Book Guide

Whenever Alvin's Magnificent Brain clicks into action and a glassy stare comes into his eyes, it's time to watch out! For Alvin is thinking up another marvelous invention.

Maybe it's a Foolproof Burglar Alarm for his bedroom door, or a Sure Shot Paper Slinger for delivering newspapers from his bike. Or a Portable Fire Escape, very handy when it comes time to crawl out the window for a secret meeting with his best pal, Wilfred Shoemaker. No doubt about it, as his sister The Pest says, "Alvin is a genius!"

The hint of a mystery surrounding the old Huntley Place is all Alvin needs to launch a new series of inventions which bring extraordinary results. His remarkable inventing bench becomes the scene of frenzied activity. With Wilfred and The Pest, who always tags along, there is never a dull moment as Alvin unfolds the most brilliant plan of his career.

A wonderfully funny story by a talented author. Charles Geer's excellent illustrations contribute their own special humor, too.

From the dust jacket

Since 1960, both boys and girls have enjoyed reading about Alvin Fernald and his Magnificent Brain. Whenever it kicks into action and a glassy stare comes into his eyes, it's time to watch out! Because Alvin is thinking up another marvelous invention.

Maybe it's the Foolproof Burglar Alarm for his bedroom door, or as Sure Shot Paper Slinger for delivering newspapers from his bike. Or a Portable Fire Escape, very handy when it comes time to crawl out the window for a secret meeting with his best pal, Shoie. No doubt about it, as his sister Pest says, "Alvin is a genius!"

With this best friend Wilfred Shoemaker (Shoie for short) and the Pest, who always tags along, there is never a dull moment as Alvin unfolds the most brilliant plan of his career to solve the mystery surrounding the old Huntley place.

From the Purple House Press edition

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Clifford B. Hicks

Clifford B. Hicks

Clifford B. Hicks, author of First Boy on the Moon, The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald, and Alvin's Secret Code, began writing professionally... See more
Charles Geer

Charles Geer

1922 - 2008
American
Charles Geer was born in Long Island but now lives in New Jersey. He attended Dartmouth College and then went on to Pratt Institute to study art. Fr... See more

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Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald Reprint

Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald
Reprinted in 2006 by Purple House Press
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook
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Published in 2006 in HC (now out-of-print) and re-released in 2013 in PB (in-print)

Fun Fact: Charles Geer re-illustrated the cover in full cover for the PHP edition!


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Content Guide

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Reviews

Plumfield and Paideia

The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald
Reviewed by Sara Masarik
Hicks is a WWII veteran, a father of three inventor-type sons, and a long time editor for Popular Mechanics. His Alvin books are set in the nonspecific 1960s and feel a lot like the Homer Price books or Good Old Archibald. Classic good fare for young boys who are reading independently and who, like Alvin, have minds that are “continually working on some kind of a problem.”

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Kirkus Reviews

The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald
Twelve-year-old Alvin is something of an oddity to his neighbors in the small mid-western town in which he lives. A dedicated inventor...

Read the full review on Kirkus Reviews