Copyright Date:
2014
Edition Date:
2015
Release Date:
10/20/15
Illustrator:
Murphy, Kelly,
Pages:
104 pages
ISBN:
Publisher: 1-250-06958-0 Perma-Bound: 0-605-90259-3
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-1-250-06958-0 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-90259-6
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2013036081
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Horn Book
A new early chapter book series follows the friendship of beetle Marvin and human James (Masterpiece) for a younger audience. The sentences are shorter and the illustrations more prominent, but the amiable tone and relatable characters are the same. New readers will be rewarded by this page-turning adventure, written throughout with emotional authenticity and ending with a satisfying conclusion.
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Broach and Murphy bring back James and his beetle best friend, Marvin-previously seen in 2008's acclaimed Masterpiece-in this first book in the Masterpiece Adventures series of chapter books. Their cross-species friendship is just right for a younger crowd, and so are the insecurities and frustrations Marvin is feeling as James prepares to go on a trip to the beach without him (-Marvin does not want to help James pack. But at least it is something they can do together"). James leaves in the first chapter and doesn't return until the fifth and final one; while he's away, Marvin goes exploring with his cousin Elaine, a journey that takes a genuinely harrowing turn when they get stuck in Mr. Pompaday's mechanical pencil sharpener. Murphy's pen-and-ink illustrations shift from glee to horror as she shows the bug-eyed beetles cannonballing into the soft pit of pencil shavings, only to have their escape route plugged by a pencil. Despite the simplicity of Broach's pared-down sentences, the story brims with both emotion and moments of quiet wisdom. Ages 6-9. (Feb.)
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4 In a companion to the acclaimed Masterpiece (Holt, 2008), best friends James (a boy) and Marvin (a beetle) are separated for a week while James goes on vacation. Marvin has to make do with his irritating cousin, Elaine. Their hijinks are highlighted in this charming and humorous chapter book series opener about friendship and adventure.
Word Count:
3,399
Reading Level:
2.6
Interest Level:
1-4
Accelerated Reader:
reading level: 2.6
/ points: 0.5
/ quiz: 164277
/ grade: Lower Grades
Reading Counts!:
reading level:2.1 /
points:3.0 /
quiz:Q62819
Lexile:
510L
Guided Reading Level:
N
In this Masterpiece Adventure, the first in a companion series for younger readers from bestselling author Elise Broach, James is going on vacation for a week. His best friend, Marvin the beetle, has to stay at home. Without James to keep him company, Marvin has to play with his annoying cousin, Elaine. Marvin and Elaine quickly find themselves getting into all sorts of trouble--even getting trapped inside a pencil sharpener! Marvin misses James and starts to worry about their friendship. Will James still be Marvin's friend when he gets home or will James have found a new best friend? The Miniature World of Marvin and James by Elise Broach, with illustrations by Kelly Murphy, is the first in a series of chapter books set in the world of the acclaimed middle-grade novel Masterpiece. A Christy Ottaviano Book