Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Masterpieceis a thoroughly original novel about James, a boy who lives with his mother, stepfather, and baby brother in New York, and his unlikely friendship with a beetle who lives in his kitchen named Marvin. One night, Marvin draws a painting for James using the ink that James' father gave him as a birthday present, and this simple act leads them both into a plot to steal an Albrecht Durer masterpiece. Broach approaches this unlikely friendship with such creativity that it's amazing to see how it progresses, especially since the two can't communicate by talking. I was left guessing until the very end as to how James and Marvin would solve the theft; Broach does an impressive job of tying up the ends in a believable and touching finish.