|
Masterpiece |  | Author: Elise Broach
Creator: Kelly Murphy
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $7.99
as of 11/22/2009 13:12 MST details
You Save: $9.00 (53%)
New (35) Used (17) Collectible (1) from $4.58
Seller: boardwalkbookstore4
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 17201
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 0805082700
EAN: 9780805082708
ASIN: 0805082700
Publication Date: September 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadaysâ apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Dürer. But James canât go through with the plan without Marvinâs help. And thatâs where things get really complicated (and interesting!). This fast-paced mystery will have young readers on the edge of their seats as they root for boy and beetle. In Shakespeareâs Secret Elise Broach showed her keen ability to weave storytelling with history and suspense, and Masterpiece is yet another example of her talent. This time around itâs an irresistible miniature world, fascinating art history, all wrapped up in a special friendshipâ something for everyone to enjoy.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
 Masterpiece November 20, 2009
Timothy (Vermont, USA)
This heartwarming novel tells the story of a boy and the cockroach he finds who loves to paint. I highly recommend it for anyone from 7-1000 years of age.
 Masterpiece November 5, 2009
Sandra Dillon (Watertown, NY)
I found the book in acceptable shape and it was received in a timely fashion.
Outstanding Book October 1, 2009
Mary (Dallas, TX)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had read a review in the local newspaper about "Masterpiece" and thought it was interesting. My 11 year old daughter read it and liked it SO much she had me read it. A good book is one you just don't want to put down. My daughter as well as myself could not put it down until we were finished with it. You won't be disappointed with this book.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too August 10, 2009
TeensReadToo.com (All Over the US & Canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Marvin lives with his family behind the wall underneath the kitchen sink of the Pompadays' New York apartment. Although the young beetle and his relatives try to help the Pompadays in little tasks, like fixing the thermostat and retrieving a lost contact lens, they know all too well the danger that exists for them simply by being beetles in the world of humans.
Marvin, however, feels a kinship with James Pompaday, and he is determined to find a satisfactory present for the boy's eleventh birthday, especially since the rest of the boy's day ended up such a disappointment. For James - whose ambitious mother invited the children of clients as his guests and whose artist father showed up for only a few moments near the end to deliver an ink-and-pen set as a present, when James has no interest in art - his birthday ended up exactly as he had known it would. As the oldest son in a blended family, he often finds himself passed over and ignored.
All of that changes thanks to Marvin. While delivering the beetles' gift of a buffalo nickel, Marvin, on a whim, draws a teeny, tiny picture of the view from James's bedroom window with the ink that James received from his father. When James awakens and discovers the tiny beetle's masterpiece, Marvin takes a chance and reveals himself to the boy.
Astounded, James realizes that the work is Marvin's, and although the two can't speak or communicate, their bond of friendship will take them through a mystery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The adults, under the impression that the tiny drawing is the work of James, ask the boy to copy a famous work by artist Albrecht Dürer. One of a set of four, the rest of the collection has disappeared at the hands of an art thief, and, with a plan to have James's forgery stolen instead, they hope to recover the rest of the stolen art. However, Marvin is the real artist, and his parents forbid him to get involved. It is up to Marvin to decide how important his friendship with James is, and how important art is to him.
Chock-full of artful conversations and historical tidbits regarding the Renaissance era, MASTERPIECE is a masterpiece that blends several storylines and character motivations into a wonderfully deep work. Fans of "small world" stories, such as THE CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE and THE BORROWERS, will delight in Marvin's relationships with the complicated worlds around him, and how he manages to cross the line to affect both for the better.
Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose
Great Children's Book May 3, 2009
Princepessa
I thought this book was amazing. It is intriguing, smart, and inspirational. It has great messages about loyalty and friendship, as well as standing up for what you think is right. I also think it could be a good introduction to art for a child. I definitely recommend this book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Working Dogs | |
