The Marvels by Brian Selznick - ESSENTIAL

Selznick, Brian The Marvels, 672 pages.  Scholastic Press, September 2015.  $33.  Content: G. 

Starting with a  shipboard play, a violent storm, a lost brother and an orphan, Selznick unfolds a brilliant family story through 300+ pages of illustrations and then dives into a narrative of a lonely boy who runs away from boarding school to his reclusive uncle who lives in a fantastic house and who has woven a tale to match it.  

I loved this book so much more than anything Selznick has done before.  This tale is more intricately layered than previous combinations.  I don’t know how much students will really understand of the depths of this novel, but I do think they will enjoy the broad strokes. Older students will appreciate the clever plotting and will want to know more about the original inspiration for the book.

EL, MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.  

Cindy, Library Teacher