The Marvels by: Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick has written and drawn another great book The Marvels.  Once again he draws in readers with the beautiful pencil drawings that tell a story and then there is the written story, one that you think is very different from the picture story.  As you keep reading you find that the two stories are really one fantastic story.

The year is 1766 and Billy Marvel survives a shipwreck and soon is rescued.  He is taken to London where he finds work in the theater.  We follow him and his family over many years and see how the Marvel family influences the London Theaters for years.  Each generation seems to be even more talented than the one before.  However, we find that one of Billy's descendants is banished from the stage in the 1990s.  What will the Marvel family do now?

We move forward in time where we meet Joseph Jarvis a young man at a boarding school.  Joseph's parents are very rich and they travel all the time.  Joseph never sees his parents.  Joseph decides to run away to London in search of his uncle Albert Nightingale.  He is able to find his uncle's home but Joseph isn't welcomed there but he stays.  Albert's home is very different than any Joseph has ever seen and he is frustrated that Albert will not tell Joseph about their family.  Joseph makes a friend in a neighbor and together they are able to piece together facts about Joseph's family and they find the biggest surprise of all!  In finding the truth about his family, Joseph is able to help Albert and himself to become better men and he also helps the community in which Albert lives.

I really loved this story and I'm sure you will too.  I hope Brian Selznick will continue to write/draw such amazing stories for us all.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna