The boy opens an ancient book and accidentally enters the world of elves

The movie is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. Single mother Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) moves into Spottsville with her twin sons, Jared and Simon (Freddie Highmore), and eldest daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger). Bolger) move into their ancestral home in Spetwick, they encounter a series of strange events. During his solo investigation, Jared discovers the faerie quest guidebook of his uncle's father, Arthur Spetwick (David Strathairn), in the roof attic. Despite a paper warning on the book's skin, Jared reads the guide and is subsequently introduced to one of the elves described in the book, the brown elf Simbletek (voiced by Martin Short). Simbletek warns Jared not to take the book outside the protective circle of the ancestral home of Spetwick, in case the evil spirit Mograth (Nick Nolte) takes the guide for himself and victimizes the other