Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 1/21/2008
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG), a motion picture based on Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s best-selling fantasy series of the same name (S & S, 2003-2004), scheduled for release on February 14. The screenplay pulls plot elements from all five of the original books.
Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) and her three kids leave New York City and move to a secluded, run-down mansion that Helen’s great-uncle, Arthur Spiderwick, has left to her. Jared is hesitant about the experience, but his twin brother Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore) and his older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger) are willing to give it a try. When mysterious things begin to happen, Jared gets the blame, and he explores the house to find out what’s really going on. He discovers a dusty old volume, penned by Arthur Spiderwick, describing fantastical creatures that supposedly inhabit the estate and can only be viewed with a Seeing Stone. Jared and his siblings forget their differences when they become embroiled in an adventure that involves all sorts of faerie species—both helpful and harmful.
The movie’s Web site, www.spiderwickchronicles.com, offers a plot preview, film clips, and more. Kids can click on a “Field Guide” icon to access information about various creatures and drag a Seeing Stone across the screen to reveal otherwise hidden images.
Movie Tie-Ins
Simon & Schuster has released a line of colorful companion books. Illustrated with full-color film stills, The Movie Storybook (PreS-Gr 4) retells the plot and provides enticing glimpses at the computer-generated characters. In Beware the Boggart! (K-Gr 4), Jared Grace gives the scoop on “fantastical creatures” and offers tips on defending yourself against them. The scrapbook layout is appealing, but many of the included movie photos are slightly blurry. Two “Level 3” beginning readers (Gr 1-3) provide snapshots of the plot from different perspectives: Thimbletack’s Mission describes events from the viewpoint of the brownie that inhabits the Spiderwick mansion; Jared’s older sister offers a first-person retelling in Mallory on Guard. Unfortunately, in both volumes, some of the movie stills are washed out and grainy.
Readers who like behind-the-scenes details will enjoy The Official Movie Companion (K-Gr 4), which provides interesting tidbits about the film’s planning stages, cast and crew, special effects, and more. Clear full-color movie stills and candid photos illustrate the inviting text.
Time to Check the Shelves
If your copies of “The Spiderwick Chronicles” (Gr 2-5) have magically disappeared, you should think about restocking. Simon & Schuster has published new editions of the books, each sporting an appealing full-color dust jacket featuring an image from the movie. However, purists shouldn’t despair; the hardbound covers and interior content remain true to the originals. There is also a reissue of Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (S & S, 2005), with a dust jacket that makes the volume look just like the one shown in the film. Fans of both the print and motion picture versions will enjoy paging through this opus and pouring over the detailed descriptions and gorgeous illustrations of the faerie creatures.
If you still have money to spend and a crowd of Spiderwick enthusiasts to please, consider purchasing DiTerlizzi and Black’s A Grand Tour of the Enchanted World, Navigated by Thimbletack (not a move tie-in). This scrapbook-like volume, culled from the authors’ previous works, introduces human characters and faerie creatures through a dynamic assemblage of text and images, including newspaper clippings, notebook entries, illustrations done in different media, and collages of photographed objects. Be forewarned, though the pages are sturdy, this fun-to-browse volume has fold-outs and removable pieces.
Pub Info
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Movie Tie-Ins
FRAZER, Rebecca. Thimbletack’s Mission. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4949-7
KILPATRICK. Irene. Beware the Boggart!: Jared Grace’s Guide to Defense against Fantastical Creatures. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4946-6.
LINDNER, Brooke. Mallory on Guard. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4948-0.
WAX, Wendy. The Official Movie Companion. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5092-9.
WEST, Tracey, adapt. The Movie Storybook. Tr $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-4947-3.
ea vol: S & S/Simon Spotlight. Jan. 2008
DITERLIZZI, Tony & Holly Black. Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. S & S. Jan. 2008. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-6095-9.
_____. A Grand Tour of the Enchanted World, Navigated by Thimbletack. S & S. 2007. Tr $21.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5038-7.
_____. The Spiderwick Chronicles: Movie Tie-in Edition.
Bk 1: The Field Guide. ISBN 978-1-4169-5017-2.
Bk 2: The Seeing Stone. ISBN 978-1-4169-5018-9.
Bk 3: Lucinda’s Secret. ISBN 978-1-4169-5019-6.
Bk 4: The Ironwood Tree. ISBN 978-1-4169-5020-2.
Bk 5: The Wrath of Mulgarath. ISBN 978-1-4169-5021-9.
ea vol: S & S. Tr $10.99. Jan. 2008.
Movie Tie-in Box Set: $49.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5016-5.
