2008 Caldecott WINNER

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
By Brian Selznick

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, about a Twelve-year-old orphan will turn some readers away initially because of its size. However this new approach to chapter books for some reluctant readers would be perfect. Once over the “sticker shock” of such a large book, readers will be able to see that making the jump from shorter books to denser ones is not as intimidating as one thought. Brian Selznick has provided a solution with Hugo Cabret. Readers will be surprised at this hefty book of more than 500 pages is filled with many dramatic illustrations to tell the story of Hugo who lives in the walls of a Paris train station during the 1930s. He tends to the clocks after his uncle goes missing and results to thievery to get what he needs to survive. Obsessed with reconstructing a broken automaton, Hugo is convinced that it will write a message from his deceased father that will save his life. However, caught stealing small mechanical parts from the station’s toy shop; Hugo’s life intersects with the elderly shop owner and his goddaughter, Isabelle. The children are drawn together in solving the linked mysteries of the automaton and the identity of the artist, illusionist and pioneer filmmaker, Georges Méliès. It somehow seems that each character possesses secrets and something of great value to the other. A drawing, a cherished notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this complex, gentle, and fascinating mystery. I love a good mystery and this book definitely delivered. I too was overwhelmed at the size of this book, but upon discovery of the MANY pages of illustrations and understood how they offered explanation of the story, I was able to overcome by reluctance to such a "BIG" book and realize this was a good read.