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The Frame-Up: A Fantasy About Living Paintings and Art Heist Intrigue for Children
When Sargent Singer discovers that the paintings in his father’s gallery are alive, he’s pulled into a captivating world behind the frame he never knew existed. Filled with devious plots, shady characters, and a grand art heist, this inventive mystery-adventure celebrates art and artists and is perfect for fans of Night at the Museum and Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer. School Library Journal said, “This middle grade read paints fantasy, humor, and mystery into a satisfying tale about the power of friendship.” There’s one important rule at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery—don’t let anyone know the paintings are alive. Mona Dunn, forever frozen at thirteen when her portrait was painted by William Orpen, has just broken that rule. Luckily twelve-year-old Sargent Singer, an aspiring artist himself, is more interested in learning about the vast and intriguing world behind the frame than he is in sharing her secret. And when Mona and Sargent suspect shady dealings are happening behind the scenes at the gallery, they set out to uncover the culprit. They must find a way to save the gallery—and each other—before they are lost forever. With an imaginative setting, lots of intrigue, and a thoroughly engaging cast of characters, The Frame-Up will captivate readers of Jacqueline West’s The Books of Elsewhere series. Booklist said, “This chapter book’s most memorable element is also its most the imaginative conviction that art is alive.” Includes images of the real paintings featured in the book.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
20 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
About the author
Wendy McLeod MacKnight
6 books92 followersWendy McLeod MacKnight lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and wrote her debut novel at age nine. During her first career, she worked for the Government of New Brunswick, as the Deputy Minister of Education among other positions. She has been known to wander art galleries and have spirited conversations with the paintings – mostly in her head, though sometimes not. She hopes readers will be inspired after they read The Frame-Up to create their own masterpieces and visit their own local art galleries. And even better, she hopes they’ll come to Fredericton and visit the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and meet Mona and the rest of the characters in the book.
www.wendymcleodmacknight.com
www.wendymcleodmacknight.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 24, 2022
So my final verdict regarding Wendy McLeod MacKnight's The Frame-Up is definitely a trifle conflicted. Yes indeed, I have very much and most definitely enjoyed (even loved) the entire premise and set-up of how in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, ALL of the paintings are seemingly alive and not just partially but wholly and completely so, with sorrows and joys, with jealousies, peccadilloes, you name it (and with the author's explantation as to why the paintings are in fact alert and living, as to why both the human and some of the animal characters are walking around, are feeling, talking, forging friendships, contemplating marriage etc. being in my humble opinion just such a beautiful and delightfully fanciful scenario, and namely that an artist painting a given picture also pours part of his or her innermost soul into this and thereby provides the spark of bona fide existence to and for his or her artistic creation).
But my delight with the above notwithstanding and especially with the wonderful and realistically true friendship that develops between Sargent Singer (a teenaged boy) and Mona Dunn (a teenaged girl but of course also first and foremost a 1915 painting) and how at the end of The Frame-Up Sargent actually also manages to find an absolutely art-inspired and based way for him and Mona to remain friends forever and unchangeably so at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, this is sadly lessened and tempered a bit (to and for me) with the addition of a rather typical to be solved art heist and mystery, with a storyline that does perhaps make The Frame-Up more exciting and conflict-heavy, but that personally, I for one have found that entire art heist scenario a bit too standard and same old same old. And yes indeed, I would therefore much rather have been reading more about the paintings themselves (and their lives, their loves etc.) and also about Sargent Singer's relationship with his estranged father, all of which have really strong beginnings in The Frame-Up but then kind of fizzle out a bit as the mystery and planned heist are inserted and kind of totally take over everything and the entire plot.
And thus, for and to me and of course also totally in my own humble opinion, if Wendy McLeod MacKnight had in The Frame-Up eschewed relying on the far far too often and tediously so used and reused trope of needing mystery and subterfuge in an art and artist themed novel and had concentrated instead more completely and wholly on the art gallery paintings themselves and how they interact with one another and with the "normal"people surrounding them (such as Sargent, Isaac, Janice and the art campers), I do think that I would be giving The Frame-Up at least four and perhaps even five stars, but yes, that the mystery section, whilst interesting enough to a point (and it sure is neat how the paintings actually raise the alarm that they are about to be stolen) has definitely also been a bit tedious and repetitive and as such therefore also lessened my reading pleasure and joy to a high but still a bit frustrated three star rating.
But my delight with the above notwithstanding and especially with the wonderful and realistically true friendship that develops between Sargent Singer (a teenaged boy) and Mona Dunn (a teenaged girl but of course also first and foremost a 1915 painting) and how at the end of The Frame-Up Sargent actually also manages to find an absolutely art-inspired and based way for him and Mona to remain friends forever and unchangeably so at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, this is sadly lessened and tempered a bit (to and for me) with the addition of a rather typical to be solved art heist and mystery, with a storyline that does perhaps make The Frame-Up more exciting and conflict-heavy, but that personally, I for one have found that entire art heist scenario a bit too standard and same old same old. And yes indeed, I would therefore much rather have been reading more about the paintings themselves (and their lives, their loves etc.) and also about Sargent Singer's relationship with his estranged father, all of which have really strong beginnings in The Frame-Up but then kind of fizzle out a bit as the mystery and planned heist are inserted and kind of totally take over everything and the entire plot.
And thus, for and to me and of course also totally in my own humble opinion, if Wendy McLeod MacKnight had in The Frame-Up eschewed relying on the far far too often and tediously so used and reused trope of needing mystery and subterfuge in an art and artist themed novel and had concentrated instead more completely and wholly on the art gallery paintings themselves and how they interact with one another and with the "normal"people surrounding them (such as Sargent, Isaac, Janice and the art campers), I do think that I would be giving The Frame-Up at least four and perhaps even five stars, but yes, that the mystery section, whilst interesting enough to a point (and it sure is neat how the paintings actually raise the alarm that they are about to be stolen) has definitely also been a bit tedious and repetitive and as such therefore also lessened my reading pleasure and joy to a high but still a bit frustrated three star rating.
July 31, 2018
One perk of being a teacher is that you have an excuse to read kids’ books! A friend, who is a reading specialist recommended this book to me. I have to confess, I loved this book more than I expected, and couldn’t put it down. I am an art teacher, so a book about paintings that come to life (think Harry Potter) combined with an art forgery/art theft mystery, and art history was irresistible. The adult and kid characters were very well written, and relatable. I loved that the paintings that came to life and became characters are reproduced in the front of the book, and are all real paintings. There were so many layers to the story, and it felt magical and yet real at the same time.
May 30, 2018
This book was so much fun! Who hasn't wondered if the people in paintings are all shenaniganizing behind our backs. THE FRAME-UP takes that question and runs with it, spinning a tale full of good humour and delightful adventure.
I loved the balance of the two POVs between Mona and Sargent. The build-up of their friendship wove seamlessly between their storylines. I'm a sucker for family and friendship drama as well which was happening in front of and behind the frames.
A fair bit of Canadiana and art history also cropped up among the descriptions of the vivid life of the paintings' residents which I found just as interesting as the actual plot!
And...AND!!!! The twist at the end is one of my favourite things ever. I found myself *hoping* something like it would happen, but when it did - there was cheering.
It was a treat to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story.
I loved the balance of the two POVs between Mona and Sargent. The build-up of their friendship wove seamlessly between their storylines. I'm a sucker for family and friendship drama as well which was happening in front of and behind the frames.
A fair bit of Canadiana and art history also cropped up among the descriptions of the vivid life of the paintings' residents which I found just as interesting as the actual plot!
And...AND!!!! The twist at the end is one of my favourite things ever. I found myself *hoping* something like it would happen, but when it did - there was cheering.
It was a treat to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story.
January 5, 2018
I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of Wendy McLeod MacKnight’s much-awaited MG novel THE FRAME-UP, in exchange for an honest review.
In this charming middle-grade mystery, we meet Mona Dunn, a 13-year-old girl from a wealthy family who happens to be live inside a painting, the eponymous Mona Dunn, at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Mona, who is very much alive despite the fact that she was painted in 1915, shares wall space with other “residents” of famous paintings, including the Cotterell family, Helena Rubinstein, W. Somerset Maugham, and the founder of the gallery himself, Lord Beaverbrook (aka Max Aitken). Meanwhile, the gallery director’s son, 13-year-old Sargent Singer, discovers that the paintings are alive but doesn’t know what to do with this enormous, hard-to-fathom secret. He also doesn’t know how to handle the possibility that Mr. Sneely, the creepy art restorer brought in to work magic on Merrymaking, might be an art forger and involved in an elaborate art heist. With lively characters, oodles of intrigue, and a fast-paced plot, THE FRAME-UP is a middle-grade masterpiece! Highly recommended.
In this charming middle-grade mystery, we meet Mona Dunn, a 13-year-old girl from a wealthy family who happens to be live inside a painting, the eponymous Mona Dunn, at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Mona, who is very much alive despite the fact that she was painted in 1915, shares wall space with other “residents” of famous paintings, including the Cotterell family, Helena Rubinstein, W. Somerset Maugham, and the founder of the gallery himself, Lord Beaverbrook (aka Max Aitken). Meanwhile, the gallery director’s son, 13-year-old Sargent Singer, discovers that the paintings are alive but doesn’t know what to do with this enormous, hard-to-fathom secret. He also doesn’t know how to handle the possibility that Mr. Sneely, the creepy art restorer brought in to work magic on Merrymaking, might be an art forger and involved in an elaborate art heist. With lively characters, oodles of intrigue, and a fast-paced plot, THE FRAME-UP is a middle-grade masterpiece! Highly recommended.
August 25, 2018
Oh my god, this book was so adorable. I'm still reeling from that perfect ending.
I guess the only word I can think of when thinking of this book is pure. There isn't any misplaced comedy or really anything I had a problem with. I don't know if this was the publisher's or author's decision, but I'm glad they included pictures of the art pieces within the book, while also giving some history of the actual art gallery.
This is a book that would please kids who are interested in art and any other who dream of a world where paintings come to life. It's something we've all thought of at some point, but I haven't yet read a book where that was the entire plot.
It's really just a great standalone. Definitely get a recommendation from me.
I guess the only word I can think of when thinking of this book is pure. There isn't any misplaced comedy or really anything I had a problem with. I don't know if this was the publisher's or author's decision, but I'm glad they included pictures of the art pieces within the book, while also giving some history of the actual art gallery.
This is a book that would please kids who are interested in art and any other who dream of a world where paintings come to life. It's something we've all thought of at some point, but I haven't yet read a book where that was the entire plot.
It's really just a great standalone. Definitely get a recommendation from me.
February 12, 2018
I just finished Wendy McLeod MacKnight's THE FRAME UP. It's about a real art gallery in Canada, The Beaverbrook. The paintings there have a secret (in the novel), they are alive. A painting of a 13 year old girl named Mona Dunn (real painting) is accidentally found out by the 12 year old son of the gallery director and they become friends. It's a fun story, and WOW, the author does an amazing job of creating characters for the paintings, imagining the constraints, limitations, and frustrations of the magic that makes them real. An exciting climax will keep kids turning pages, and the story's resolution is absolute perfection. Final book will include full color reproductions of the key paintings!
September 15, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this book! If you have even a passing interest in art, I would encourage you to pick up this book. If you have ever visited the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, NB, then this is a MUST read! Imagine all of the people in the paintings coming alive at night once all of the visitors leave. What a cool premise. Throw in a cast of characters that are extremely relatable like our protagonist Sargent and his friends (both in real life and the paintings), and add an element of mystery and you've got one heck of a story. I also enjoyed the moments with Sargent and his father Isaac getting to really know one another, and how they were able to build an authentic relationship built on trust once they were completely honest with each other. The character of Isaac and his struggle to overcome his substance abuse problems is all to real for a lot of kids who witness these struggles in their own homes, and I really liked that Isaac recognized that he needed to make amends. I feel like that is a positive and hopeful message for kids who may need it.
Although there were definitely clues as to who the 'bad guys' were, there were also a few red herrings that kept me guessing up until the reveal. Also, I have to say that I absolutely LOVED the ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a blend of fantasy and mystery with a little family drama thrown into the mix (and who wouldn't like that?!). If you are a kid growing up in New Brunswick, you've got to read this book!
Although there were definitely clues as to who the 'bad guys' were, there were also a few red herrings that kept me guessing up until the reveal. Also, I have to say that I absolutely LOVED the ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a blend of fantasy and mystery with a little family drama thrown into the mix (and who wouldn't like that?!). If you are a kid growing up in New Brunswick, you've got to read this book!
July 19, 2018
What a great read!
The Beaverbrook Art Gallery has a secret...the painting are alive, and the residents have a set of rules they must strictly follow so gallery visitors do not uncover their secret. But when one rule is broken, followed by several more, the impact on everyone involved is life-changing.
I love that this book is based on actual art (and picture of the paintings whose characters are alive in the book are included at the front, which really adds to the story), and sparks the reader to think about paintings in a new way. There’s a mystery solve, but important growth for the characters, too. I’d love to travel to New Brunswick and have Wendy McLeod MacKnight give me one of her special museum tours. If this book isn’t in your TBR yet, please add it.
The Beaverbrook Art Gallery has a secret...the painting are alive, and the residents have a set of rules they must strictly follow so gallery visitors do not uncover their secret. But when one rule is broken, followed by several more, the impact on everyone involved is life-changing.
I love that this book is based on actual art (and picture of the paintings whose characters are alive in the book are included at the front, which really adds to the story), and sparks the reader to think about paintings in a new way. There’s a mystery solve, but important growth for the characters, too. I’d love to travel to New Brunswick and have Wendy McLeod MacKnight give me one of her special museum tours. If this book isn’t in your TBR yet, please add it.
March 20, 2018
What a fun book about a boy who, as he spends the summer with his father, discovers something magical about the gallery that his father runs. In this world, the subjects of the paintings are alive and move and interact with each other. But they must never interact with the humans who visit the gallery, that is strictly forbidden! Fortunately both the humans and the paintings, rules are made to be broken. Young Sargent Singer discovers the secret of the paintings and manages to show them some of our modern world. This was a fun, imaginative book with an artistic slant!
June 21, 2018
If you like middle-grade novels and you are an art lover, you should pick-up The Frame-Up from Wendy McLeod MacKnight.
I simply LOVED everything about this book: the characters, the art, the setting, the plot. In my opinion, it is an amazing way to get kids interested in art!
When I get the chance to visit Fredericton, I will for sure stop at the Beaverbrook Gallery to say hello to my new friends. :)
I simply LOVED everything about this book: the characters, the art, the setting, the plot. In my opinion, it is an amazing way to get kids interested in art!
When I get the chance to visit Fredericton, I will for sure stop at the Beaverbrook Gallery to say hello to my new friends. :)
July 17, 2018
Interesting story, FABULOUS ENDING!
January 15, 2023
I probably shouldn't have started this near the holidays, lots of stopping and restarting but def worth it. Makes me wish I was a middle school teacher or a kid again, I have had all the paintings recreated by the kids pinned around the classroom as we read the story.
November 16, 2018
This is such a great book. I love how creative it is. How the paintings come alive, and Sargent saves the paintings, plus all the awesome things in the middle! This book is for fourth grade and up, i will never stop reading it, ever! Thank you so much for creating such an amazing book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2018
4.5 stars
You know those paintings in the Harry Potter books, the ones at Hogwarts that interact with the students and professors? I don't know if this where author Wendy McLeod MacKnight found her inspiration, but she's taken the premise of painted beings interacting with flesh-and-blood humans and run with it to great effect!
As an art history major and a past employee of another Canadian museum, I’ve been excited to read The Frame-Up since I first got wind of the story. Wendy did not disappoint! There's so much to enjoy here. The writing (pacing, plot, voice, etc.) is excellent. The mystery of who might be cooking up plans to steal the paintings--and the beings who reside within them--keeps the pages turning and the guesses coming. The varied cast of characters (painted and real) are drawn so well, especially Sargent and Mona. I think a lot of readers will relate to their struggles to forge new friendships, while they cope with the restrictions put upon them by well-meaning but misguided authority figures. Add to all this, that perfect ending, and a chance to brush up on your Canadiana, and you have one terrific book! In fact, it’s inspired my plans for this long holiday weekend, which is to revisit the Art Gallery of Ontario and I see if I can’t strike up a conversation with the Lady of Shalott in John William Waterhouse’s 1915 painting. Hmm...maybe we can even figure out a way to get her out of that darn tower--or I can at least share a couple "Bletchley Circle" episodes with her on my iPhone, or...
You know those paintings in the Harry Potter books, the ones at Hogwarts that interact with the students and professors? I don't know if this where author Wendy McLeod MacKnight found her inspiration, but she's taken the premise of painted beings interacting with flesh-and-blood humans and run with it to great effect!
As an art history major and a past employee of another Canadian museum, I’ve been excited to read The Frame-Up since I first got wind of the story. Wendy did not disappoint! There's so much to enjoy here. The writing (pacing, plot, voice, etc.) is excellent. The mystery of who might be cooking up plans to steal the paintings--and the beings who reside within them--keeps the pages turning and the guesses coming. The varied cast of characters (painted and real) are drawn so well, especially Sargent and Mona. I think a lot of readers will relate to their struggles to forge new friendships, while they cope with the restrictions put upon them by well-meaning but misguided authority figures. Add to all this, that perfect ending, and a chance to brush up on your Canadiana, and you have one terrific book! In fact, it’s inspired my plans for this long holiday weekend, which is to revisit the Art Gallery of Ontario and I see if I can’t strike up a conversation with the Lady of Shalott in John William Waterhouse’s 1915 painting. Hmm...maybe we can even figure out a way to get her out of that darn tower--or I can at least share a couple "Bletchley Circle" episodes with her on my iPhone, or...
July 27, 2021
✨Quills thoughts...
2.5 ⭐'s
This book was pretty good. A fun story about a boy trying to navigate a tricky summer trip to his fathers art gallery and a girl whose been stuck behind a frame for over a hundred years.
Mona Dunn has lived in the same painting for over a century. Though she lives in an amazing world behind the frame its always the same, day after day after day... But when Sargent Singer shows up to her gallery one summer and the two accidentally become friends things get much more interesting.
Sargent has never been that close with his father so he's not sure what to expect when he goes to New Brunswick to spend the summer with him, but out of all the scenarios.... Talking paintings and thwarting an art thief was not one of them.
This was a fun, escapism type book. I really liked the gallery setting and the supporting characters were fun! There were however a few things that stopped me from giving this more then 2½ stars...
#1. The main characters came across a little younger than the 12-13 yrs they were #2. The dialog was a bit...blocky at times. Mona sometimes talked in an old fashion way and sometimes didn't with no smooth transition. And I'm sorry but a 12 yr old boy from NYC would Not use the term "Drive me around the bend"
#3. There were a few loose threads at the end that I wish were explained in some more depth.
Over all a good story that, in my opinion, needed a little more polishing.
June 24, 2019
I was fortunate to read this one shortly after Ms. MacKnight signed the deal with her publisher. I was instantly enchanted with the world she created, and now I have the urgent desire to go to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
When Sargent goes to spend time with his father, who happens to be the curator for the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, he is not happy about it . . . until he discovers a whole hidden world right there in the museum. The subjects in the paintings can move! They can talk! They can jump from painting to painting!
This world is secret, and only the curator is supposed to know, so Sargent promises Mona Dunn (a young girl in one of the paintings) that he will keep the secret. Their friendship opens new and exciting worlds to both of them. But when the art restorer arrives, and strange things start happening in the art world, Sargent and Mona have to solve the mystery before it's too late.
I found this book so clever and fun! I loved the mystery, and the writing and characters pulled me in. I was so sad when the book ended, but so satisfied with the ending. This book deals with disappointments, working hard for what we enjoy, and appreciating people for exactly who they are. I won't spoil anything, but I highly recommend this book!
When Sargent goes to spend time with his father, who happens to be the curator for the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, he is not happy about it . . . until he discovers a whole hidden world right there in the museum. The subjects in the paintings can move! They can talk! They can jump from painting to painting!
This world is secret, and only the curator is supposed to know, so Sargent promises Mona Dunn (a young girl in one of the paintings) that he will keep the secret. Their friendship opens new and exciting worlds to both of them. But when the art restorer arrives, and strange things start happening in the art world, Sargent and Mona have to solve the mystery before it's too late.
I found this book so clever and fun! I loved the mystery, and the writing and characters pulled me in. I was so sad when the book ended, but so satisfied with the ending. This book deals with disappointments, working hard for what we enjoy, and appreciating people for exactly who they are. I won't spoil anything, but I highly recommend this book!
September 23, 2018
IT WAS alright...obviously I'm not in the target demographic, but I typically read a lot of middle grade fiction and have called it my favourite genre countless times. The concept was intriguing, Night at the Museum crossed with Wreck-It-Ralph meets art history in Canada. The characters had their arcs and you learned about them and saw them develop, but some moments were just...frustrating. Things were going down a very predictable path, way too many hints were dropped in the fact that characters just had "a bad feeling" about someone or another. All the characters seemed to fit together too neatly and the conclusion, while sweet, also felt too easy...these paintings have been around for HUNDREDS of years and I get that someone like eternally young Mona Dunn would jump at the chance to be more than her painting, but at the same time everyone else seemed to be living their perfectly fine lives in that incredibly rich and vibrant world behind the frame, it felt like things changed so drastically by the end, and everyone was throwing away everything that they thought to be true. I dunno. It was a fun read...and perhaps throwing away an old system that doesn't work is what people - or paintings - need sometimes.
December 27, 2019
We listened to this book on audio during a road trip down to Las Vegas. Entertaining book. It basically takes the premise from Harry Potter of paintings coming alive and interacting with each other (and eventually real people). Parts of the story seemed a bit convoluted, and some characters weren't as developed. I didn't really feel for any of the characters in this book, but it was still fun to listen to (the narrator did a great job). What I like the best is that it was based on actual paintings in a real art museum, and I feel like after children read/listen to this book, they'll have a better appreciation for art and visiting art museums.
July 6, 2019
I loved the setting of the book, the photos of the paintings (because this museum is a real place), the characters and how they interacted. The author’s love for her topic shines through. I had to take a star off my rating for clunky writing. For example, on page 142, Janice asks, “Don’t you wish you had your paints here so you capture this view?” Even now my phone wants to correct that sentence, adding in the missing word. Note: I was reading the published book, not the ARC. One more good edit would have made this a great book.
November 18, 2018
This story about paintings being alive also blended the story of a young boy and estranged father due to divorce and a mystery. The mystery/crime had quite a few surprises in it. When I thought who the mastermind was or who was helping the bad guy, etc. I ended up being wrong several times. The author did a good job of guessing. A couple of times it seemed an escape was a little convenient, but quite well done. I'd recommend it.
June 25, 2019
The Frame-Up is an amazing, imaginative, and heartfelt story that is like nothing I've read in the past. I had so much fun getting to know the characters and following the parallel (and intersecting) stories of Sargent and Mona. Part mystery, part adventure, part friendship story - readers can't go wrong with this book. LOVED!
August 16, 2018
Such a fun fantasy story! Set in a real Canadian art gallery, THE FRAME-UP is about paintings that are actually alive--and the friendship that develops between a boy visiting the gallery and a girl in one of the paintings. A great book both for learning about art as well as a fun, magical adventure.
July 28, 2018
I enjoyed the premise of this, paintings that are alive. The story switches back and forth between Sargent, an art gallery director's son, and Mona, a character in a painting at the art gallery. A good mystery that isn't too predictable. Good character development and an enjoyable story.
July 26, 2018
charming YA book, good for 12 year olds. ending was a bit flat. not the very end, but the wrapping up of the plot and the bad guy was unbelievable in the context of the story.
September 28, 2018
I thought it was imaginative. It was fun to read and learn about the paintings.
March 12, 2019
I appreciate the inclusion of colored prints of the paintings mentioned in the book. Not sure I loved it though.
August 8, 2019
3 1/2 stars. A fun middle-grade sci-fi/mystery. We didn’t love the audiobook narrator, so we probably would have liked it better as a read-aloud.
August 1, 2018
Mona Dunn has an unusual life, to be sure. Painted in 1915 at age 13, she now lives at the Beaverbrook Gallery and spends her days sitting still and listening to visitors, and her nights running around and visiting other paintings, along with all the other residents of the other paintings. The one big rule for the gallery residents is that the people outside the frame must never know they are alive.
Sargent Singer is going to spend the summer with his father, the director of the Beaverbrook Gallery. After his parents divorced, Sargent rarely saw his father, and from things he's overheard, isn't sure his father really loves him. Sargent does love art, though, and is a talented painter so he's very interested in the gallery. And when he sees Mona Dunn stick her tongue out as an offensive visitor leaves, Sargent's life--as well as the lives of all the people in the paintings--is turned upside down.
Lord Beaverbrook (behind the frame) tries to hold iron control over the gallery residents, but some are frustrated by his restrictions and start breaking rules. Adding to the problems, an officious art restorer is working at the gallery, and an offensive potential donor is hanging around and causing Isaac Singer--Sargent's father--to ignore Sargent even more. As Sargent and Mona become fast friends, events start moving faster and faster both behind and in front of the frame. If they don't act quickly, it could be the end of the gallery--and perhaps the end of some of the paintings.
I loved this! It had a great start, and I really loved that while I've read other books in which characters go into paintings or other artworks, in this one it's as much about the lives of the people in the paintings as it is about the characters on the outside--usually it's all about the kids on the outside. Not this one. The characters were all layered and memorable, as were their relationships and issues. I loved that the book was evenly divided between some more typically realistic-fiction passages about Sargent and his father and Sargent and Mona's friendship, and the mystery-adventure parts (though the denouement ran a bit long). I loved that I didn't know what was really going on--I couldn't figure it out and I love being surprised. I did guess one thing that happened in the end, but really, if you couldn't guess it you weren't paying attention from page 1. This is a complex book with lots of characters and lots going on, but the author handles the reins deftly and fills the book with wonderful detail as well as characters. When you read it, be sure to go to the Beaverbrook Gallery site for the book (http://beaverbrookartgallery.org/en/v...) so you can see all the paintings. I can't wait to booktalk this one!
Forgot to say--I can't recommend the audiobook version of this. Bronson Pinchot seems to be trying to imitate Jim Dale and give every character a different, quirky voice, and it just doesn't work. The female characters all sound like lispy, breathy bimbos whether age 11 or 35 or 78, and a lot of the preteen boys sound like lifetime-smoker grandpas trying to be "cool with the kids' lingo" in deep, gravelly voices. Everyone sounded like a cartoon character. Didn't work.
Sargent Singer is going to spend the summer with his father, the director of the Beaverbrook Gallery. After his parents divorced, Sargent rarely saw his father, and from things he's overheard, isn't sure his father really loves him. Sargent does love art, though, and is a talented painter so he's very interested in the gallery. And when he sees Mona Dunn stick her tongue out as an offensive visitor leaves, Sargent's life--as well as the lives of all the people in the paintings--is turned upside down.
Lord Beaverbrook (behind the frame) tries to hold iron control over the gallery residents, but some are frustrated by his restrictions and start breaking rules. Adding to the problems, an officious art restorer is working at the gallery, and an offensive potential donor is hanging around and causing Isaac Singer--Sargent's father--to ignore Sargent even more. As Sargent and Mona become fast friends, events start moving faster and faster both behind and in front of the frame. If they don't act quickly, it could be the end of the gallery--and perhaps the end of some of the paintings.
I loved this! It had a great start, and I really loved that while I've read other books in which characters go into paintings or other artworks, in this one it's as much about the lives of the people in the paintings as it is about the characters on the outside--usually it's all about the kids on the outside. Not this one. The characters were all layered and memorable, as were their relationships and issues. I loved that the book was evenly divided between some more typically realistic-fiction passages about Sargent and his father and Sargent and Mona's friendship, and the mystery-adventure parts (though the denouement ran a bit long). I loved that I didn't know what was really going on--I couldn't figure it out and I love being surprised. I did guess one thing that happened in the end, but really, if you couldn't guess it you weren't paying attention from page 1. This is a complex book with lots of characters and lots going on, but the author handles the reins deftly and fills the book with wonderful detail as well as characters. When you read it, be sure to go to the Beaverbrook Gallery site for the book (http://beaverbrookartgallery.org/en/v...) so you can see all the paintings. I can't wait to booktalk this one!
Forgot to say--I can't recommend the audiobook version of this. Bronson Pinchot seems to be trying to imitate Jim Dale and give every character a different, quirky voice, and it just doesn't work. The female characters all sound like lispy, breathy bimbos whether age 11 or 35 or 78, and a lot of the preteen boys sound like lifetime-smoker grandpas trying to be "cool with the kids' lingo" in deep, gravelly voices. Everyone sounded like a cartoon character. Didn't work.
March 9, 2021
There is a similarity between art and literature, because different characters, different moods, different perspectives, and different meanings are inferred. With the increase of experience and setbacks, it will make the viewing more rich. Views and insights. Having said that, no matter what kind of creation, text or painting, it takes time to sculpt, and emotions should be handled like this.
Sa Jun has a talent for fine art, but because of the estrangement of his family and the embarrassment of being unable to blend in when he grows up, he doubts his place and meaning. However, by chance, he will come to the art gallery where his father works and come across the living paintings. I can also understand that life is a work of art that never ends.
It can be seen that the structure is not very big, and it is limited to the art museum and there are a few main characters. It's humorous and interesting. When children grow up, they always feel at a loss. They grow up too fast and their hearts are always complicated. Adults have their own problems to deal with, and they accidentally ignore their children's worries.
Perhaps I am also considered introverted, so I can understand how Sa Jun and Mona, who are shaped by the author, are positioned in the face of the sense of rejection in life? Facing a consistent life, where is the change? In fact, if you pay careful attention, you will find that it is not the question of finding the location, but whether you can understand whether the location at the moment is in line with your own personality. In fact, as long as you pay attention, there are many trivial matters in life that are worth remembering. It may be a new book. , Dim sum that has never been eaten, is it an interesting anecdote that makes people laugh.
However, because of the limitation of the format in the book, the plot is slightly thin, but for those children who are looking for companions and want to know their own value, this book is worth recommending. At the same time, they can also look at the paintings from another perspective in the future. Own efforts.
Sa Jun has a talent for fine art, but because of the estrangement of his family and the embarrassment of being unable to blend in when he grows up, he doubts his place and meaning. However, by chance, he will come to the art gallery where his father works and come across the living paintings. I can also understand that life is a work of art that never ends.
It can be seen that the structure is not very big, and it is limited to the art museum and there are a few main characters. It's humorous and interesting. When children grow up, they always feel at a loss. They grow up too fast and their hearts are always complicated. Adults have their own problems to deal with, and they accidentally ignore their children's worries.
Perhaps I am also considered introverted, so I can understand how Sa Jun and Mona, who are shaped by the author, are positioned in the face of the sense of rejection in life? Facing a consistent life, where is the change? In fact, if you pay careful attention, you will find that it is not the question of finding the location, but whether you can understand whether the location at the moment is in line with your own personality. In fact, as long as you pay attention, there are many trivial matters in life that are worth remembering. It may be a new book. , Dim sum that has never been eaten, is it an interesting anecdote that makes people laugh.
However, because of the limitation of the format in the book, the plot is slightly thin, but for those children who are looking for companions and want to know their own value, this book is worth recommending. At the same time, they can also look at the paintings from another perspective in the future. Own efforts.
April 24, 2018
This book was rather written for me, and hit me just at a time I had watched an art documentary. So I was pretty into it. I feel like your average civilian would give it a more modest 3 stars.
The book pays a lot of homage to Harry Potter and the notion that pictures can be alive, move around, and visit other paintings. In this story, a young boy, Sargent, goes to spend the summer with his father, who is the head of a New Brunswick art museum, and quickly discovers that all the paintings are alive! He makes friends with a young girl (she has been a young girl for over a hundred years, since she was painted), Mona. Though Sargent is shocked by his discovery, he keeps it a secret. For her part, Mona is pleased to have a friend her age, but is preoccupied by the new and troubling developments in the gallery. Naturally, both characters get caught up in a mystery and unearth an art caper.
I will say that the mystery wasn't much of one - I rarely solve these things, but I definitely saw it coming this time. I did like the the two main voices, and I LOVE that the gallery and all the art is real, and that I got full-colour replications of all the paintings in the book. I enjoyed the mix-up of modern and more classic art, and how the paintings came to life complete with their real-life personalities, and that they could inhabit other paintings. And that paintings can only come to life if they are real (not prints) and are done by an artist capable of imbuing them with real character and life. There was something quite delicious about the whole world that notion created, and I enjoyed jumping into it. Teachers will LOVE the real art history in the book and there are about a billion lesson plan ideas within it as a result.
Admittedly, I'm a bit of an art history freak, so the book speaks to me more than it will others. But it is certainly fun and relatively unique - and Canadian!
-Kirsten
The book pays a lot of homage to Harry Potter and the notion that pictures can be alive, move around, and visit other paintings. In this story, a young boy, Sargent, goes to spend the summer with his father, who is the head of a New Brunswick art museum, and quickly discovers that all the paintings are alive! He makes friends with a young girl (she has been a young girl for over a hundred years, since she was painted), Mona. Though Sargent is shocked by his discovery, he keeps it a secret. For her part, Mona is pleased to have a friend her age, but is preoccupied by the new and troubling developments in the gallery. Naturally, both characters get caught up in a mystery and unearth an art caper.
I will say that the mystery wasn't much of one - I rarely solve these things, but I definitely saw it coming this time. I did like the the two main voices, and I LOVE that the gallery and all the art is real, and that I got full-colour replications of all the paintings in the book. I enjoyed the mix-up of modern and more classic art, and how the paintings came to life complete with their real-life personalities, and that they could inhabit other paintings. And that paintings can only come to life if they are real (not prints) and are done by an artist capable of imbuing them with real character and life. There was something quite delicious about the whole world that notion created, and I enjoyed jumping into it. Teachers will LOVE the real art history in the book and there are about a billion lesson plan ideas within it as a result.
Admittedly, I'm a bit of an art history freak, so the book speaks to me more than it will others. But it is certainly fun and relatively unique - and Canadian!
-Kirsten
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