Masterpiece by Elise Broach
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.25, 2011, under Animal, Art, Mystery, Student Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Reader who like art and forgery.
Why? Marvin, a beetle, lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pomdays’ apartment. When the Pomdays’ son, Jame’s 11th birthday comes around nothing seems to go right. His mom only invites her clients and the kids of people she wants to work. The only thing James looks forward to is seeing his biological father, Karl. When Karl arrives his gift to James is a pen and ink set. James isn’t very happy with the gift. When Marvin brings his gift out for James later that night, he sees the pen and ink set and tries it out. Marvin discovers he is a great artist.
When James wakes up the next morning he sees the drawing and says aloud, “Who did this?” Marvin steps out of the shadows and shows James his Masterpiece. But, when James’ Mom steps in she thinks that James drew it. Karl comes the next day to see James, and he is shocked to see the drawing and takes James to an art museum. At the museum, Karl explains that James’ drawing looks like a Durer drawing. Originally there had been four drawings but three had been stolen or lost; now only one existed: Fortitude. The museum curator, Christina, asks James to do something odd, to create a forgery of Fortitude so they could set a trap for the burglar and potentially get back all the drawings in the set of four. James agrees and when left alone, Marvin crawls out of James pocket and draws a replica of the picture. Christina, Karl, and Denny, another museum curator, were so impressed that they decided to fake the Durer being stolen and use James drawing as a fake.Read the book to find out what happens!
The details: 292 p. 2008 Review by Mason
