Elise Broach's transitional reader about the stars of her longer novel Masterpiece is just right. It's long enough for children to feel accomplished at its completion without feeling overwhelmed; it hits the right balance of text and illustrations, and it deals with a common dilemma that seven- and eight-year-olds face.
James Pompaday is going away with his family on vacation. Will he still care about Marvin (a beetle) as much when he returns? And what will Marvin do while James is away? The book centers on Marvin, who helps James pack by crossing things off the boy's list, and makes sure James does not forget his book: "Marvin can't read, but he is good at crossing things off." Marvin misses James, but his mother suggests that Marvin team up with his cousin Elaine. Kelly Murphy's humorous drawings depict the beetles seeking adventure in Mr. Pompaday's pencil sharpener, diving into a soft bed of wooden shavings, and narrowly escaping when a pencil blocks their exit. When Marvin overhears Mr. Pompaday say that he's glad James is making friends, he fears that the boy has forgotten all about him. Yet James returns, saying, "I wish you could have gone with me." James and Marvin are happiest when they're together--and don't mind admitting it.
This wise and funny book will provide much-needed reassurance to children facing a vacation spent apart from their BFFs, and will likely lead them on to James and Marvin's further adventures in Masterpiece. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness