loves them. Since we originally were stationed in Florida, we miss it and this book also captures the essence of the way Florida used to be. This is another excellent book for young people, so much better than other currently available series for this age. My wife and I enjoy it too.
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