Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever

Marvin

by Katherine Paterson, Jane Clark Brown (Illustrator)

... and Marvin is worried. His big sister, May, always makes great presents for their parents, and Marvin's are never as good. But this year, he is determined to make the best Christmas present ever -- one that will last forever.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 1997

About the author

Katherine Womeldorf Paterson is an American writer best known for children's novels, including Bridge to Terabithia. For four different books published 1975–1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Awards. She is one of four people to win the two major international awards; for "lasting contribution to children's literature" she won the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 1998 and for her career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" she won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2006, the biggest monetary prize in children's literature. Also for her body of work she was awarded the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2007 and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 2013. She was the second US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving 2010 and 2011.

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of young readers will be able to relate to Marvin's dilemma. He wants to get his parents and amazing Christmas present that will make them happy and last forever. His sister is really good at making great gifts, but he doesn't feel like the things that he makes are ever really good enough. Finally he has a great idea, and with his sister's help he makes his parents something that is awesome. But how is he going to make it last forever? The relatable storyline and the warmly illustrated pages make this a great book to share with children during the days leading up to Christmas.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with a truly awesome gift for your parents. Kids will definitely be able to Marvin's problem. His older sister can make awesome gifts, so he needs her help to come up with something special that will last forever. When he presents his gift, it's going to be a trick to get it to stay forever. This would be a great story to us to talk about conflict and resolution.

[Kathleen Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It’s so sweet and real! I think we will read this every year!

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 4 out of 5]

We thought this was a sweet Christmas story and I know a thing or two about handmade Christmas gifts hanging all year round.

[Aarvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvin Gates is a little brother who feels that he will never be as good at things as his older sister, May. Specifically, he is worried that his Christmas present to his parents won’t be something they’ll want to keep forever, as they’re sure to do with May’s collection of stories and drawings. After agonizing over the decision for a while, Marvin is finally inspired by a neighbor’s decorations and decides to make a wreath. His sister helps him with the trickier parts, but gives him full credit for the gift idea, and both parents love it. The only problem is - even when the wreath dries out, Marvin can’t bear to let them take it down, so it remains on the end of the trailer until Easter - and, due to a surprise twist at the end, beyond.

This book speaks to a desire I think many kids share - to hang onto Christmas all year round. It also empowers and validates the feelings of younger siblings who feel inferior in the face of their older siblings’ achievements. These universal ideas make the story familiar from the start and will draw kids in by speaking to them on their level.

Newbery-winning author Katherine Paterson’s use of dialogue keeps the story moving, and is especially useful when there are big jumps in time from one holiday to the next throughout the year. The story is on the longer side for an easy reader, since it is a Level 3, but the vocabulary is still simple enough that beginners are able to sound out words they may not know, including the main characters’ first names. There are also a number of colorful words, such as tiptoed and trailer, which provide opportunities to learn new vocabulary and also add some creativity and style to the telling of the story. The only thing missing, I might argue, is a sense of Marvin’s personality. I understood his emotions and relationships, but he felt like he could be any boy, and I had no real connection to him beyond the experiences narrated in this particular book. I don’t feel as though I know the character well enough to describe him.

The late Jane Clark Brown’s illustrations add another charming layer to the story. Her detailed ink and watercolor paintings realistically depict life on a Vermont farm, and her attention to detail really impresses me. I love that we are able to see outside the door, for example, on the page where Mom steps inside from the porch. I also loved seeing the cat playing and dozing upon various objects in many of the pictures. The snow rabbit Marvin and his dad build during the unexpected Easter snowstorm is another great detail that adds something to the story beyond what the text describes.I also liked the way Brown uses color to indicate the changing seasons and the passing of time, both in the landscape, and in the wreath itself.

Marvin, who is also the hero of Marvin One Too Many and The Smallest Cow in the World, is the kind of character every child can relate to. Though this particular book is likely to appeal most to kids who celebrate Christmas, it’s not really focused on Christmas, as much as it is on the importance of gift giving, and on Marvin’s need for recognition. I’d recommend this book to second and third graders looking for an interesting and surprising easy reader on a Christmas theme.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvin can't decide what to make his family for Christmas. His sister, May, is making an illustrated book of all of the stories she's written. Marvin knows he'll never come up with anything that good. Then, he decides to make an evergreen wreath to hang on the side of the family's trailer. He can't get the branches tied together right and goes to May for help. She assures him that it will still be his present. They hang the wreath on Christmas Eve day while their parents are out running errands. Both mother and father are surprised and pleased with Marvin's present. On New Year's Day, May suggests that they take down the wreath. Marvin protests saying that it is still green and beautiful. Mother says that the wreath can stay a little longer. The wreath hangs on the trailer through Valentine's Day and Easter. By the time the snow thaws for spring, the evergreen branches are brown and dry. The red ribbon is faded and bedraggled. Father decides that the wreath definitely needs to go. Marvin hides in the truck and cries. Then his father comes back and says that he has a surprise to show everyone. A bird is nesting in the wreath. She has six tiny eggs nestled in the straw she wove into the branches. So Marvin's "best Christmas present ever" stays a little longer.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a nice, short Christmas story from an author who really knows her way around the concept of writing books about this holiday. Considering the brevity of the text, the characters and story are remarkably well-developed, and provide an insightful look into the narrative as a whole. I think that most readers will readily identify with Marvin, and with his desire to create for his parents a Christmas gift that won't be forgotten or disposed of in a few years, but which will last forever.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grandbaby and I enjoyed this book, she because I think of the illustrations but I did because it was a Christmas book but not the traditional 'all stories are the same' book. The little girl and boy siblings worked together to help one another when the boy was upset because he didn't have anything 'grand' to give to his parents for Christmas. He got an idea and his sister helped him out. Very nicely written.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was afraid that this story was not very timely. With its Christmas title, it had sat in our library bag awhile and I wasn't sure if perhaps it was a little too late in the season to read it. Little did I know that this is the perfect story to read as all of the Christmas decorations are put away and thoughts are focused on the new year. It's a sweet tale and our girls enjoyed it.

[Katrina Yazzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book for the holiday spirit. It's about a boy who wants to make the best Christmas present ever that will last forever. It's a beginning readers book so children can read it with not that many text and the text is big enough to easily read. Some of the vocabulary are used more than once throughout the story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a family, who live in a trailer, on a farm. The older sister is good at everything, in the eyes of her brother Marvin. Marvin wants to make a gift for his parents, that they will keep forever. He gets a good idea for a gift, and then needs to ask his sister for her help. She tells him it will be his gift, because he came up with the idea. This is a good little book.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marvin makes a wreath for Christmas and cannot bear to take it down. That is the plot. The saving grace is that his character (as much character as you can get in an easy reader) is likable.

[Larena · Rating 3 out of 5]

C: CHILDREN: No offensive language, sex or nudity but might contain occasional comedic Violence.

E:Easy: 3rd grade Vocabulary

Method: Physical Book

Location: Chautaugua-Cattaraugus Library System

[Jennifer Aviani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book. My 5 year old and I really enjoyed it.