The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is a phenomenal book - perfect for reading aloud with kids. I found it while shelving books in the children’s section of the public library, and picked it up to browse. According to the author, it is “a novel in words and pictures.”
It is a 500+ page novel, but the cool thing about it is that more than half the pages are illustrations, and these, along with interspersed pages of text, drive the story. I’m in the middle of reading it with my 6 1/2 year old daughter, and I read a couple of pages of text, and then she “reads” the pages with illustrations. It is awesome to see how observant she is - she notices the details of the pictures and really adds to the story.
According to Amazon.com, the age range for reading it independently is 9-12, but for reading aloud I think it would hold the interest of a younger child.
The book description according to the dust jacket is:
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
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That’s a great suggestion. We’ll have check that one out. But 500 pages?! How long are the chapters?
Of the 550 pages, almost 300 pages are full-page black and white drawings. So a chapter might be 10 pages, 4-5 text (some pages have only 1/2 page of text, the rest white space) and 5-6 drawings. It is a pretty thick book, but a much faster read than it appears.
The official web site has a slide show where you can flip through the first series of drawings.
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_hugo_intro.htm
It’s pretty interesting - not a graphic novel (no dialogue on the drawings), but not an illustrated novel either. The pictures actually advance the story.
If you want, Theresa can probably give us a concise, five-page thesis on the difference between a graphic novel and an illustrated novel
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I haven’t been apart of the reading with Theresa and our kids, but I have overhead them some, and I must say, it is impressive. I’ve looked at the book, and the text sections don’t go on for too long, so it is great for the short attention spans of young children. Plus, she has read some of it with both of our children, our 6 1/2 year old girl and our 4 1/2 year old boy. They end up in detailed discussions about the pictures, what is in them and what they mean. It gives them an opportunity like no other to actively participate in the story. Very interesting idea…