Well that wasn't what I expected. More soon! 
 Looking back on it: The first half or more of Marvels is told through hand-drawn illustrations that chronicle a theatrical family across several generations. The prose half of the book focuses on a young boy who has run away from school to find a missing friend. Seeking the aid of his uncle, the boy enters into the mystery of a creepy old house and some strange family mythology. What I didn't expect was that this book is a tribute to real people. (view spoiler)[The story unravels into a man preserving the legacy of his deceased partner by maintaining his sprawling art house and the story they crafted to go along with the setting. I was thinking, "Well, that is a weird, and somewhat unbelievable plot twist..." only to find out in the afterward that it's based on a true story! Who knew?! The story of the Dennis Severs' House itself could make for a really cool unit of art instruction. Oh, and maybe make connections to The Heidelberg Project. This book also presents HIV/AIDS in a way that isn't the focus of the story but shows students people living with a positive status or helping others who are dealing with the disease. Um, not what I was expecting! (hide spoiler)]