My oldest son is today's guest blogger. He is reviewing The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Here's his take:
When one first looks at the book, it may seem daunting because of its size. However, the book is probably one of the least complex books within the five hundred-page boundaries. The plot revolves around the titular character, Hugo Cabret, a clock repair boy left behind by his uncle. While running the clocks inside of a sprawling train station, he encounters an old man and his goddaughter. With the discovery of an automaton, Hugo is thrown into a suspenseful mystery. The book is filled with beautiful imagery, both in the words of the author and in the illustration provided within the book’s pages. It will certainly keep you guessing until the end when you find out the secrets the characters are keeping.
Here's my take on Hugo Cabret:
This is a great book for a kid who isn't sure he or she likes to read. It takes the cliche "A picture is worth a thousand words" to a whole new level. It's over five hundred pages, but most of them are pictures. I picked up the book prepared to write a "no wonder kids can't read" blog -- but the book is truly wonderful.
The book won the Coldecott Award in 2008. Selznick did exhaustive research so that everything is spot on in the time period. The characters are engaging and have depth.In truth, after 533 pages, I didn't want it to end.
According to Amazon, there will be a movie coming out about Hugo's invention some time soon. If they can capture the charm of this wonderful book, they will have accomplished a wonderful thing.