Marv : An Inventor with Imagination
Do you have a reluctant reader in your family? When my tween needed some encouragement to read I stumbled across Marv by Marilyn Sachs.
Marv is an inventor. His mind is always working; thinking of new inventions. He builds a revolving door, an elevator to lift groceries to the second floor and a cement river in the front yard.
Marv is focused and inventive but does not see the whole picture the way his exasperated older sister does.
What I like about this book is the way it shows a young boy using his imagination in a hands-on creative way. It not only captured my son's interest in reading it also sparked his imaginagion and got hime started on creating his own inventions.
This book should especially appeal to homeschoolers looking for validation for allowing their children time for play.
Marv by Marilyn Sachs
Great book for Reluctant Readers
Marv Green likes to build things that seem purposeless to others, like an igloo made of bricks in his back yard. His teachers consider him stupid, and his brilliant older sister, whom he admires more than anyone else in the world, calls him a failure. What will become of a boy who is part dreamer, part nuisance, part fool, and perhaps, part genius?"Marv
Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
"Marv is a genius builder who seems to construct only useless things--but they make sense to him."
Marv: the Solution for the Reluctant Reader
Suggestions for the Reluctant Reader
My son loved Marv. I read the first chapter with him, laughing all the way. We talked about Marv's inventions and his sister's reactions. Then life interfered and I was not able to keep reading at that moment. The next thing I knew, I found him curled up in a chair reading.
He read the book from cover to cover and didn't even want to stop to eat. My son, the reluctant reader, was devouring a book! I was so thrilled.
A few days later, I found him working with cardboard, Legos and k'Nex trying to make revolving doors and escalators.
Marv was the key to breaking through the barrier of the reluctant reader for my son and for many other children that I have suggested this book to since.
What did you think?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byMy Reluctant Reader will love Marv.
groovyoldlady says:
This sounds like a great book for my Cupcake. She's not reluctant to read as much as she's just having a low start - reading at a 1st grade level when she's 8 and 1/2. However, readable books with interesting content really help to motivate her. I've added this book to my library list!
Posted November 09, 2009
nancy says:
i think it is a good book.
Posted October 06, 2009
ShushiDenMaster says:
This looks like a very entertaining book
- even inspiring to create something,
to get the inventing ball rolling.
I love the review, and the introduction to Marilyn Sachs.
Seeing her made me want to read a little more.
I have a feeling in this book we will see Merv invent with the little things he does have and create genius from simplicity.
Posted March 25, 2009
My Reluctant Reader would prefer books such as:
Best Cure for Reluctant Readers
Time to Rate Marv by Marilyn Sachs
Hand this book to a young boy who is interested in inventions. Read the first chapter with him if necessary. I have found very few boys who don't enjoy the inventiveness of Marv and wish that their parents allowed them to make such constructions in the back yard.
After reading about Marv, come back and rate it.
Understanding Parents
Marv's mother and father trusted him to use tools and allowed him access to whatever scraps were left over from projects around the house.
Marilyn Sachs's official site
Author of Marv
- Marilyn Sachs's official site
Marilyn Sachs was born in the Bronx, New York City. The street she lived on had no trees or flowers, but it had children - lots and lots of children. The street didn't go anywhere important, and cars seldom came through. In the summertime, it was frequently closed to traffic.
Biography of Marilyn Sachs
- Marilyn Sachs (1927-) Biography
- Marilyn Sachs, the author of more than thirty books for children and young adults, helped launch the trend of realistic fiction for young readers with her first book, 1964's Amy Moves In. Her middle-grade and young-adult novels, such as Veronica Ganz, The Fat Girl, and Lost in America, are known for their treatments of serious themes, such as bullying, divorce, family crises, and prejudice. Sachs' characters often do not fit into mainstream teenage life; distanced from their peers by circumstance or choice, they struggle with dilemmas in search of plausible solutions which will still allow them to be true to themselves.
They work out the problems that confront them by recounting their life stories. Sachs has been praised by critics for her ability to realistically portray relationships and has also been commended for incorporating relevant social issues in her works. In addition, reviewers have lauded her identification with and compassion for her sometimes flawed characters.
More books by Marilyn Sachs
Vote for your favorites, or add any I missed.
Now that you have read Marv, how about reading some more books by Marilyn Sachs. Do these books measure up?
First Impressions by Marilyn Sachs
" I read on. And then it happens. On page 89. more...0 points
Fran Ellen's House by Marilyn Sachs
When Fran and her brother and sisters reunite with more...0 points
Books about Inventing
Invention (DK Eyewitness Books)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
Mistakes that Worked
Silly Putty, trouser cuffs, Popsicles and penicillin
Amazon Price: $8.60 (as of 12/22/2009)
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Liquid Paper, Snugli, and Glo-sheet paper for writing in the dark.
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 12/22/2009)
Steven Caney's Invention Book
A project book for the would-be inventor with activities, a list of "contraptions" in need of invention, and the stories behind thirty-six existing inventions.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
Look Who's Twittering about Great Chapter Books for Homeschoolers
Suggestions for Reluctant Readers
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- Info_Searcher
- New Blog Post on Linda's Bestseller Reviews you can find it here http://www.lindaswritings.com/51/hooking-reluctant-readers/
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- ReadTexas
- RT @katesanford: From #dyslexia conference: High Noon readers are great for reluctant readers. http://budurl.com/zn4t #reading #dyslexia
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- evelynsaenz
- My Side of the Mountain Books for Reluctant Readers Read a chapter aloud, get them hooked. http://www.squidoo.com/my-side-of-the-mountain
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- mwaiksnis
- Will be reading diary of a wimpy kid series this weekend - students seem to love it. Probably a great bk for reluctant readers
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- avidbookreader
- @sarahtanner @KarenKnowsBest was reluctant to rec these books to romance readers. They are not very open to stories like this.
Marv is on GoodReads
Come rate Marv and discover more Good Reads
Books for the Reluctant Reader
This is a blog with suggestions of books that will break the spell of the reluctant reader.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMarv's Favorite Lenses
John Holt: UnschoolingUnschooling is learning based on the student's interests, needs, and goals. Parents are facilitators rather than teachers, helping their children to find resources for learning rather than being teaching a canned curriculum.
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My Side Of The Mountain
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A coming of age story about a boy who goes to the woods of upstate New York to live on his own for a year. He lives in a hollow tree, eats only what he can trap, fish or gather. Though he has some survival skills when he starts out he soon discovers...
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Garner Rix and the Royalton Raid - 1780
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Garner Rix was just 12 when he moved with his father, pregnant mother, two sisters and three brothers from a farm in Connecticut to a log cabin on the banks of the White River, a place that would one day be called Royalton, Vermont. He helped h...
Chatting about Marv
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Reply
- OhMe OhMe Nov 7, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
- Marv by Marilyn Sachs sounds like a wonderful book. I might be back here to purchase one for my grandson for Christmas. blessed
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Reply
- strayspay strayspay Nov 7, 2009 @ 7:54 am
- Nice book review lens! I'd love to read about Marv.
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Reply
- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Nov 7, 2009 @ 7:21 am | in reply to Stazjia
- Thank you, SquidAngel
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Reply
- Stazjia Stazjia Nov 7, 2009 @ 6:49 am
- 'Marv' by Marilyn Sachs sounds like an absolutely wonderful book. I'd never heard of it before but it's one I've made a note of to buy for my young nephew. Blessed by an Angel.
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Reply
- Treasures-By-Brenda Treasures-By-Brenda Apr 14, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
- Nicely done review! Blessed by a SquidAngel.
Brenda
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Hands-on Learning
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAbout the Reviewer of Marv
Find out what I'm up to when I'm not reading Marv:-
Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
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My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning should be integrated and no skills should be taught in isolation. I believe that each topic s...
Donor's Choice
Give More Children the chance to read Marv...
If you buy any of the books recommended above, this page automatically makes a donation to the incredible nonprofit, Donors Choose, which helps provide classrooms and students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. by Evelyn_Saenz
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