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

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

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 this would be someone else's giant problem! #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi has been creating children’s books for over twenty years. From fanciful picture books like The Spider & the Fly to chapter book series like the Search for WondLa, DiTerlizzi imbues his stories with a rich imagination. With Holly Black, he created the middle grade series the Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold 20 million copies, been adapted into a feature film, and been translated in over thirty countries. The Norman Rockwell Museum’s exhibition “Never Abandon Imagination” featured artwork from the beginning of DiTerlizzi’s career as a contributing artist for Dungeons & Dragons and broke attendance records. He has been featured in Time magazine and USA TODAY and on CNN, PBS, NPR, the BBC, and the Today show. Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy books, including the Novels of Elfhame, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown , The Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, Book of Night , as well as an Arthurian picture book called Sir Morien . She has been a finalist for the Eisner Award and Lodestar Awards, and the recipient of a Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula Award, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. She invites you to visit her online at BlackHolly.com or on Instagram @BlackHolly. A Giant Problem By Holly Black Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Copyright © 2008 Holly Black All right reserved. ISBN: 9780689871320 Chapter Two In Which Nick and Laurie Are Surprised by Their Visitor Nick pressed his finger down harder on the controller, making his car on the screen accelerate. He swerved it in front of Laurie's Volkswagen, knocking into its side and making virtual sparks fly. She scowled, biting her lip in concentration. Rockets shot out of her bumper. His car exploded in a whoosh of orange flame as she crowed with laughter. "I'm getting better," she said with a huge smile. He grinned too. He didn't mind her winning. He was having fun. The air-conditioning filled the house with cold, sweet air, and just breathing it in made him feel safe. Rain smeared the windows, making the outside blurry and far away. And the more he concentrated on the game, the less he had to think about the nixie waiting in her pond for him to find the rest of her sisters, or all of the giants that might be waking up, or how some blind old guy thought that they could do anything about it. This was how summer was supposed to be. Besides, this could be considered a kind of training. Maybe. Laurie's reflexes were definitely improving. Downstairs, a door slammed and his father shouted. "That's not what I said!" Nick stopped smiling. "You didn't say you would be home early?" Charlene demanded. "You said you would call if something came up. The kids ate hours ago." "I said I would try. The weather, the rain, it's making things hard." Didn't they realize that just because they couldn't see anyone else didn't mean they couldn't be heard? His father was a contractor; shouldn't he be aware of vents? Laurie put down the controller with a sigh, looking at Nick's face. "Everybody fights." "You tell me everything will be different after the development is done, but there's always going to be another crisis," Charlene yelled. "I don't think you're ready for this. For being married again." Nick didn't hear the rest because he clapped Jules's headphones over his ears and plugged them into the game. He turned up the sound and set it to single player. He didn't want to hear anyone say anything about his mother. Didn't Charlene know you were supposed to shut up about the dead? He blew up three of his own cars before Laurie tapped his arm. He shook her off. "Nick," she said, pulling one side of his headphones down. "Jack's here." He blinked at her in confusion. "What?" Nick looked around, like Jack was hiding somewhere in the room. "He's downstairs. Says he has something to show us." She wore a satchel on her hip and had her flip-flops on. "Your dad is freaking out." "Uh..." Nick hadn't even realized she'd left. He took off the headphones and followed her downstairs. Charlene's back was toward them, her shoulders hunched and shaking slightly as if she were crying. She walked into the study and slammed the door. Jack stood in the front entrance. He was grinning like a loon. "Come on, kid," he said. "We got work to do." "Do you know this man?" asked