Parents' Guide to

The Marvels

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Epic saga of theater family, told mostly in pictures.

Book Brian Selznick Contemporary Fiction 2015
The Marvels Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

caz101
caz101 Adult
January 7, 2016
age 6+

Moving, Imaginative and Multi-layered: A Great Story (/Stories) for Anyone!

We just finished this book, and I want to go back and re-read already--it's beautifully done, both in its stirring pictures (which feel so ALIVE!) and the many nuanced, real characters. Children of all ages, as well as their parents (and adult readers without children, for that matter) will find many things to love here. I liked "Hugo," loved "Wonderstruck," and would put this one somewhere inbetween. I feel I need to address the only other (as of this writing) review on this, too, which claims there is "explicit" material here. Perhaps this person lives in a hole (or a closet), or doesn't understand what that word means, for there is nothing explicit in this book. This same reviewer claims to not be "gay bashing"--a bad sign, when you have to lead with this--but then puts in the review's title "Gay relationships!" as the first "warning". This is insulting and angering. Not to mention small-minded and homophobic, of course. There is in fact no controversy here. There are gay relationships, but then, so what? My children absolutely loved this story for what it is: a brilliant, imaginative and complex tale (or several tales in one, actually) they'll read again and again. More than anything, it's a story about love, and about the limitless possibilities of love and of stories. That is surely something we can all get behind. (And thank goodness we are growing up in an age when anyone, gay or straight, can marry the ones they love. My children didn't even question the relationships here.) I will be recommending this book to everyone!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

In 1766, young Billy Marvel and his dog, Tar, are the sole survivors of a shipwreck that claimed the life of Billy's brother Marcus, among its many victims. Rescued by an English ship, Billy and Tar find a home at a London theater, launching a famous acting dynasty, THE MARVELS, whose tale unfolds in nearly 400 pages of Selznick's skilled, meticulous, poignant drawings, leaving the page-turning reader in shocked suspense. As the prose narrative begins, it's 1990 in London, where 13-year-old Joseph Jervis just ran away from boarding school and is working up the nerve to ring the doorbell of his uncle Albert, whom he's never met. He'll soon encounter the legacy of the Marvels and try to discover what it has to do with him and his family.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (4):

Brian Selznick delivers another stunner in the intertwined sagas -- told mostly in pictures -- of a shipwrecked boy in 1766, the theatrical dynasty he founded, and a teen runaway in 1990. Keep the box of tissues handy, as there's plenty of loss and many heartstring-tugging moments along the way, as well as lots of love, humor, and miracles in the strangest of places.

It's a lush, complex tapestry of stories that rewards many visits. It also explores many deep subjects (death, loss, families, relationships, truth and fiction -- and which is which), as well as history that may be news to today's young readers, such as the AIDS epidemic. Gay and straight couples, and the joy and grief of their relationships, are essential to the story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stories -- true, made-up, and something in between -- that bring people together and keep them connected. Do you have any family legends? Why do you think they survive from generation to generation in your family?

  • Do you like books that jump around in time? How does the art help tell the story? Have you read other Brian Selznick books? How is The Marvels different or similar?

  • Do you know about the AIDS epidemic of the '90s and the impact it had on people's lives? Do you know anyone who lived in those times and were affected? Are things better today?

Book Details

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