Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/15/2020 Marvin and Elaine, two beetles, are wildly excited to join Marvin’s human friend, James, on his first visit to his father and stepmother’s home in the country. Their exploits begin when James loses his train ticket, but Marvin retrieves it just in time. While James is with his family, the beetles amuse themselves by swinging from a “rope” (yoyo string). Most thrilling of all is their wild ride in a toy boat headed down a creek. Nearly snapped up by a frog’s long, sticky tongue, they figure out how to bring James to the rescue. Though the wide-spaced lines of print are large enough for a beginning reader, in all other respects, this volume looks like a standard chapter book. Murphy’s appealing pen-and-ink drawings, shaded with gray and green tones, appear on nearly every page and help readers envision the fantasy elements within the realistic settings. Combining adventure, imagination, and an enjoyable story, this fifth volume in the Masterpiece Adventures series ends on a reassuring note: even when they grow up, Marvin and James will always be friends. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.