Fablehaven

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12 -14

Chapters 15-17

Chapters 18-19

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 6-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 6 Summary: “Maddox”

Kendra and Seth learn that Lena used to be a naiad. She fell in love with one of Fablehaven’s previous caretakers and left the water to live with him. Though leaving the water made her mortal, she ages more slowly than other humans and has used the nearly 100 years since the death of her husband to travel the world. She explains to Kendra that naiads don’t see the world the same way humans do and says she would make the same choice to leave the lake if she had to do it over again. Seth is frustrated that he isn’t allowed more freedom to explore and see “monsters.”

Later, the children meet Maddox, a fairy dealer and colleague of their grandfather's. He tells everyone about the return of a dangerous organization called The Society of the Evening Star that is devoted to destroying preserves like Fablehaven. Maddox also shows Kendra and Seth his fairies, but the children are sent to bed early so that the adults can celebrate a successful business deal.

Chapter 7 Summary: “Prisoner in a Jar”

Kendra and Seth awake the next morning to find the house trashed after Grandpa Sorenson and Maddox’s revelries. Lena tells Kendra that the brownies, the only mythical creatures allowed in the house, will repair everything. She also warns Kendra of the upcoming Midsummer Eve, one night where the magical creatures are allowed to run rampant. She assures Kendra that she will be safe if she and Seth follow the rules. Inspired by Maddox, Seth spends the afternoon trying to catch fairies. After many unsuccessful attempts, he manages to trap one in a mason jar with the use of a tiny mirror.

Grandpa Sorenson reveals that the Journal of Secrets and mysterious keys were a test to see if Kendra and Seth were the right kind of people to have knowledge of the true purpose of Fablehaven. That night, Seth stores the fairy in a jar inside of a dresser drawer, despite her frantic protests.

Chapter 8 Summary: “Retaliation”

Seth awakens to find the fairy he captured turned into an imp overnight. The ugly, malicious creature escapes, and Seth goes to the treehouse to try and make himself feel better. Instead, the treehouse is attacked and knocked down by a swarm of fairies that chases Seth and peppers him with spells until GrandpaSorenson intervenes. After turning Seth into a creature that resembles a mutant walrus, the fairies tell Grandpa Sorenson what Seth did. Kendra and Seth learn that keeping a fairy indoors overnight turns it into an imp, a powerful form of magic that can’t be undone.

With no other options, Grandpa Sorenson brings Seth to Muriel’s shack. He blows on one of the knots in her rope to undo it and give her the magical energy needed to change Seth back. Though Seth is returned to human form, the only thing keeping Muriel imprisoned is one more knot. Grandpa Sorenson implies the danger of letting her get loose and says that they will have to look elsewhere for magical help if they ever need it again.

Chapters 6-8 Analysis

Chapters 6-8 discuss place and confinement. Mull explores ideas of obedience here as well, hinting at Kendra’s character development.

The idea of place, and the power that a place holds, is discussed prominently in Chapter 6. Kendra learns that Lena used to be a naiad and that she became mortal by leaving the boundaries of the pond of her own free will. Maddoxteaches the children about fairies, saying that they are protective of their territory and are content to live wherever they find themselves, provided that place has everything that they need. He also tells Seth and Kendra more aboutFablehavenand the other preserves, emphasizing that they are special places created to protect the special creatures that live there.

These chapters also stress ideas of confinement and imprisonment. Maddox keeps his fairies in storage but insists that they don’t mind; this seems to be relatively true, as they return to their containers easily enough. Later, Seth tries to follow Maddox’s lead and capture a fairy, though Seth lacks the required knowledge and the fairy turns into an imp by being imprisoned inside overnight. In this example, imprisonment has a near-immediate, tangible negative consequence. Seth, Kendra, and Grandpa return to Muriel’s hut in the woods where she is similarly imprisoned, though her captivity is both a punishment and a proactive measure to keep her from trying to wreak any more havoc on the preserve.

In Chapter 7, Kendra rebels for one of the first times. She previously went against Dale’s warnings and drank the milk, but she also received mysterious instructions to do just that. In this chapter, however, she sneaks a peek at a letter that her grandfather left lying out after his meeting with Maddox. Though she feels nervous and slightly guilty about doing so, her curiosity about The Society of the Evening Star and the workings of the preserve get the better of her. Nobody is harmed by this minor act of disobedience, and this extra knowledge better prepares Kendra for the challenges she will face throughout the rest of the novel.