“Nicholas Vargas had never been all that good at sports.”

From Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem.

After moving to Florida with his dad, older brother, new stepmother, and step-sister, Laurie, eleven-year-old Nicholas made another discovery that will change his life forever.  When Taloa the nixie told Nicholas and Laurie that her sisters were missing and that their absence was causing a nearby fire-breathing giant to become angry, the kids tried to find Taloa’s sisters.  However, when it becomes obvious that the one angry fire-starting giant was only the first one of many to wake up.  Since Laurie has always believed in magical creatures, she is ready to jump right in and search for a way to stop the giants, but Nicholas is a bit more reluctant to get involved.  The presence of more giants places all of Florida, and their new home, at risk, so Nicholas and Laurie step up their search in an attempt to save Florida.  Now that they can see magical creatures, the two step-siblings soon finds themselves interacting with both helpful and tricky creatures on an adventure that pushes them toward a dangerous discovery.

The second installment in the Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles really begins to impress upon the readers the danger and seriousness that the Nicholas and his friends face.  The book is filled with vividly captivating descriptions and constant development for the young main characters.  A Giant Problem is a quick, fantastical read that will keep fans of the series on the edge of their seats until the very end.