Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Nick Vargas, still trying to "not be a bother" to his dad after the death of his mother, is coming to terms with his father's remarriage to Charlene and adoption of her daughter, Laurie, who is fascinated by fairies. They live in a Florida housing development that Nick's dad is building on the edge of a forest. Laurie is constantly bothering Nick with stories of the fairy world and even has her own copy of Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. While reluctantly giving Laurie a tour of the area, Nick accidentally acquires the Sight and later sees what turns out to be an injured nixie (water sprite) on their lawn. They help get her back to water and later promise to help find her lost sisters, more of an adventure than Nick or Laurie ever anticipated. Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's first title (S & S, 2007) in this new series carries on even more darkly the drama and adventure of human/fairy interaction as experienced in the "Spiderwick Chronicles." Some of the main characters from that series appear briefly in this tale, but Nixie's Song can stand on its own. Andrew McCarthy's narration is adequate but not animated. The sound effects are not memorable, and the music transitions between chapters are too long and loud. Despite a hurried plot, underdeveloped characters and setting, and some unnecessary problematic language, the story will interest those familiar with the original series as well as Harry Potter fans.-Jill Q. Altman, Saluda Primary School, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
