The book I read is called Masterpiece, and it is by Elise Broach. There are two main characters in this book, James Pompaday, a ten year old boy, and Marvin, a beetle that lives in James’s family’s kitchen sink. So Marvin and his beetle family live in James’s family’s sink, and are very happy there. Most of the action takes place in their home. James’s parents are divorced, and James does not love his step dad. Karl, James’s real dad, got him an ink and pen set for his birthday, and James was not that happy, because he does not like to draw like his father does. The morning after receiving the gift, James saw a BEAUTIFUL picture set on the desk. James had no idea who had drawn it, as he knew he did not. Then he saw a little beetle beside it. Can you guess, yep it was Marvin. James’s parents think James drew this piece of art and he is scared to tell his parents the truth. I felt very badly for James at this point, because he is forced to lie to his parents.

There are a lot of BIG events in Masterpiece. But one of the biggest parts is when Marvin meets James. James had seen Marvin with the painting, and realized it was the beetle’s work. Then they started to get to know each other by communicating not by talking, but with gestures. From this moment, they became good pals and would see each other often. This was extremely important to the book because James now knows who had done the painting after seeing ink on Marvin’s legs. Even though James knows it is not his own work, he STILL takes credit for Marvin’s work. This is very hard for James throughout the book, especially because James’s mom wants her son to be the best so she can get attention. She’s a very bad mother. One thing that I found very interesting is that on James’s birthday his mom threw him a party with not his friends, but the children of her real estate clients. She did this just so she could talk with her clients and make business deals. I was so embarrassed for Mrs. Pompaday, because that is just a TERRIBLE behavior for a mom in my eyes. Another interesting part of the novel is when James’s REAL dad got him a pen and ink set for his birthday, when he knew James did not want to be an artist like him. This surprised me, because a dad should know his own kid.

Three adjectives to describe the main character Marvin are caring, kind, and adventurous. He is caring because even when James and Marvin were having fun together, he still was wondering how his parents were, and he missed them very much. I also think he is adventurous, because he and his cousin Elaine love to explore no matter the conditions. Last but not least, I think he is kind, because Marvin NEVER wants to let down his pal James, even if it puts himself in danger. Overall I think Mavin is a very kind little guy. One thing that Mavin said that I liked is “I cannot let my friend down.” I think this shows that Marvin is a good character.

I enjoyed this book very much because I got to see a bug’s perspective of the world, and a boy’s perspective of the world at the same exact time. I also liked it because it is about art, and I got to learn about the art world. I would love to suggest this book to other people because it is a unique tale. Readers can discover the meaning of friendship. This book reminds me of Matilda, because in both stories the grownups are shown in a negative way which makes them unlikable. I would rate this book 4 stars because it is a fascinating book.

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