This collection includes the following books in The Spiderwick Chronicles:
Book 3—Lucinda's Secret
Things at the Spiderwick estate are getting completely out of hand. If being attacked by a band of marauding goblins and almost eaten by a bridge troll wasn't enough, how Jared is being harassed by Thimbletack, the house boggart, and Simon has a very hungry griffin recuperating in the carriage house. Mallory is convinced that the only way to stop the madness is to chuck the Guide. But that's not an option. With all kinds of creatures after them, the Guide is the only protection the Grace kids have. If they could just figure out why all of Faerie wants the Guide. Only one person can help solve this mystery—their crazy old Aunt Lucinda.
Book 4—The Ironwood Tree
First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a band of elves try to entrap Jared. Why is the entire faerie world so eager to get their hands on Spiderwick's Guide? And will the Grace kids be left alone, now that the Guide has mysteriously disappeared?
At school, someone is running around pretending to be Jared, and it's not Simon. To make matters even worse, now Mallory has disappeared and something foul in the water is killing off all the plants and animals for miles around. Clues point to the old abandoned quarry, just outside of town. Dwarves have taken over an abandoned mine there. And the faerie world's abuzz with the news that a creature with plans to rule the world has offered them a gift to join with him—he's given them a queen.
Containing both LUCINDA'S SECRET and THE IRONWOOD TREE, this latest audio installment relates the Mallory children's further adventures with faerie folk. They learn that their aunt is in a home because her addiction to faerie food drives her nearly mad and also conclude that Arthur Spiderwick may still be alive. When the twins' older sister is been captured by dwarves, they try to rescue her and learn as well about the evil Mulgarath. Mark Hamill may seem an unlikely choice for vocalizing young characters, but he manages a solid performance. His real talent is in his characterizations of fantastic creatures, whom he makes both scary and entertaining. J.M.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
