In this the dramatic conclusion to The Spiderwick Chronicles (Random, 2004), Holly Black continues the breathtaking action of the previous volumes. This episode begins with the Grace siblings, 13-year-old Mallory and nine-year-old twins Jared and Simon, returning to their home from the underground kingdom of the dwarfs, only to find it ransacked and their mother missing. Concluding that the terrible ogre Mulgarath is behind the chaos, the children join forces with Thimbletack the house-brownie, Hogsqueal the hobgoblin, and Byron the griffin in order to find Mulgarath and save their mother. They bravely rush into the world of faeries, hobgoblins, dragons, and elves, and to the junkyard realm of the goblins and the castle of the terrible Mulgarath. They are armed only with a sword and bits of nearly-forgotten advice from Arthur Spiderwick, the long-lost author of The Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, who makes an all-too-brief but magical appearance. Each fantastic and terrifying creature is brought to life by Mark Hamill's excellent vocal characterizations, clearly differentiating all the hobgoblins. Hamill also does a superb job of creating the innocent, eager voices of the young siblings on a quest. The series ends (is it really the end?) with a dramatic rescue and the demise of Mulgarath. - MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.