The Marvels
by
Brian Selznick
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Scholastic
Imprint
Scholastic
ISBN
9780545448680
Awards and Honors
2016 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist
Capitol Choices 2016
Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books of 2015, Middle Grade
The Washington Posts Best Children’s Books of 2015, Middle-grade novels
The New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2015, Middle Grade
Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2015, Middle-Grade
Goodreads Choice Awards 2015, Middle Grades & Children’s
Amazon.com Best Books of the Year 2015, Ages 9–12, Top 20
Booklist Lasting Connections, 2015; ALA Notable Books for Children 2016, Middle Readers
100 Notable Titles for Reading and Sharing 2015, Children’s Books
CCBC Choices 2016, Fiction for Children
2016 Rainbow List, Juvenile Fiction, Top Ten
2015 Cybils Awards Nomination, Graphic Novels Elementary / Middle
VOYA’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror 2016
Children’s Literature Assembly, 2016 Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts
Children’s Book Committee Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of 2016, Coming of Age
2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal Longlist
2017 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Longlist
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Billy Marvel’s story begins in 1766 and is told entirely in dramatic illustrations. How does it intersect with the prose story of Joseph, who, in 1990, seeks refuge at the London home of his estranged uncle? Afterword, including Dennis Severs’s obituary and a photograph of Spitalfields. Black-and-white illustrations.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
672
Trim Size
5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
AR
4.6: points 6
Lexile
770L
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
11
JLG Release
Dec 2015
Book Genres
Topics
Families. History of London, England. Actors. Theater. Adventure stories. Family life. Adventure and adventurers. Great Britain. Storytelling. Same-sex relationships. AIDS.
Standard MARC Records
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books*, Booklist*, The Horn Book Magazine, The Horn Book Guide^, Kirkus Reviews*, Publishers Weekly*, School Library Journal*, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
[STARRED REVIEW]
This brilliant journey through time in words and pictures is also a story of a theatrical family and their fortunes. This heavy tome opens to tell of one family, the Marvels, from 1766 to 1900 as their connection to the Royal Theatre in London begins and perhaps ends. In the first half of the book, all of this complex history is vividly conveyed through illustrations, with minor hints from playbills, cards, and letters that appear as part of the art. Selznick’s ability to convey the passing of time and connections among characters is remarkable. Characters appear, shine, and disappear throughout the years, but certain motifs recur no matter where the spotlight is focused. The second portion of the story is conveyed entirely in text, building on the same themes, but taking place in 1990 in a very different London where the echoes from the past are particularly embodied in 13-year-old Joseph, a boarding school runaway searching for his uncle’s house in London. He soon meets Uncle Albert, who seems less interested in getting to know his nephew than in the preservation of an anachronistic Victorian house whichs is more museum than home. The echoes from the earlier history are haunting, requiring Joseph to delve into the secrets of Uncle Albert and of the house without giving away his own. Memorable, momentous, Selznick ends with a satisfying section of illustrations that embody the maxim of this family, “You either see it or you don’t.” VERDICT Complex, entertaining, and full of gorgeous art and writing, this is a powerhouse of a book.—Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO
Horn Book
Selznick defined his own format with The Invention of Hugo Cabret (rev. 3/07) and Wonderstruck (rev. 9/11), and this book looks the same, on the outside. But Selznick has created something wholly different here, by introducing one entire narrative in images, followed by another in words, one encapsulating the other. Over the first almost-four-hundred pages, his black-and-white drawings tell a story that readers will gather quickly: there is a storm, a shipwreck, and a rescue in a theater; years pass, and a dynasty is born of sons of sons who love the stage and its stories. One child doesn’t fit the (theatrical) mold, and in a fateful night and a firestorm, the story abruptly ends. The next one starts, in text, in 1990. Joseph runs away from his boarding school to find the uncle he hardly knows, in London. Uncle Albert lives in a house that feels strangely from another time, where he seems to serve as caretaker for ghosts: no one else lives there, yet Joseph hears voices; Uncle Albert keeps fires burning in the fireplaces and the rooms’ furniture and belongings undisturbed. Unwelcome even here, Joseph struggles to understand his uncle and uncovers a truth that he didn’t expect, about true family, and true stories. While stilted in some written phrasing and dialogue, this book proves once again that Selznick is—regardless—a unique and masterful storyteller, and his story-inside-a-story unfolds an emotional narrative with a drama that will leave readers marveling. nina lindsay
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8
Book-length narratives presented in comic book style, graphic novels foster both visual and verbal comprehension skills while exposing readers to interesting dialogue and satire, as well as affirming diversity.
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Diversity,ESL,Fiction,Graphic Novels,Reluctant Readers,Transitional Readers,Funny/Humorous
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$293.02 per Year
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