A Giant Problem: Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2

There are giants, they are destroying the new housing development that Nick's father has built....but how to solve the problem of the giants, who unbeknownst to Nick, Laurie & Jules, actually have a purpose....

Another tale of the Spiderwick Chronicles, cleverly written and enjoyable to read.

I am enchanted with the Spiderwick books. This second book in the Beyond Spiderwick trilogy continues the whimsy and fun. Nick and Laurie are still adjusting to life with faeries. They haven't found Taloa's nixie sisters, and they're taking lessons from Jack on how to kill giants, and Nick isn't liking any of it. He wishes he had never seen the field guide; he wishes it was someone else's problem. Unfortunately, the problem is only going to worsen, as every giant is waking up all over Florida. Nick feels hopeless while Laurie is optimistic, but they both agree that they can't do it on their own. Deciding who to tell is a challenge - clearly not their parents, whose fights are escalating. When Laurie tells Jules in a sneaky fashion, Nick is irate, but at least now they're not alone. The three Vargas children have to figure out how to work with unfriendly mermaids, handle their parent's anger, and stop an army of giants from destroying their homes.These fantasies where they blend the fantastic into a real world setting are some of my favorites. Much like the Harry Potter books, both Spiderwick series center on regular children who discover that there is much more to their world than they originally suspected. The field guide allows them to see a universe others don't: a place where mermaids threaten surfers, rumbling thunder is actually the noise of giant's fighting, and nixies live in a lake by the new development. The blend of faerie creatures into our homes and streets and forests makes the reader feel like she might stumble upon magic in the most mundane of places. It reminds me of a lot of my imaginative play when I was a girl. Nick and Laurie are compelling children that have big hearts and childish vices. They are definitely not perfect, and that is what makes us root for them more. They come from a troubled family, and much like the Grace children from the first series, they have to learn how to form a new family even as they confront supernatural threats to their existence. I read this book in two days, and would have finished faster if I didn't have a family of my own to care for. The story combines wonderful creativity, realistic family tension, problems that are completely normal for a child living in America today and problems that are out of this world, a well developed plot and setting, and great illustrations. I feel my review doesn't do it justice, so I will end with the simple summary that I had a fabulous time in the reading of it, and am excited to conclude this trilogy.

This is the second book in the follow-up to the Spiderwick Chronicles; Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles. I liked it better than the first book. I began to emphathize with the characters a bit more. It was much more interesting than the first book. Unlike the first book, this book left the story in a decent place. The main point of the book is wrapped up, yet there is a little catch at the end that leads you to the third book. The book is well-written and the drawings are again excellent. Still it is a very short book. I am not sure why these are split up into such short stories, maybe it's to make them more approacable to children?In this book Nick and Laurie try to tackle the Giant problem in the area. With the help of Noseeum Jack can they rid the area of the giant problem before the whole area goes up in flames?A pretty good book. I am looking forward to the last book in the trilogy. The way things are coming together that should be the best of the series.

Continuing on from the first book in the trilogy, this book involves the problem of giants in the area. More people learn about the secret world around them and help to find a way to save their town.

For some reason I'm not getting into this new series as much as the first one. Maybe I'm still having an issue with the set up of these tales. The main stars of the first series make a surprise appearance at the end pointing to what could potentially be quite the ruckus for the third and final book. I'll just have to wait and see!

The Giant Problem is a good book, but not as good as the first Spiderwick series. It's about three kids who fight giants, but at the end they find out that they need the giants to quell a danger that is even bigger. It is full of action and very successful. I recommend this book for any age. You will love it. When I was reading it, I was a little scared because the kids were being chased by a bunch of giants. This made me love the book.