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