Characters
Where did James live? Where did Marvin live?
James lived in New York City.
Marvin lived in the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink.
How did Marvin feel about the drawing he made with James’ art kit?
Marvin was pleased with the ink drawing he made because it was perfect and made James happy.
Would your teacher be happy to see you “engrossed” in your work? Explain why or why not.
Yes, a teacher would be happy to see you “engrossed” in your work because you would be involved and engaged in your work.
Where was Durer from?
Germany
Why did Marvin’s family like James so much?
Marvin’s family liked James so much because he was gentle and kind. James had just watched quietly when he saw Marvin trying to get an M&M across the floor.
Who was Elaine and how did she add interest to the story?
Elaine was Marvin’s cousin. She added interest by always dramatically relishing the worst possible outcome of any adventure.
Describe Marvin and Elaine’s adventure in the solarium.
Marvin and Elaine visited the turtle aquarium which they were not supposed to. Elaine fell in the tank and Marvin had to save her.
What would a plausible response be for why you did not do your homework?
My dog ate my homework.
What is virtue? Give an example of one of them.
Virtue- honorable characteristics
Ex. being brave, being fair
Describe James' family
James’s mother and father were divorced. He related more to his father than his selfish mother and step-father.
Where did Christina Balcony work?
Christina Balcony worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What did Christina ask James to draw?
Christina asked James to copy Dürer’s Fortitude because she thought that someone was going to try to steal the original masterpiece. They would substitute James’s copy and track it after it was stolen.
What are some things you would say if you were gloating about an A you received on a test.
Gloating-Bragging
I got an A on the test, I am the best!
I studied so hard and I am so smart!
I did the best out of everyone!
Why do people buy stolen art if they can never display it publicly?
People steal art for its own sake, to enjoy it in private. They steal it selfishly for the love of the picture.
What did Marvin’s family give him at the end of the story?
Marvin’s dad and Uncle made him an art studio.
Who was the art expert from California who brought the valuable art to the New York exhibition?
Denny (Dennis MacGuffin) was the art expert from California who brought the valuable art to the New York exhibition.
Who stole the masterpiece?
Denny stole the masterpiece and was planning to fly to Frankfurt with it.
What is a synonym for the word surreptitiously?
“James looked at Marvin, took the tack and dropped it on the floor, and then surreptitiously placed the beetle under his jacket cuff.”
Surreptitiously-Secretly
What would make one Dürer miniature even more valuable? Why was that not possible?
One Dürer miniature would be even more valuable if all 4 of the drawings could have been together - Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, and Prudence. That wasn’t possible because the other three had been stolen.
What happened to James’ hand at the end of the story? Why did this happen?
James’ hand got shut in the car trunk. This happened because James did not want to draw for his mother anymore.
Name one challenge Marvin OR James face in the story. Describe how he overcomes this challenge.
James
-not wanting to draw anymore, hurt his hand
Marvin
-becoming independent and making his own choices
-communicating with James
-being a loyal friend when his parents didn’t want him to help James
How did they get the painting back? What happened to the thief?
Marvin had cut out the address label off of Denny’s newspaper took it to James. With the help of Marvin, James found the drawing, discovered who the thief was, and returned to the museum with the drawing safely in its case. Denny, the thief, escaped.
Give an example of a situation where someone or something would obscure your view.
Obscure-I sit in the back of the class and the tallest person in the grade sits in front of me
Name the 4 virtue drawings. Why are they more valuable together?
There are 4 altogether, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence. They are more valuable together because it is a complete collection.
How did James and Marvin communicate? Give an example of a specific thing Marvin did to tell James something.
They played hot and cold so James could get Marvin back to his house.
Marvin poked James with a tack to get his attention in the museum.