A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, #2)

My rating:

add to my books

A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #2)

by Holly Black (Goodreads Author), Tony DiTerlizzi (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

3.73 · rating details · 1,341 ratings · 94 reviews

Talk about out of the frying pan, into the fire I was pretty sure that my freaky stepsister and that freaky field guide of hers would ruin my life. But now it looks like they're going to ruin all of Florida, too Okay, maybe that's not fair. Maybe all these stupid giants would be waking up anyway, but if it wasn't for her and that book, I'd be home playing video games and...more

Hardcover, 154 pages

Published September 16th 2008 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (first published January 1st 2008)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Books You'd Take on a Deserted Island

93rd out of 251 books — 37 voters

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best Books for Fifth Grade Readers

63rd out of 116 books — 44 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,162)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 17, 2009

Janeen-san rated it

This book is absolutely amazing. I can barely contain my awe. I am so glad that Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black wrote Beyond the Spiderwick Cronicles. I love Tony's illustrations, they are wonderful and extremly lifelike. I can't say which book I love more, The Nixie's Song or A Giant Problem. They were both extremly clever and well-written and exciting and breathtaking. I really liked that some of the people and all of of the places were real.
In the dramatic sequel to The Nixie's Song; A ...more

· see review

Oct 24, 2008

Kevin rated it

I will confess that I enjoy reading young adult fiction and even chapter books. There is something about the creativity when combined with the illustrations that I find enjoyable and entertaining. They are super quick reads and a great way to sort of cleanse your mental pallet.

One such series I have enjoyed is The Spiderwick Chronicles. The five books in that series were a hit and they even made a movie based on the story. Rather than keep that series going, however, author illustra...moreI will confess that I enjoy reading young adult fiction and even chapter books. There is something about the creativity when combined with the illustrations that I find enjoyable and entertaining. They are super quick reads and a great way to sort of cleanse your mental pallet.

One such series I have enjoyed is The Spiderwick Chronicles. The five books in that series were a hit and they even made a movie based on the story. Rather than keep that series going, however, author illustrator combo Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi decided to go in a different direction.

The result is a new series called "Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles." The first book in this new series, The Nixie's Song, set up the premise:

The Spiderwick Chronicles leave the old-fashioned charm of New England far behind and head south for some fiendish faerie fun in the hot Florida sun. Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas only thinks his life has been turned upside down after his developer father remarries and moves his new wife and daughter into the soon-to-be completed Mangrove Hollow. But an “expedition” to a nearby lake turns up a little nixie with a giant problem - the huge, lumbering, fire-breathing variety - and it’s up to Nick; his stepsister, Laurie; and his big brother, Julian (plus a familiar face from the original Spiderwick Chronicles) to figure out the best way to stop a host of rampaging giants before all of Florida goes up in smoke.

In the second book in a planed three part series, A Giant Problem, Nick and Laurie are still trying to save Mangrove Hollow from the giants with the help of Noseeum Jack. As you might imagine this is no small feat.

And all looks lost when the development Nick's dad is building is nearly destroyed in a rampage. But after risking getting grounded for life, not to mention being smashed by giants, the gang comes up with a plan to prevent any more destruction at the hands of the dangerous creatures.

But the story ends with a twist: what if the giants were destined to defeat an even greater threat?

Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles is a creative and entertaining series. Obviously, the type of chapter books are not high literature. But they are interesting stories for children (target age 9-12) with a nice mix of adventure, humor, and social interaction (issues like divorce, step parents, sibling rivalry are dealt with throughout both series).

Voracious young readers - and those who follow the genre - are probably already aware of the series, but for those who haven't I recommend them.
(less)

· see review

Jan 13, 2011

Alyssa rated it

This book continues the problems of Nicholas and Laurie Vargas when they find out that the mythical giants are now waking up and are going to cause the destruction of Florida by burning everything up. As the family is living in a hotel because their house was burned by one of the giants, they find a giant hunter named Jack who tries to train them against the giants. They find a way of getting rid of the giants on the land by luring them to the ocean. They do this by getting a different fish for ...more

· see review

Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

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 i...more

· see review

Mar 16, 2011

Drew Graham rated it

So this middle book in the three-part "Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles" series ostensibly tries really hard to improve on the first one, and to broaden and expand the scope of the characters and plot, but in the end it just falls flat. Story-wise, basically there are giants wreaking havoc all over Florida, and it's up to a group of step-siblings (plus or minus a girlfriend or a trio of recalls from other series) to figure out how to get rid of them.

The authors thankfully ma...moreSo this middle book in the three-part "Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles" series ostensibly tries really hard to improve on the first one, and to broaden and expand the scope of the characters and plot, but in the end it just falls flat. Story-wise, basically there are giants wreaking havoc all over Florida, and it's up to a group of step-siblings (plus or minus a girlfriend or a trio of recalls from other series) to figure out how to get rid of them.

The authors thankfully managed to keep themselves out of the book this time, but at the last second couldn't resist blurring the lines between this series and the original Spiderwick series as the Grace kids make another appearance, which just comes across as unnecessary throwback. It seems like they're really trying to develop these characters, but it's just not working for several reason(s): They are inconsistent; their progression is unnatural and abrupt; they all still feel really bland and shallow; Nick is still just really unpleasant! In fact, all of the kids are deceptive and disrespectful to their (obviously) clueless and negligent parents. Some characters make appearances for no apparent reason--Noseeum Jack had a lot of potential, but disappeared just as suddenly as he appeared at the end of the previous book. The parents in the picture are utterly ineffective, presumably because they have to be in order for the kids to run around fighting giants and whatever, but there has to be a better way to write these relationships. The writing is probably even weaker than in The Nixie's Song (speaking of, the nixies are pretty much absent throughout). The poor kids seem just as flat in character as the singular-minded giants. There were some arbitrarily-inserted new creatures, but even when they're supposed to be threatening and tricky, they more often than not they don't follow through with their eerie warnings, or they disappear entirely. The mysteries and clues presented throughout aren't very well-developed or -placed, or even referred to very often, which makes their reappearance as the missing piece of the puzzle seem random and confusing (I had to go back and re-read parts to even remember if certain elements were even mentioned earlier). And then the whole plan to actually defeat the giants seems so bewilderingly simplistic it's kind of insulting. The deal with the mermaids doesn't even make sense, but could have been a really awesome plot element, especially regarding Julian. It's like a five-year-old concocted out a plan (which is sort of the idea, but it has to at least make sense and be a little believable), and the teenagers involved just went right along with it. And then, just like the nixies and their disappearing/reappearing act, the last page indicates that basically the entire conflict and plot of this book was filler, totally unnecessary. They spent the entire book figuring out how to get rid of the giants, and going through with this murky and implausible plan, only to discover they have to bring them back.

The attempts to address heavy themes are still here, though sort of in the background, but the language is a little more age-appropriate. Unfortunately, not even the design seemed as polished or impressive this time around. I'm starting to lose interest in this DiTerlizzi a little bit. It's just not as attractive as the first time around for some reason. This world has potential, but it's being squandered by opportunistic spin-offs. Why should kids' books be poorly-written and weakly-structured?

Also, that's one sturdy microcassette player to be completely submerged in seawater, then resurface in perfect working order...(less)

· see review

Jan 18, 2012

Petty Witter rated it

This is the tale of Noseemum Jack, an elderly, now blind destroyer of giants, who along with Nick, his brother, Jules, their stepsister, Laurie, and Jules' girlfriend, Cindy set out to find and destroy the giants that are about to wake up and cause mass devastation.

Not just about giants though, the story also tells of the part several other mythological creatures have to play and quite frankly it is their part that I found far more interesting.

Intended for those aged 7+ I cho...more

· see review

Dec 27, 2008

Wendy Graham rated it

this series seems to be about the same as the first set, quick read, but fun, perfect read-a-loud for kids.

· see review

Jun 27, 2010

Mister Bookgazer rated it

Shelves: 2010, favorites, reviewed, children-s-books

Die Geschichte beginnt damit, dass Nick und Laurie von Black Jack unterrichtet werden. Währenddessen überlegen die beiden, wie man mehr Kinder „rekrutieren“ könnte. An einem Abend kommt Black Jack zu Nick und Laurie nach Hause und nimmt sie mit sich in den Wald. Dort beobachten sie, wie zwei Riesen miteinander kämpfen. Black Jack schafft es nicht, den zu Boden gegangenen Riesen zu töten, da er bisher immer nur schlafende Riesen umgebracht hat, und wird von diesem verletzt. Wenig später sehen Nic

...more

Die Geschichte beginnt damit, dass Nick und Laurie von Black Jack unterrichtet werden. Währenddessen überlegen die beiden, wie man mehr Kinder „rekrutieren“ könnte. An einem Abend kommt Black Jack zu Nick und Laurie nach Hause und nimmt sie mit sich in den Wald. Dort beobachten sie, wie zwei Riesen miteinander kämpfen. Black Jack schafft es nicht, den zu Boden gegangenen Riesen zu töten, da er bisher immer nur schlafende Riesen umgebracht hat, und wird von diesem verletzt. Wenig später sehen Nick und Laurie, wie der Riese, den sie am Leben gelassen haben, die umliegenden Häuser und dann ihr eigenes zerstört.

Die Story von dem 7. Band der Spiderwickgeheimnisse ist auch diesmal, für mich persönlich nichts besonderes. Irgendwie habe ich das Gefühl das die Magie in Band 6 & 7 fehlt... Ich möchte an dieser Stelle nicht zuviel von der Story verraten, aber was erwähnenswertes wäre auch nicht wirklich dabei gewesen. Laurie und Nick versuchen die Riesen aufzuhalten, die in der Lage sind ganze Gegenden zu zerstören. Das einzige was sie dafür brauchen ist der Gesang der Meergeister. Wie sie das bekommen und was sie dafür tun müssen ist an dieser Stelle geheim. Fakt ist aufjedenfall das sie es schaffen und sich am Ende des Buches irgendwie alles als sinnlos herausstellt... Fand ich etwas seltsam, aber nun gut, war jetzt nicht wirklich was schlimmes und ich denke den Grund erfährt man dann im Folgeband. Also abwarten und Tee trinken...

Zu den Figuren des Bandes hat sich eigentlich keine große Veränderung getan. Black Jack, einer der Figuren die ich ausnahmsweise mal toll fand verlässt die Story in diesem Band, war ja klar. Übrig bleiben die Geschwister plus Cindy, die Eltern, und die Fabelwesen. Ich denke zu Laurie und Nick brauche ich nicht viel zu schreiben, wirklich interessant finde ich sie immer noch nicht. Die Eltern bzw. der Vater von Nick hat mich dermaßen in dem Band genervt das ich manchmal das Buch gegen die Wand hätte klatschen können... Die Fabelwesen wie z.B. die Wassergeister fand ich dagegen doch recht interessant beschrieben und schön anzusehen dank Tony DiTerlizzi. Die Idee die Nick hatte zu dem Gesang der Wassergeister fand ich auch recht gut gelöst, sodass er ein paar Pluspunkte bei mir sammeln konnte. Und was mich überrascht hat ist, das ich Jules leiden kann. Irgendwie finde ich ihn als Figur interessant. Mal schauen wie er sich noch entwickelt. Wirklich viel mehr kann ich zu den Figuren auch sonst nicht schreiben...

Der Schreibstil von Holly Black ist mal wieder gut, und es ist leicht und flüssig zu lesen. Die Zeichnungen von Tony DiTerlizzi sind mal wieder wahre Meisterwerke, die Wassergeister fand ich richtig toll gezeichnet und auch sonst hält der Herr eine konstante Leistung.

Fazit: Ein gutes Buch das man schnell lesen kann. Die Story ist auch in diesem Band nichts besonderes und die Figuren sind teilweise uninteressant bis interessant gestaltet worden. Die neuen Fabelwesen die hinzukommen, oder die man besser kennen lernt sind eigentlich recht interessant beschrieben worden. Jedoch konnten mich nicht alle begeistern. Jared, Simon und Mallory kommen auch in diesem Band kurz vor und übermitteln den anderen eine schlechte Nachricht. Es stellt sich also heraus das am Ende alles sinnlos war... Fand ich ehrlich gesagt etwas seltsam aber gleichzeitig habe ich jetzt Lust den letzten Band zu lesen. Wer also ein gutes leichtes Buch voller Fabelwesen und halbwegs interessanter Charaktere lesen will, der kann mit Die Spiderwickgeheimnisse Band 7: Die Rückkehr der Riesen nichts falsch machen. Wer aber eine spannende und fesselnde Geschichte braucht, sollte sich die vorigen ersten 5 Bände der Reihe zu gemüte führen. Von mir gibt es 3 von 5 Sternen.(less)

· see review

Jun 25, 2009

Ann Keller rated it

Shelves: fantasy

What a delightful book this is. This was the first book I’ve read in the Spiderwick Chronicles and I quickly found myself immersed in the story of Nicholas Vargas and his sister, Laurie. Add to this Noseeum Jack, a humorous character with a huge walking stick, a sharp machete and lots of advice on tracking giants.

I fell in love with the mischievous and voracious hobgoblin Sandspur and allowed myself to drift away on the magical songs sung by the wise, but tricky, Merpeople. Alth...more

like 1 like

· see review

Mar 10, 2010

Kelley Ross rated it

Shelves: kids

Again, the Spiderwick series delivers a cute book, but one that I wish they would have made a little deeper. Still, these are great for younger teens or kids.

This book focuses on a growing problem in Nick and Laurie's neighborhood: giants. After these monstrous creatures begin wreaking havoc, Nick and Laurie decide to do something. Their "something" turns into a crazy adventure in which more characters are given the "Sight." The book wraps up nicely until Mallory...more

· see review

Sep 21, 2011

Natalie Manahan rated it

This book is FAR better than the first one and starts right where book 1 leaves off. The one down side of reading a series and writing this review for books 1 and 2 while on book 3 is that I'm having to be very careful I don't get what happens in one book mixed up with another. One of the nice things here is that Nick, Laurie, and Jules get more fleshed out as characters.

By the end of the book I really CARED about them. Here the trio learn about the giants from Noseeum Jack and even...more

· see review

Jun 02, 2011

Christie rated it

Shelves: library, series

I liked this book better than the first one in this series. It seemed to me to have a better story line. The characters are getting to know each other better and interacting batter. Laurie and nick's relationship is getting better and i like the addition of Jules and Cindy to the story. I also enjoyed how you think it is a happy ending till the end. How nothing is like it seems for the Vargus children. Also at the end the Grace children make an appearance. I can't wait to see how this sto...more

· see review

Feb 16, 2009

**Gracie** rated it

Laurie and Nick still have not rid their father's soon to be resort area of giants or nixies. They are in big trouble when their house sets on fire from on of the giants. So they go to their brother Jules, and after Laurie "accidentally" gives him The Sight, they go to the mermaids for help. Overall an interesting installment but not particularly exciting or anything special.

· see review

Dec 02, 2009

Conley Morris rated it

I read the Spiderwick Chronicles and listened
to it on tape and I thought it was good so after
a while I picked this book up. I think it is
interesting and exciting. My favorite character
is Nick's sister Laurie, and my favorite part is
at the end when Mallory, Jared, and Simon,
from the Spiderwick Chronicles, appear on
the front steps.

· see review

Jul 09, 2009

Allison rated it

Shelves: genre-high-fantasy

Although I enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles (mainly for their illustrations and because I enjoy Holly Black), I wasn't exactly hooked. I stuck with the series because they were such easy, breezy and fun reads, but I wouldn't say I loved them. So when a second series was released, I got bored and decided to pick it up.

The first book of Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles was so much better than expected! Unlike the first series, the characters are very unique and complex, and I especia...more

· see review

Sep 09, 2011

Serena rated it

This series is still kind of slow moving, I don't think the characters are as likeable as the Grace kids were in the original story of Spiderwick. Especially Laurie. She lies, all throughout the book and she likes it, she's proud of it! I'm having a hard time explaining that to my kids. Hey don't lie but um this girl lies all the time and gets to do what she wants because of it.

· see review

Jun 23, 2009

Aimee rated it

Fun. We read this one before the first book in the series so it was a little disjointed. There is one more due to come out in September. From just this one, it's as good as the first Spiderwick Chronicles. And, like the first series, is really one book broken up into sections. So read them in order.

· see review

Feb 05, 2009

Sbuchler rated it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, read-in-2009

Genre: Kid's book

Much like the first one in this new series - it's missing the charm and wonder from the first Spiderwick series, but is still cute and readable. It's a nice change to read a story where love and sex don't factor into the plot at all.

· see review

Jul 15, 2011

Jorge Diaz rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: português

Un libro interesante, fácil de leer y con dibujos increíbles ¿Qué más se le puede pedir? No es una historia compleja, ni profunda ni mucho menos. Es, simplemente un librito con el que se puede entrar en el maravilloso mundo de Arthur Spiderwick.

· see review

Nov 24, 2011

Monika rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, fantasy

So far I don't like this series. It's not interesting at all. Somehow while I was reading it I drifted away very easily. The plot seems to be very blunt, even though it tells about fantasy world. I didn't enjoy it.

· see review

Jun 23, 2010

Robert Beveridge rated it

Shelves: cuy-co-pub-lib, finished

Holly Black and Tony DeTerlizzi, A Giant Problem (Simon and Schuster, 2008)

Black and DeTerlizzi once again attempt to recapture the magic of the Spiderwick Chronicles in this second book of Beyond Spiderwick. And to an extent they succeed, in that these characters are interesting, though not as much as as those in the Spiderwick books. But the plot in this batch seems almost like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the story, which is odd; plot has always been Black's str...more

· see review

Mar 15, 2011

Madeleine rated it

I think this is a great book to read but you have to read "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and "Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles Number 2" before you read this book because otherwise it doesn't make sence.

· see review

Feb 07, 2010

Traci rated it

Shelves: 2010, audiobooks, fantasy, teenbooks, series-books

I almost wish the small Spiderwick books would be combined into one big book... the stories go by so quickly! But in any case, I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the third.

· see review

Oct 07, 2009

Tami rated it

This was cute and of course a pretty quick read. I loved the original Spiderwick Chronicles. The kids in this second series are different and I'm not quite as fond of them yet but the stories are still good. :-)

· see review

Jul 26, 2010

Millie rated it

Shelves: fantasy, young-reader

Fun story again. These really are for young readers. They go so quickly. I'm sure there could be more detail, but they pack quite a bit into the short book.

· see review

May 02, 2010

Taylor rated it

I'll never forget these books. I became addicted to these in grade school. I was constantly trying to convince myself that there were fairies everywhere...

· see review

Feb 01, 2012

Bonnie Hopkinson rated it

The giants are a new creature, as the nixie introduced in the previous book. Very fun and exciting read. Kids and adults will enjoy.

· see review

Dec 10, 2010

Jared Johnson rated it

I thought this was a good book. I like all the mythology about this book. I recommend this book to teenagers who like fantasy books.

· see review

Sep 24, 2009

Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) rated it

Shelves: childrens_teens_sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Feb 02, 2009

Jo rated it

So now I've finished this one, I want the obvious questions answered, so I'll wait patiently.

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 72 73 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (14)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

75 users

Childrens

17 users

Young Adult

14 users

Adventure

13 users

Childrens > Juvenile

8 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

7 users

Paranormal > Fairies

5 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

4 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

3 users

Science Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Holly Black

Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh). She is also the co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with J...more

More about Holly Black...

Books by Holly Black

The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, #1)

The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About A Giant Problem

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Groups That Shelved A Giant Problem

JLMS / Pioneer Team / Mrs...

103 members

last activity Feb 08, 2012 09:57am

shelf: read

title link	preview: A Giant Problem
avg rating	preview: A Giant Problem Goodreads rating: 3.73 (1341 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2238093.A_Giant_Problem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266661564m/2238093.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2238093.A_Giant_Problem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Giant Problem by Holly Black[/url]

A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website