The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick, Brian. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Summary: This novel is about an orphan boy, Hugo. He lives in a Paris train station after leaving his drunken Uncle. He knows a secret that he must hide. The book takes you on his journey as he looks to unlock the mystery of his secret. Not only do you read along, you actually almost watch a long like a quiet film with the intricately sketched pictures. During the story Hugo encounters an old toymaker, a villainous station master, and a young girl. With his new friend he solves his secret along with others including some of the old toy maker.

Rationale for Selection: This book was presented by a few of my colleagues, who showed an excitement and passion for the book. They said it was not only a book to read but one to really watch as the pictures depicted the story as well.

Reader Response: I really enjoyed it. I loved how I could read and then the pictures would take over the story and I could watch as the story continued to unfold. I also loved the variety of different text layouts on the pages. It kept me curious to see how each page was different as I turned to the next. I definitely believe this would be a good book for reluctant readers. I believe if I had this book when I was younger, it might have really sparked my interests in reading.

Genre and Themes: Fiction/Mystery, Persevering, Friendship

Teaching Thinking notes: The first thing that really first pops into my head is the pictures and how it tells the story. I think this would be a fun technique for kids to try. One presentation a colleague gave mentioned briefly how Brian Selznick came up with his technique by actually writing the story and then taking out parts that he thought would be neat to illustrate and then actually cut the text out and replace it with pictures.
I also think that the pictures allows for a great description on imagery. Not only do the pictures give you the visual but the text continues it as well.
Another important factor about the use of pictures within the story makes this book a great one to use for reluctant readers. The text itself is not overwhelmingly hard and each page has a different lay out. To initially get the reluctant readers to read it will be easy once they see the actual text and pictures. Imagine how they will feel when they completely finish the book and are able to hold up the enormous book and say, “I read that!” It will really boost their self confidence.