The characters have distinct personalities, the story is well-paced, and the focus on unlikely alliances and mutual trust suffuses the tale with warmth. Full of drama and heart, this is the kind of series that can show newly independent readers the power of a good story.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The possibilities for adventure are endless, and young readers and teachers looking for a quick, satisfying read (and read-aloud) for the early primary grades will enjoy this installment and look forward to many more.” —The Horn Book
"Broach strikes just the right tone in the dialogue and narrative, giving the beetles distinct personalities and dilemmas but always returning to the interspecies friendship at the heart of the series . . .Wonderful fare for transitional readers."-Booklist
Praise for The Adventures of Marvin and James:
“A winsome series debut . . . a sweet story of cross-species friendship.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Just right for a younger crowd. . . . Despite the simplicity of Broach's pared-down sentences, the story brims with both emotion and moments of quiet wisdom.” —Publishers Weekly
“New readers will be rewarded for the effort by this page-turning adventure, which is written throughout with emotional authenticity and illustrated with lively pen-and-ink illustrations in a brown and gray palette, ending with a very satisfying conclusion.” —The Horn Book
“Inventive . . . Broach . . . packs this fast-moving story with perennially seductive themes: hidden lives and secret friendships, miniature worlds lost to disbelievers . . . Broach and Kelly show readers something new.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review on Masterpiece
“Delightful intricacies of beetle life . . . blend seamlessly with the suspenseful caper as well as the sentimental story of a complicated-but-rewarding friendship . . . Murphy's charming pen-and-ink drawings populate the short chapters of this funny, winsome novel.” —Kirkus Reviews on Masterpiece
“This marvelous story is sure to be a hit.” —School Library Journal on Masterpiece
2015-07-22
The second installment in The Masterpiece Adventures series, which stars a human boy named James and his best beetle friend, Marvin, this early chapter book finds Marvin on a very important mission. Marvin has finally been invited to go collecting! He will join other members of his family as they roam James' family's apartment looking for treasures to bring back to their little home in the cupboard. Marvin might be a beetle, but his emotions are all too human and economically communicated as he moves from ambition to jealousy of his cousin (who has scored a shiny dime!) to concern about his uncle, who has been impaled by a pair of nail scissors. After the accident, Marvin knows he must ask James for help, and his confidence is rewarded when James bandages the hurt beetle and gently carries him home. In return for the kindness, Marvin decides to return the only thing he had found on his first collecting mission, a small, pointy black item that turns out to be James' prize shark tooth. The characters have distinct personalities, the story is well-paced, and the focus on unlikely alliances and mutual trust suffuses the tale with warmth. Full of drama and heart, this is the kind of series that can show newly independent readers the power of a good story. (Fantasy. 6-8)
