How many ways can you tell a story? This 550 page novel combines words, pictures, and action scenes that resemble silent movies from the 1930"s. In fact, the story begins with this introduction: “I want you to picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie. ... You will eventually spot a boy amid the crowd, and he will start to move through the train station. Follow him, because this is Hugo Cabret. His head is full of secrets, and he’s waiting for his story to begin.”
So here is some background information to get you going on this complex and mysterious story. When Hugo's father and sole parent is killed in a fire at the museum, Hugo is forced to live with his Uncle who is a clock keeper and a drunk. When his uncle disappears, Hugo is left to maintain the clocks behind the walls of a busy Paris train station, stealing food to survive. Why would he choose to live like that? His motivation lies in the mechanical robot that his father was working on before he died. Hugo believes that if he can find the missing pieces needed to make the robot work, it will reveal a secret message from his father and he will know what to do with his life. But when his world suddenly collides with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's efforts are compromised and more pieces of the puzzle in this story need to be solved. This is a story unlike anything you have ever read. It's the story of magic: the magic of clockworks, the magic of magic tricks, and the magic of the movies. It's about finding secrets, about rediscovering your past and reinventing yourself. It will not take long to read, as the illustrations take up most of the pages.
Recommended for grades 4-9. The movie adaption is to be released for Thanksgiving 2011. Movie trailer available on YouTube. Also, Brian Selznick is releasing a new book similar to this one, titled Wonderstruck on September 13th, 2011. Can't wait!
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