THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick

    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Selznick, Brian. 2007. THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. Ill. By Brian Selznick. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439813786 

    PLOT SUMMARY

The story is about a young boy named Hugo Cabret, who loses his father in a freak fire at the local museum. Hugo is forced to live with his only relative, a drunken uncle at the train station. When his uncle goes missing, Hugo must fend for himself while maintaining the clocks in the station. As he attempts to finish the job his father began in fixing a wind up man, the automaton, Hugo meets George Melies, a real life cinematographer, one of the original film makers, who is now the owner of a small toy booth in the train station. Hugo’s journey to discover what the automaton will write when he is fixed brings together the history of film and the future of invention.

      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this hybrid version of a children’s novel, Selznick combines the images of a graphic novel in the story structure reminiscent of Charles Dickens. Selznick discusses traumatic events, such as loss, depression, and death. The child’s desperation and feelings of hopelessness is well communicated by the author, and lessons, like doing the right thing and good persevering is a pronounced message in the story. The book, in itself, first appears daunting to a young reader. However, upon perusing the pages one is able to clearly see that half of the book is made up of illustrations done in masterful detail. Selznick brings to life the story and characters through the vivid drawings that capture the experience of the action, and cuts these pencil tracings with old movie stills to make the reader feel as if they are watching a movie inside a book.

The pages literally come to life in visual art, encouraging the reader to flip excitedly through the book. Selznick is a true artist and cameraman. The shots of Hugo running through the train station to the wide shots of the city streets capture the true beauty of movies.

      REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

 2008 Caldecott Medal

             National Book Award Finalist

 A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2007
 A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2007

 2007 Quill Award Winner

 2007 Borders Original Voices Finalist

 2007 #1 Best Book for Kids from Barnes and Noble

     CONNECTIONS

*If you are in a classroom setting or will conduct daily readings to the same group, this is a book that should be read in divided parts.

*The novel is a bit more advanced in emotions and traumatic events that might be better for older children from 8 or 9 years old and older.

Other books for children incorporating history, mystery, and illustrations:

Selznick, Brian. WONDERSTRUCK. ISBN 0545027896

Gantos, Jack. DEAD END IN NORVELT. ISBN 0374379939