Masterpiece by Kelly Murphy
Courtesy Of Teens Read Too
Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays’
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 can’t go through with the
plan without Marvin’s help. And that’s 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 Shakespeare’s
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 it’s an irresistible miniature world, fascinating art
history, all wrapped up in a special friendship— something for everyone to
enjoy.

Personal Review: Masterpiece by Kelly Murphy
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
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Masterpiece by Kelly Murphy 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!