The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet Paperback – April 27, 2010

This is one of the most unique reading experiences I have had in my rather lengthy life. T. S. Spivet is the 12-year-old narrator who is what some might experience as the nerd of the nerds, a kid with a thirst for knowledge with an almost super-human ability to observe seemingly everything. Here is my suggestion when you have the book in hand: take a little time to get used to all the graphics (no, this is not a graphic novel!) because you absolutely must be willing to do as the narrator asks and follow the lines to the sides of the page to pick up some truly wonderful additional information. In other words, potential reader, don't even start this novel if you intend to make it a skimming experience. This is much too wonderful to skim.T. S. is Tecumseh Sparrow Spivet. And all the males in the family have carried the Tecumseh name even though they are not related to the more historically well-known one. He lives with his father, a farmer in Montana; his mother whom he calls Dr. Clair, herself somewhat eccentric; and his sister Gracie, a rather normal 16-year-old. And you will learn, bit by bit, what happened to the younger brother.T. S. is a cartographer but far more than a mapmaker. He illustrates everything he sees. I really don't want to spoil a wonderful laugh line. So let me just say this: imagine what it would be like to "map" one of America's most well-known and well-respected classic novels. Well, that is exactly what T. S. takes on as just one of his projects.But the main thrust of this novel is this: he has been awarded a fellowship of sorts to spend time at the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C. But the catch is this: those making the award believe T. S. is an adult. Naturally he is determined to go there. But for a variety of reasons he cannot tell his parents. So he sets off on his own. And if I should tell you more, then you might not buy this novel. And if you didn't buy this novel, you would not be calling your friends and raving about it, would not be doing what I have been, ordering copies for friends.Oh, and then add this to the wonderment: Reif Larsen apparently is not year 30-year-old himself. I cannot imagine what he might be capable of next.

My husband who tends to be more of a visual person than a reader bought this book because the illustrations accompanying the text caught his eye. I picked it up when he was finished with it because I'd never seen him devour a book so quickly. The story is really engaging and the accompanying illustrations really enrich the experience It reminded me a little of _Griffin and Sabine_ when I first picked it up, though the story is not really similar at all. I also thought it was a little like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (though, admittedly, I only read the latter in kindle form and I think I missed out on some features that way). Anyway, it's definitely worth purchasing, my husband and I both really enjoyed it and we keep checking back to see if the author has written anything more.

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet is a joy to read. The novel's layout is unlike anything I have ever seen, with unconventional footnotes decorating the margins and telling stories of their own, the novel is truly unique. The novel is told through the eyes of an adolescent genius who obsesses over cartography. Yet, Spivet acknowledges in the novel "I would be the first to admit that I was still a child in more than a few facets" (32).The novel is most appropriate to use in a classroom setting if it was introduced to an advanced placement English class. The novel is written through the perspective of a young adult but in no way reflects a young adult novel. It is also quite lengthy (374 pages) and the notations found in the margins require close reading. However, the novel does cover some practical themes for today's youth. It reflects parent/child/sibling relationships, a mature mind trapped in a young boy's body, death of a sibling, and much more.I particularly thought the constant references to mapping made it teachable. Spivet explains, "A novel is a tricky thing to map. Maybe you just need to be an adult in order to perform this high-wire act of believing and not-believing at the same time" (37).This could be a perfect way to spark class discussion and talk about how to go about navigating through novels and the power they possess that allows one to enter the realm of make believe. Perhaps if I taught this book I would have students become cartographers and start charting some of their own experiences in reading literature, everyday life and how they see the world. Spivet's character can surely be inspirational to young and old readers alike.

fascinating journey taken by a Montana boy who has a mind for graphs and drawings of his observations. Things you might never think about become interesting because of the boys' journals .

I have had a copy of this book for a couple of years and absolutely love it, I'd count it as one of my favourites. My partner also enjoyed it. I recently bought a copy as a gift for a 10 year old bookworm and he loved it too!It is told from the perspective of T. S. Spivet a 12 year old genius from a mad and odd household who is about to set off on a great adventure. The characters and plot are great and it's a gripping lovely story with some very sad issues tackled along the way. The layout of the book is excellent with lots of notes and diagrams alongside the main story.I would highly recommend the book, I think it is really one of those special ones! (I didn't care for the film though!)

The copy i received was from dealstar and slightly battered(a little torn on the spine) but since its second hand, i dont really mind. The book itself is sinply fabulous, and filled with illustrations. Id love reading it(havent done so yet... just got it).the font is large and the print is really nice with awesome paper quality. DEFINITELY worth buying

un libro adorabile: qualunque genere vi appassioni, questo non vi deluderà! spero tanto che prima o poi uscirà il seguito!

レベル：上級者向き（単語が難しい）映画を見てからなら、読みやすくなるが,EFLのような環境にいる日本人には読みにくいと思う。ところどころ、絵があるのは面白い。内容：簡単にいうと、天才少年がアメリカ横断の旅で成長する話。