Masterpiece by Elise Broach
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.14, 2013, under Art, Mystery, Student Reviews
Review by Lacey T.
Who would like this book? Boys and girls from 4th to 8th grade levels would probably like this book. It has crime and adventure, but at the same time it has a cute storyline of two unlikely friends.
The goods on this book: James Pompaday is a boy living with his mom and stepdad. Marvin is a beetle, living with his mom, dad, cousin, aunt… his whole family. James’ family lives in an apartment in New York. Marvin’s family lives behind the cupboard under the kitchen sink in the Pompaday’s apartment. Marvin has always wanted to do more outside of the apartment. He was always observing the Pompaday’s life and wanting some adventure of his own. His and James’ adventure starts when James gets a pen and ink set for his birthday from his dad. Marvin wanted to give James a present, so went into his room one night and drew James a picture using the pen and ink set. It was an exact drawing of the scenery outside of James’ bedroom window and it was… a masterpiece. James noticed it and noticed Marvin sitting nearby. He knew that Marvin had drawn it, and the two became best friends right then and there. James showed it to his father, and he said it was just as good as a famous artist named Durer. His father took him to the museum, and the woman working there was astonished by how exact it was to Durer’s work and she wanted James and his father to help her fake an art theft! There was a set of four paintings that Durer painted called Virtues. Three of them had been stolen and the museum thought the last one was soon going to be stolen so they wanted James (actually Marvin but they thought it was James who could draw that well) to make a copy of the last Virtue so they could track it and maybe find the other Virtues. But somewhere along the way of the theft, the real one got stolen and James and Marvin have to work together to find the Virtues. The book is a great read and has a lot of different things going on. It has suspense, excitement, adventure… pretty much anything you would like in a book. There is even a little romance! I strongly recommened this book and hope you read it.
The details: 292 pages; 2008 Review by Lacey T.
