The Marvels

The Marvels

Brain Selznick

Publish date September 2015

Grade 5

Published by Scholastic Inc.

Reading Level: 770L

2 starred reviews:

“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.”

Mary Eisenhart·Common Sense Media

““The Marvels” explores themes of time and family and seeing in absorbing, thought-provoking ways.”

Mary Quattlebaum·Washington Post

Summary:

            The Marvels, by Brian Selznick follows two stories separated by time. The fist story begins in 1766. This section of the book is told complete through roughly 400 pages of pictures. The story follows Billy Marvel who survives the shipwreck of the Kraken. When he returns home, he finds a home in the theatre. He grows his own family here and they have their legacy until 1900 when Leontes Marvel gets banned from the theatre and runs away. From here the story follows Joseph Jervis in 1990 as he runs away from school to find his long lost uncle in London that he has yet to meet. When he meets his uncle Albert Nightingale, it was not exactly how he imagined it would be. The old home he lived in was strategically set the same way each day. He continuously finds clues about the house, his family, and the past.

Description: Fiction

Suggested Delivery: individual, small group

Electronic Resources (2):

Scholastic Book Page

            This webpage is the scholastic page for the book. It has a summary of the book, the trailer, a sneak peak, and information about the author. This can be used for a pre reading activity.

                                                                

How the trailer was made

            This is a link to the youtube video of how Brian Selznick came up with and made the trailer for the text. This can be used for pre or post reading activity.

Vocabulary:

            Abandoned – empty for years

            Illuminating – lighting up

            Trousers – pants

            Lavatory – restroom

            Kettle – large pot

            Pub – restaurant and bar

            Entranced – interested

            Extravagantly – very over the top

            Miraculously – unexpectedly

Teaching Suggestions:

·      Use this book to learn about meeting new people

·      Use this book to learn about family history

·      Use this book to learn to work together

Pre Reading: The student will complete a KWL chart about the text. This will be done after viewing the summary and book trailer from the scholastic website. The students will only fill in the Know and Want to know sections at this time.

During Reading:  Students will participate in a Directed Reading-Thinking Activity. Students will be asked to read a certain part of the text and

After Reading: Students will participate in a Readers’ Theatre. The teacher will come up with the majority of the script for the students to use. The students will be able to add anything to the script that pertains to the text. The students will then present the readers’ theatre to another class.

Writing Activity:

            Students will write a journal entry. The entry will be about what it would be like to live in the 1700’s based on the images that Brian Selznick uses in the first part of the text. This should include the clothing, transportation, light, and what people do for fun on a daily basis.