As much as I loved The Spiderwick Chronicles, I can't say the same thing for Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixie's Song. The cover art was just as intriguing as the previous volumes, but for me that is where the intrigue stopped. A new family of characters is introduced, but there is very little, if any, character development. I had no connection with the main characters and would not have been sad had they been destroyed by the local giant. I felt that the creators were trying to do two things: 1) Promote their original series as well as Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You; and 2) Create a series that will appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. I am sure many readers will enjoy this book. I however, nearly didn't finish the book out of pure boredom. Also, readers and parents need to be aware of a few instances of inappropriate language.
Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...
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