The Invention of Hugo Cabret

My daugher and son rarely love the same book - but this one they did.

A great story to read and share with a child. The format changes back and forth between words and then pages of images that tell the story. You can read to the child, then let the child "read" the pictures to you. A thick book, but it goes quickly.

Pretend that you are an orphan living in an abandoned apartment. You keep fixing the clocks in the railroad station to keep up your "duty", trying to stay out of jail and stealing food and metal toys. Also, you have a mechanical man that your deceased father was working so hard to fix so you thought it your job to finish it in his honor. Crazy, right? Not for Hugo Cabret as this was the everyday life for him in Paris. Hugo had gotten used to this daily ritual until the shopkeeper of the toy booth had caught him stealing a toy mouse. Hugo learns that the old man and his godchild, Isabelle, the mechanical man, and a picture all are pieces of a puzzle. Brian Selznick is the brilliant author of this book The Invention of Hugo Cabret an enchanting, intricate, tender, spellbinding mystery graphic-novel.

An unexplained picture drawn by a mechanical man makes the life of Hugo Cabret a complete jumble. He just wants to know what his father left him, and instead, gets into more and more unexpected adventures. But with the writing and drawing from Brian Selznick, everything comes to a good conclusion. Like Isabelle said, "You can make up your own story when you look at a photo." With half of the book being pictures about what was to happen next, we must take Isabelle's comment into consideration. This is a unique way of storytelling using illustration as much as writing to explain what happens. Brian Selznick has drawn for other authors. For example, Andrew Clements's Frindle and School Story were both illustrated by Selznick. Along with a great author and illustrator, the book was a National Book Award Finalist in November 2007. I recommend this book to whoever loves mysterious and moving stories, and great pictures.

Nellie C.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

Really excellent. I loved it as much as my 11-yr old grandson. I even went to the website mentioned in the back of the book to find out about the REAL automaton invention, and included the printed copy with the gift of the book. Very interesting.

Couldn't stop reading once I picked it up - took the book with me as I went thru the day and people noticed it and wanted to know what it was about - these were mostly adults!

As a Children's and Teen Librarian I vow in the Fall of 2008 to have a Book Club for this book (me and how many other thousand librarians?!!)

If anyone has some ideas I would appreciate your input.

Sorry Brian Selznick for not directly commenting on the book - it is WONDERFUL and I am your newest fan!