Book Seven: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick


Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition edition (January 30, 2007)

Lexile: 820L


This story is about an orphan who is living in the walls of a train station in Paris, France. He is doing everything he can to survive on his own. He steals to survive and also complete the last project his father was working on, but when he gets caught by a toy store owner his life is completely changed. This sets off a series of intertwined events that sets off a very exciting mystery.




This was a very unique piece of literature because I often times was making up my own story because of the long stretches of pictures. I think this is a very important part especially for struggling readers because this will not only help their reading but also their writing. I also think it is a very well written piece with a lot of description. I found the plot very intriguing because it was so interactive. Like I stated before I felt like I was often times authoring the story to. It was a very well developed plot, and by the way everything came together I could tell that it took a lot of planning and it really turned out well in the end. The setting was really interesting because it was in the thirties at a train station in Paris, France, and I don't think anyone reading this story knows what that scene was like. So I thought he did a really nice job of developing that part of the story. The character was outstanding because I not only got a great sense of who Hugo was, but also the other main characters in the story. Which to me is a sign of a great writer. It is always a very important part to the story that all the characters are developed. 


The illustrations in this story were FABULOUS, and I really thought they added a totally different meaning to the story. I often times felt that I was making up my own story, and it made me much more interested in the story. I think this is a great tool for struggling readers and writers. 


I would use this book to move into the critical topic of loss because everyone is affected by loss, and I thought this book would be a go transition into this topic. 


I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I think I would use it for the ages between 9-12. But I also think I would use this book for struggling readers in older grades. 




Thanks for reading y'all!




Gorms

Book Six: Home of the BRAVE

Home of the BRAVE by Katherine Applegate


Publisher: Square Fish; First Edition edition (December 23, 2008)


Genre: Realistic Fiction 


Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

Kek is a refugee from Africa, and he finds himself starting a new life in a foreign  land known as Minnesota. He was sent there to live with his aunt and cousin after his father and brother die, and he loses his mother in the refuge camp. He longs to be back home in Africa because he feels that he will never be fully accepted into the community. He finds comfort in a small farm with one cow that reminds him of home. The story takes you through his journey in his first year in Minnesota, and one that leads him to find a new sense of home.

This was a very well written piece of literature because it had a lot of strong parts to it. To start the story is written in poetry, and this is a wonderful addition to this story. The story digs into important issues like how refugees feel, and I think this is important especially in Minneapolis where we have an increased population of refugees. It is also very well written because any one of the poems inside of the story could be taken out and used as an individual poem. The plot of the story is well done because it moves very well throughout the story, and it is very descriptive. I think this shows up a lot when the author describes the settings of the two very different places. The author did a fabulous job on character development because I really got a sense of who Kek was, and when I was writing the poem about his life it really took meaning into my own life. The setting was fabulous because I really got a sense of where he was, and it give you a insight into the drastic difference in setting he experienced.

This book is a great book to use for critical thinking because it digs into deeper issues that need to be discussed, so I think I would use it to talk about things like new students, feeling left out, and even refugees and what they need to feel welcomed. I think all these issues are not easy to talk about, but when talked about in context to the story I think that it would make it much easier. Becuase this story is pretty intense I would probably use this book in my classroom if I was teaching between 6th-9th grade, but I would use it all the way up to 12th.


Thanks for reading y'all!


Gorms