Spiderwick Chronicles, again.

We started reading The Spiderwick Chronicles, again, back in May.  We started.  I was reading to them in bed.  By the third night Silas couldn't be bothered.  Odin would flop down on his back and say, "I HATE Spiderwick!"  Eli was interested, but mildly.  It was awful.  I just wanted them to enjoy the books...because I wanted to read the books.  I put the books aside and waited.  And waited.  Until July came around.  Then I started again...on the couch.  Silas still couldn't be bothered, but he could sit and play with toys.  I wasn't so adamant about him sitting still and listening.  I had pictured us all snug in bed, reading this wonderful story together...each one of us completely enthralled and wanting more.  More snuggle time, more story.  So when it didn't happen, I would get frustrated..."Just SIT down!"  The couch scenario worked better.  There were times the only person looking at the book was me.  But, they were all listening.  We finished the books in late August.  Then we watched the movie.  My children had their first experience with the movie being nothing like the book.  "But, Mulgarath doesn't look like that!"  "Where is the Phooka?!"  "That's NOT what happened!!!" 
I asked them if they liked the movie.  Definitely.  Did they love the books?  Definitely.  We were then able to discuss why movies can differ so greatly from their paper counterparts. 
For the next couple of weeks, my children pretended to live in a world of faeries.  They built more faerie houses.  They took on the roles of Jared Grace and Mulgarath, battling it out.  They took on the roles of the Grace children and worked together to fight Mulgarath.  The took on the identities of the Phooka and Stray Sod and confused the invisible Grace children. 
I loved the book.  I loved the movie.  I loved learning some more about myself and my children.  They didn't need to be sitting snuggled against me while I read about faeries and ogres.  Eli actually remembered which book the Stray Sod was in when looking at Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide.  They don't mention them in the movie and they are only mentioned briefly in the books.  One book.  Apparently, it's book 3.  I haven't checked to confirm this, however.  I just know that when I turned a page in the Field Guide Eli exclaimed, "I know what those are!  That's a Stray Sod!  Remember, mom?  In book 3 when Jared was going to find the elves."  I'll take your word for it, kid.  I remember the story, but certainly not which book out of the 5 held what information.  Maybe the beginning.  Maybe the end.  But the middle is kind of a blur.