The Marvels

by Brian Selznick, Brian Selznick (Illustrator)

Overview

Don't miss Selznick's other novels in words and pictures, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, which together with The Marvels, form an extraordinary thematic trilogy!

A breathtaking new voyage from Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick.Two stand-alone stories—the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose—create a beguiling narrative puzzle.The journey begins at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.Nearly a century later, runaway Joseph Jervis seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.A gripping adventure and an intriguing invitation to decipher how the two stories connect, The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story from an artist at the vanguard of creative innovation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545448680
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Pages:	672
Sales rank:	228,351
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 2.30(d)
Lexile:	770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Brian Selznick’s books have sold millions of copies, garnered countless awards worldwide, and been translated into more than 35 languages. He broke open the novel form with his innovative and genre-defying thematic trilogy, beginning with the Caldecott Medal-winning #1 New York Times bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning movie Hugo. He followed that with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Wonderstruck, adapted into the eponymous movie by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick, and the New York Times bestseller, The Marvels. Selznick’s two most recent books for young people, Baby Monkey, Private Eye, an ALA Notable Book co-written with his husband David Serlin, and Kaleidoscope, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2021, were both New York Times bestsellers as well. He also illustrated the 20th anniversary edition covers of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Selznick and Serlin divide their time between Brooklyn, New York and La Jolla, California. Learn more at thebrianselznick.com and mediaroom.scholastic.com/brianselznick.

Hometown:

Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California

Date of Birth:

July 14, 1966

Place of Birth:

New Jersey

Education:

Rhode Island School of Design

Website:

http://theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

Editorial Reviews

What's fiction made of? Do true stories "matter" more than invented ones? These are heady questions for any book to tackle, especially one aimed at young readers. But Brian Selznick's The Marvels takes them on and, like the best children's literature, doesn't shy away from complex answers. The book revels in complication, echoes and mirrorings, and peeling back its layers makes for a rich and surprising reading experience.

The New York Times Book Review - Ransom Riggs

★ 07/06/2015
Selznick imagines an alternate backstory for a real English tourist attraction, the Dennis Severs’ House: 10 meticulously curated rooms that suggest what life might have been like for a family of Huguenot silk weavers in 18th-century London. The first 500 pages are double-page pencil drawings that (almost) wordlessly tell the story of the Marvel family, beginning with a 1766 shipwreck and following successive generations as they gain fame in London’s theater community. As he did in his Caldecott Medal–winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick uses a telescoping point of view with great success, bringing the audience effortlessly from the general to the specific, from wide shot to close-up. The next 200 pages are prose, jumping forward to 1990 when a boy named Joseph Jervis has run away from boarding school in search of an uncle he has never met. Uncle Albert, who lives in a home maintained in much the same way as the Dennis Severs’ House, has been reclusive ever since losing his “beloved” to AIDS, but Joseph and the neighbor girl he befriends, Frankie, refuse to stay away. Viewed narrowly, it’s a love letter to the Dennis Severs’ House, but readers won’t need preexisting knowledge of the museum to enjoy this powerful story about creating lasting art and finding family in unexpected places. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Marvels:New York Times BestsellerNew York Times Notable Children's BookAn Indie Bound #1 National BestsellerGuardian Children's Book Prize FinalistPublishers Weekly Best Book* “Selznick continues his quest to shake up notions of illustrated novels, wordless storytelling, and the intersection of text and pictures in this newest volume . . . The novel as a whole is exactly the sort of theater that is so lovingly described within.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review* “Caldecott Medalist Selznick has been creating acclaimed illustrated novels for years now, and his latest takes his groundbreaking narrative format to new heights . . . [this] warm, affecting family tale is bittersweet, astonishing, and truly marvelous.” — Booklist, starred review* “. . . epic theater celebrating mysteries of the heart and spirit.” — Kirkus, starred review* “[A] powerful story about creating lasting art and finding family in unexpected places.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review* “Memorable, momentous.” — School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2015-06-16
In the final volume of a trilogy connected by theme, structural innovation, and exquisite visual storytelling, Selznick challenges readers to see.Starting in 1766, the first portion unfolds in nearly 400 pages of pictures, rendered in pencil. A ship in shadows, a luminous angel, an abandoned baby in a basket—these are among the phenomena affecting five generations of London actors. Disguises and surprises reveal that what one sees is not always what is true. Fast-forwarding to the 1990s, the author describes in prose a runaway who peers longingly into a candlelit dwelling. Joseph is searching for an uncle and something more elusive—family. Observant readers will recall this recently viewed address. Inspired by the actual Dennis Severs' House (where scent, sound, setting, and the motto "You either see it or you don't" transport visitors to 18th-century London), Selznick provides a sensory equivalent throughout his eloquent and provocative text. The poetry of Yeats and references to The Winter's Tale add luster. Carefully crafted chapters pose puzzles and connect to the prior visual narrative. In poignant scenes, the teen learns about his uncle's beloved, lost to AIDS but present through the truths of the home's staged stories. A powerful visual epilogue weaves threads from both sections, and the final spread presents a heartening awakening to sight.Time, grief, forgiveness, and love intersect in epic theater celebrating mysteries of the heart and spirit. (notes) (Fiction. 10 & up)

Kirkus Reviews