The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: mystery/fiction/picture book/graphic novel
Rebecca Caudill Award 2009 nominee

It is the year 1931 in Paris when we first meet 12-year-old Hugo Cabret. He lives all by himself in a tiny apartment located in the attic of a huge train station. At the center of Hugo's world are two precious things which remind him of his happier days when his father was alive, a broken down, mechanical robot and his father's notebook full of sketches. Living a life of secrecy, Hugo manages to live alone and undiscovered in the train station; his only mission is to figure out how to put the mechanical robot back together using the sketches his father left in the notebook. It isn't until the day he gets caught and his precious notebook is confiscated that his life gets shaken up and adventures begin. The robot, the shopkeeper, mysteries and unlikely friendships make this a novel that just can't be put down.

I would recommend this novel for 3rd grade classrooms as a read-aloud, and for fourth and fifth grade classrooms for students to read independently. I think The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a wonderful novel because of its unique composition. Selznick adds over three hundred, full page, black and white drawings within the chapters of this book. The pictures are not simply illustrations of what has already been described by the words, rather they are used in place of words. The size of this book would make any fourth or fifth grader proud, and the story is so intriguing it is a fast read. If reluctant readers can get through this book, they will feel like they can get through any book. Overall, a fascinating story, an intriguing composition, and an enjoyable read.