- Shop
- >
- Children's Fiction
- >
- Middle Grade
- >
- The Marvels [hc]
The Marvels [hc]
By Brian Selznick
Two stand-alone stories- the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose- create a beguiling narrative puzzle.The journey begins at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage. Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past. A gripping adventure and an intriguing invitation to decipher how the two stories connect, The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story from an artist at the vanguard of creative innovation. 672 pages
"Complex, entertaining, and full of gorgeous art and writing, this is a powerhouse of a book." -School Library Journal, Starred Review (Grades 4-6)
"Selznick's warm, affecting family tale is bittersweet, astonishing, and truly marvelous." -Booklist, Starred Review (Grades 5-8)
"Selznick imagines an alternate backstory for a real English tourist attraction, the Dennis Severs' House: 10 meticulously curated rooms that suggest what life might have been like for a family of Huguenot silk weavers in 18th-century London... Viewed narrowly, it's a love letter to the Dennis Severs' House, but readers won't need preexisting knowledge of the museum to enjoy this powerful story about creating lasting art and finding family in unexpected places." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review (Ages 8-12)
September 15, 2015
AR Level=4.6; Lexile Level=770
Access the Discussion Guide