Marcus Makes It Big
Funny young filmmaker has great lessons about social media.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Marcus Makes It Big, by actor, comedian and author Kevin Hart, is the sequel to Marcus Makes a Movie. It's a funny, relatable story with great lessons about friendship, creativity, priorities, and navigating fame at any age. Young readers hoping to make their millions streaming and posting on social media will get a dose of reality from 12-year-old Marcus' obsession with social media numbers and easy money. His reaction when friends ask him to promote their work is a great reminder of how difficult fame can be, and how careful people have to be online and in the public eye. Hart's dialogue for Marcus, his family, and his friends is especially well written.
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What's the Story?
Marcus wakes up one day to find that the short film he and some friends made has gotten serious attention online, and he gets obsessed with tracking all his social media numbers. The time they used to spend writing and filming is now spent on schemes to get more subscribers to their social media channels and churn out new content fast. Marcus thinks he'll make it big after he and his co-creator, Sierra, are asked on a top-rated talk show, but they almost ruin it all by bickering onstage. Now they have to join forces in time to save what they've already built together -- and maybe get to build more.
Is It Any Good?
Author Kevin Hart combines humor and well-written, relatable dialogue to share important messages about friendship, the hard work of being creative, and the complexity of social media and publicity. Marcus Makes It Big takes a common dream -- fast fame and easy money from a hit movie -- and goes behind the scenes to see the impact on the creators, their friends, and their families. The story is fairly predictable, but the road Hart takes to get to the final chapter is filled with great lessons about the way we treat friends and the importance of working hard on the things that are truly important.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Marcus and Sierra's creative partnership affects their friendship in Marcus Makes It Big. What do you do when you and a friend have different ideas about something you're doing together?
How do you react when a friend asks you to do something you don't want to do?
What are some of the good things about social media? What are some of the ways it can be difficult?
Book Details
- Authors: Kevin Hart, Geoff Rodkey
- Illustrator: David Cooper
- Genre: Friendship
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication, Empathy, Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: May 3, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 240
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: May 6, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Marcus Makes a Movie
Story of friendship and filmmaking has humor and real depth.
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The Zero Degree Zombie Zone
Fast-paced adventure with friends, zombies, and magic.
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Shaking Up the House
Fun, prank-filled story set in White House has tween appeal.
For kids who love friendship tales and social media stories
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