Robots and Vamps

Congrats to Brenda

Winner of  signed copies of both Big Fun! and Wet Friend!  and a custom Meno blanket!

Thanks to all those who entered!

Every night before bed Bean (our daughter) and I read a story. Sometimes I read to her and sometimes she reads to me. Together, we read a lot of books this way. Here at RaV for Kids we will review our favorite books. And you will get a chance to hear what a kid actually thinks about the story, straight from the Bean’s mouth. Please let us know if you have any recommendations for us.

Reviewed by Christel

Disclosure: These books were received from a publicity firm along with some swag for the youngling.

The Bean received these two books about a space elf named Meno and his adventures when visiting the human race. Along with the two books, she received some pins and a fan, which she thought were quite cool.

Then Bean & I dived right in and found these books to be an easy read. As a matter of fact, she read them to me. Twice. Meno and his friends Yamagoo and Wishi are quite the adventurers. From figuring out what they are going to have for breakfast to finding a pet that can live in Meno’s happy fun bowl, they work together to figure out the solution.

Bean really enjoyed these books and thought Meno was cute. There is a “pronounce menu” and a “Meno-Speak” glossary in the back of each book to help explain just what Meno is talking about. Meno speak needs to be translated into English for us grown ups to understand, but I think the kids understand it right away.

The pictures are bright and colorful. There is a bit of humor for us adults. Bean could not figure out why I was laughing hysterically at an animated picture of David Hasselhoff. Of course, the book was a little on the pedestrian side for me, but this book wasn’t made for someone in my age bracket, now was it? What really matters is what the Bean thought, so here you go. Straight from the Bean’s mouth…

Bean says: Hello Friends, please read these books. Yamagoo was so funny! I like that I can read these books myself. There is a Meno Theme Song in the back of Book One which I was able to play on the piano all by myself. It sounds like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I want to read more Meno Books.

So there you have it. A thumbs up from the Bean.

Meno’s website: Planet Meno

Every night before bed Bean (our daughter) and I read a story. Sometimes I read to her and sometimes she reads to me. Together, we read a lot of books this way. Here at RaV for Kids we will review our favorite books. And you will get a chance to hear what a kid actually thinks about the story, straight from the Bean’s mouth.  Please let us know if you have any recommendations for us.

Reviewed by Christel & Bean

Book 1 – The Field Guide

Mallory, Simon and Jared Grace are moving. Their new home is a rundown old house on the Spiderwick Estate that is owned by their Great-Aunt Lucinda. Lucinda has been put into an institution and their parents are getting a divorce, so they relocate from the city with their mother to the abandoned property. Unhappy about the entire situation, the kids try to settle into their new home, in a new town, and a new school. Adjusting to a new home is tough enough, but when Jared proclaims that he hears something moving around in the walls, things start to get a little strange.

While searching for “the thing in the walls” Jared stumbles upon a secret room, the study of Arthur Spiderwick. In the study, inside of a chest and wrapped in a cloth, Jared finds Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World around you. The Field Guide helps the Grace kids find out what exactly that thing is that is living in thier walls and how to make it stop causing mischief. Only problem with that is as soon as they meet Thimbletack (the thing in the walls) he offers them a very serious warning.

“Arthur Spiderwick’s book is not for your kind. Too much about Fey for a mortal to find. All who have kept it have come to harm. Be it through violence or through charm. Throw the book away, toss it in a fire. If you do not heed, you will draw their ire.”

Book 2 – The Seeing Stone

Mallory, the eldest, is an accomplished fencer. Simon and Jared are twins, with Simon being quite possibly a future veterinarian and Jared… well, Jared is a bit of a trouble maker. So when Jared tries to tell his mother about some of the fantastical things happening around them, she doesn’t really believe him.  Simon’s cat is lost, and when he ventures outside to find it, he is attacked by an invisible foe who drags him off into the woods. All Jared can do is helplessly watch from the window in Arthur Spiderwick’s secret study. Since no-one will believe him, he takes it upon himself to find his brother.

Jared has only one problem. How does one find an invisible foe? The Guide tells of many different types of Fae folk that live all around us, only we cannot see them. There are a few ways to get “the sight” but most are not viable options for Jared. Having red hair, being the seventh son of a seventh son, or faerie bath water… all of which are not true of Jared, and where does one find Fairy bath water anyway?  Only with Thimbletack’s help does Jared find a way to see the Fae. The item he needs is called a seeing stone. The stone is round with a hole in the middle, kind of shaped like a donut. Thimbletack gives Jared an eyepiece that Arthur designed to hold such a stone. Now that Jared is armed with “the sight” he and Mallory set out into the woods to find their brother. On their way they meet some very odd creatures, a troll, a griffin, some nasty goblins, and one hobgoblin named Hogsqeal. Turns out there is one other way to get “the sight”, by letting a hobgoblin spit in your eye. Ewwww.

Book 3 – Lucinda’s Secret

Simon is home safe and taking care of the injured Griffin they rescued on their trek into the woods. Despite many warnings from Thimbletack, Jared is still in possession of the guide and there is dissention among the children as to whether or not they should keep it. With no resolution in sight, they decide to visit their Great-Aunt Lucinda to get some answers. And answers they get.

Aunt Lucinda tells them of her father, Arthur Spiderwick and of the Fairies she met as a young child. Years ago, her father disappeared and she doesn’t know why. She also introduces them of the magical fairies that bring her nourishment, even now. You see, once you try fairy food, you never want to eat anything else.

Now the guide is missing and the children are trying to find it and find out what happened to their great-great uncle. After another search of his secret study, the Grace children find several maps of the estate and surrounding areas. Arthur made notes on the maps and one of them was a notation about a meeting that took place on the day he disappeared. The children set out to discover what became of Arthur. On their way the meet something called a Phooka (a shape-shifter) and the Elves. The elves want the the Guide and so do the goblins. Everyone wants what Jared has (or had) and they are willing to fight for it.

Book 4 – The Ironwood Tree

Despite all of the odd things happening on the Spiderwick estate, real life comes calling. Mallory has a fencing tournament, and the whole family goes to the gymnasium to watch. Of course Jared finds trouble when he spots a shape-shifting creature and while his mother is trying to deal with the trouble he gets himself into, Mallory goes missing. But there is a clue for the twins, Mallory’s fencing medal is laid next to a rock from the quarry that reads “trade”. Simon… Jared…. Meet the dwarves.

The Dwarf King Korting plans to use Mallory to barter for The Guide under Mulgaraths instruction. Only, as usual, the Grace children find a way to outsmart the dwarves and escape from the quarry. As they are making their escape, they see Mulgarath (the Ogre who rules over all goblins) leaving the Quarry with dwarf made weapons and an unknown prisoner who seems to be very familiar. They witness a horrible treachery and decide to run home and finally fill their mom in on the war that is going on all around them.

Book 5 – The Wrath of Mulgarath

Jared, Simon and Mallory rush home to tell their mother what is going on, only to find the house disheveled and their mother missing. Byron the Griffin, is up on the roof trying to get a goblin who was left behind in the mele’ and Thimbletack is found sitting on the remains of a stool chanting, “All my fault, All my fault”. Turns out, the prisoner at the quarry who seemed so familiar, was their mother.

Desperate to save their mother, Jared heads to the meadow to bargain with the elves. He beseeches the elves to let him meet with Arthur and ask him about the creatures he did not read about in The Guide. He needs help to defeat Mulgarath, his goblins and his dragon. Jared gets several tips from Arthur before Mallory and Simon show up. Together the 3 siblings ride off on the back of their Griffin, to save their mother and retrieve the guide from Mulgarath’s evil clutches.

What I liked:

These books are wonderful. They are full of beautiful illustrations that really brought the story to life. We had a wonderful time reading about the Grace children and their adventure. The books are short enough that you can easily read a chapter or two each night and finish in less than a week. The story was entertaining and imaginative, a good way to introduce a child to fantasy. There was never any boredom while reading these books, they really hold a child’s attention.  As a matter of fact, we both couldn’t wait to read more of the story and find out what happened next.

What I didn’t like:

Not much. There is some name calling and a bit of violence, but that really doesn’t bother me. We use these parts of the stories to discuss right from wrong and how one should behave. These books are geared toward children ages 7 and up. So reading it to a 5 year old may have been a bit premature, but my child handled it well and absolutely loved these books!

Spiderwick the movie – rated PG:

We liked the books so much that we jumped at the chance to see the story on the big screen. Bean was so very excited! So to my surprise, when the movie was over she was down right angry! She was upset that the story she so loved was changed. We tried to explain to her that stories have to change when they are adapted to the big screen, but she would have none of it. The scene where Simon is captured by the goblins seemed more violent than in the books and the major battle scene at the end of the story was completely different. But mostly she was bothered by Mulgarath. She informed us that he was just too different from the book. Tough critic, this one…

Christel’s Last word:

So here is what I say, if you have to choose, skip the movie and read the books. The books tell a better story and have fantastic illustrations that help the reader imagine this wonderful world of the Fae. I would also recommend the Spiderwick Chronicles Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around you. It is packed full of information about the Fae and the illustrations are just wonderful.

Bean’s Last Word:

Welcome friends.  Please read these books. The goblins were yucky and mean. But the hobgoblin was nice. The fairies were beautiful, especially the green-eyed fairy. I liked the story very much. But not the movie. After the fight in the kitchen, there was a huge mess to clean up. The end.