I read this charming and enchanting book in about an hour. It seems like quite the feat, but I didn't realize when picking it up that most of the pages are illustrations. The words and pictures tell the story of clockmakers, their apprentices, magicians, automatons, and the early days of film making. It is the story of love between fathers and sons, and between friends who love each other like family. Ultimately, it is the story of love and imagination.

The setting is a 1930s French train station, and the main character is an orphan boy with a secret. I was instantly captivated by the boy and his secret.

Though the story is moved forward by the words, the pictures are a lovely addition to the story. They may not be necessary, but it was wonderful to see the personalities come to life as images, to see two children glance at each other in a particularly meaningful way. The pictures also drew you in by narrowing in on a particular detail for emphasis. The stills from old movies were an additional bonus.

It is a children's book, but an excellent one for adults to read to children before bedtime as the adults should get enjoyment out of it as well. ( )

Even though this book is chock full of coincidences and plot lines you can see coming from a mile away, I was completely drawn in by the amazing artwork. I loved the black/white drawings--such detail. It was great. ( )

Plot Synopsis
Hugo Cabret, apprentice clockmaker, sometimes thief, machinist, and wannabe magician, has an obsession. An automata, found broken in a museum attic, may hold the answers to his universe, but first Hugo has to fix it. His obsession leads him to Georges Melies, the magician of early film.

My Thoughts
I have never experienced a book like this before. It is not an illustrated book: the images do not accompany the story; they help tell the story. It is not a graphic novel: the text and images are separated from each other. What it actually is, I do not know, but I would like to see more of it in children's literature.

The images are a mix of pencil drawings of the story's characters and events and screenshots from Melies' films. The artwork is intricate even as it is simple, and I was continually impressed by the detail offered. The choice of what to visually represent was both appropriate and unique.

Being a film instructor, I loved the inclusion of Melies, and the mention of other early film bigwigs such as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Jean Renoir. This book could be a wonderful jumping off point for kids to explore the world of film outside of contemporary blockbusters. It could spark or renew in them the connection between the big screen and the world of dreams. I'm even considering adding this book to my film course.

I read the book in a little over two hours one evening, and I very much enjoyed the experience. It was unique, entertaining, and informative. Overall, I think the combination of images and text makes this a wonderful book for a young reader - or an imaginative older one.

Memorable Scene: One series of images represents the drawings of Melies that Hugo and Isabelle find locked away. Light-exploding heads, fantastical beasts, mermaids, men popping out of ringed planets, knights riding fish, butterfly women, and flames grace the pages in a beautiful menagerie of dream scenes.

Memorable Quote: If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around. This is where they are made. ~said to a young boy in a film studio ( )

I read a Spanish translation of this book, and loved it. The amazing amount of art creates the possisbility of reading this book in two different ways. You can skim quickly through it, creating a movie like feel, or you can slow down and read the pictures.

This was a fantastic book with gorgeous illustrations. It is a great book for any young person to read, as it is both enlightening and entertaining.

This was my most favorite children's book so far! I especially loved the detailed full sized illustrations in lieu of pages of pure text. In my opinion what these illustrations did was bridge the gap between text and accurately captured physical action of the protagonists and other characters. I could also see the use of the illustrations as instrumental in the plot development of the story, mainly because of the revelations you encountered about the characters through observing how their facial expressions changed. We see Hugo running through the train station, knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the annals of the building. We see Hugo dodging the Inspector. This was a very believable effect. To me it seemed videographic and felt like I was watching a movie before my eyes. No wonder this book won the Caldecott Medal. As it is primarily all told in third person narrative, the most surprising part was when the narrative voice switched to first person present narrative. We as the audience discover that Hugo was the very same 'Professor H. Alcofrisbas' to who this very tale belonged.
I got shivers when I finished reading this book. That's always a good sign that I was drawn in while reading it and my attention was held and kept all the way until the end of the book. I became a full participant while reading this novel: The Invention of Hugo Cabaret and I have no doubt the very same experience will happen to future readers.
I believe there is a timeless quality that makes this book not only a favorite of children, but of adults as well!!!  ( )

The first time I've ever read a 500-page book in half an hour. Well, maybe 40 minutes. But of course there were quite a few pictures. Fascinating, captivating, highly recommended. What is it about the dawn of the industrial age that inspires such romance? Why is it that the inventions of the 1900s to 1930s are mysterious and spellbinding in a way that modern technology, with all that it can accomplish, can never be? Maybe it was the last time our faith in human accomplishment, on the whole, outweighed our trepidation at humankind's capacity to destroy itself (i.e. before World War II and the atomic bomb). Maybe it was the care taken - some kind of a respect for tangible craftsmanship - a kind of industrial design that becomes a sleight of hand - magic that isn't magic to those who are in on the secret. The same could be said for computers, except for that crucial word 'tangible'. Computers, with fewer visible parts, seem less real, and so their marvels are less marvelous. A CD may sound infinitely clearer than a music box, but there's an inherent pleasure in seeing the music box's gears work - in knowing how the feat is accomplished. I think we miss the age of modernism's willingness to let us in on the trick, its optimism. At any rate, Hugo Cabret is a wonderful story. And if you like this, I would recommend: for movies - Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen; for books - Martin Dressler - a fantastic book in its own right, another modernistic fable about coming of age - no pictures there, though. Speaking of pictures, the art in Hugo Cabret was so nicely done. Very cinematic. One of the best graphic novels I've seen yet, and flawlessly incorporated into the story. Ok, I'll wind up this review, if you'll promise to go out and find this book immediately. It's a very quick read, and you won't be sorry. ( )

What I loved: The realistic aspect of this story. All Hugo had to do was let Georges know his situation and tell him the truth. However, as all children who are afraid of adults, Hugo kept the truth to himself in hopes that he ultimately would not be sent to an orphanage. I also loved how Hugo and Georges were meant to be together. A truly wonderful story. I also loved the pictures throughout the book as a combination of the story. Some of the most suspenseful parts were told as consecutive illustrations instead of text, and it seemed I couldn't turn the page fast enough.
What I did not like: Nothing - the book was wonderful.
Recommendation: I would buy this book for my library (medium public library). ( )

Gladys introduced me to this book in 2009, and it is an amazing beautiful book....This is one of her favorites.

Reviewed by Jennifer Mattson in Booklist (1/1/2007 - 1/15/2007, Vol. 103 Issue 9/10, p97, 1p, 1 color)
http://web.ebscohost.com.login.ezprox...

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is an amazing book. It tells the story of a boy who's orphaned, taken in by his miserable uncle, and then orphaned again. It's a story ultimately about faith and persistence and trust. The faith and persistence not being Hugo's, but rather those who stand firmly enough against the boy's rejection, that he finds that eventually he can trust once again.

The book is huge, by the way, with over 500 pages, but they aren't filled with text. Instead what you get is a book that is mostly graphic. Beautiful line drawings that fade in and out of the story, giving you text when you need it, but showing you otherwise what the story is about with images.

Brian Selznick's book was a National Book Award Finalist, and is written at the AR 5.1 level (Accelerated Reading). The book is suitable for older elementary aged kids on up. Adults and Young Adults will appreciate the artwork more than the story. Children will be pleased by both, as they follow Hugo Cabret's adventures in France in 1931.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews ( )

This was a cool book about a young boy, Hugo, who lives in Paris in 1931. He's been orphaned and is living hidden within the Paris train station. The story involves a toy shop owner, a young girl, many clocks and an automaton. The story is told alternately in words and pictures and as such reads very fast. The book itself is big, fat doorstopper but I actually read it in only two days. It was fun, I may read it someday to my kiddos. ( )

A great blend of a black and wight movie and a novel. I would recomend this to people who like heartwarmers and adventure. ( )

This unique graphic novels combines fully composed text with wonderful graphite drawings. the drawings help to propell the action of the book forward.

By the end of the novel, I had gained knowledge of the silent film era and found myself longing to see the films referenced in the book. A number of the illustrations are stills from actual movies with sketched by an early film maker tucked in for good measure. A quick and satisfying read for middle school age kids on up. ( )

I was immediately intrigued by the 544 page book that won the Caldecott Award, because Caldecott books are often less than 40 pages. The book jacket flap describes The Invention of Hugo Cabret as a book that combines facets of picture books, graphic novels, and film, and the result is a unique masterpiece that eludes traditional book description vocabularies. ( )

This is a touching story about an orphaned boy living in hiding in a train station in Paris. Hugo Cabret fixes the clocks in the train station, a trade he learned from his recently deceased father, who also left him the mysterious project of fixing the automaton, an amazing mechanical man who, after Hugo fixes, proceeds to draw a picture that will change Hugo's life. After meeting a new friend Isabelle, and her mysterious papa Georges, Hugo's life changes rapidly. He must find out who Georges Melies really is, or was in his past. He must learn to trust and confide in Isabelle, and he must figure out how to keep away from the station master who might throw him in an orphanage if he catches Hugo sleeping in the station at night. The plot is moved along so well with the beautiful & enticing illustrations done by the author himself. Many of the most action packed chase scenes are done completely visually, like a film. The book also opens and closes like a film. Selznick's passion & inspiration for old French films, the automaton, and magic are well communicated through this wonderful novel.

This hybrid graphic novel/written novel is a treasure. The Leprechaun brought it home one day and raved about it. I was simply floored by the scope of the project. So many illustrations. Such mystery.

The illustrations are top notch pencil renderings depicting Paris in the 30s. They work in tandem with the written part of the story, both passing off the baton of narration throughout the book. I found them charming and evocative. They especially make full use of graphic novel storytelling tools to convey mood, tension, and information.

The story is told in two parts. The first is for the reader and concerns the plight of young Hugo who is orphaned and surviving in a cold, adult world as he solves the mystery of the automaton. The second is more self-indulgent and features the author's fascination with French film maker, George Méliès. I found it less compelling. It is nonetheless still interesting.

The format of the book is a marvel and well-worth taking a look at. I am glad to have this book in my collection. My only complaint is that the characters are as flat as the paper they are drawn on. The heavy lifting for emotion and context is done through the nuance of illustration. The narration tends to be uninspired. Therefor the characters never more than puppets moved about a felt board by the author. I suspect this is because Selznick's forte is illustration, not writing. He may have been better served pursuing a more traditional graphic novel approach utilizing word balloons and letting the art carry the story completely.

That being said, I am still very impressed with the effort and look forward to his next project. This was a massive undertaking along the same lines as Shaun Tan's "The Arrival". Highly recommended. ( )

This huge book is a combination of a traditional novel and a picture book. The pictures are more than simply illustrations; they are part of the narrative itself and help to tell the story.

Hugo Cabret is a young orphan living with his uncle the clock keeper in a Paris train station. After his uncle disappears, Hugo, afraid of being discovered and taken to an orphanage, takes over his uncle's duties and cares for all of the clocks. He can't figure out how to cash his uncle's paychecks, so he steals food to survive.

When a cranky old shopkeeper catches Hugo trying to steal a small mechanical toy, the man forces Hugo to empty his pockets and takes Hugo's greatest treasure--a notebook filled with drawings made by his father that Hugo is using as a guide to fix the mysterious automaton that was nearly destroyed in the museum fire that killed Hugo's father.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a stunning work of art that incorporates elements of mystery, history, art, and film into a satisfying and moving story.

Don't miss this one! ( )

The story takes place in 1930's Paris. The title character is an orphan who is living on his own after the death of his father and the disappearance of his uncle. His father was a watchmaker and taught him the skill. Having the ability to fix things and superior hand and eye coordination is an imporant aspect in this story. Through the use of illustrations along with words the story is told. The illustrations are shown in a unique manner and the use of perspective is important.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret follows a young boy in 1920s Paris trying to solve a mystery involving automatons, early movies, train stations, and books. The format is similar to a silent movie; Selznick conveys much of the story in evocative pencil drawings supplemented with text. The result is a satisfyingly chunky book that reads quite easily; a good pick for struggling readers who want an impressive book to heft. More sophisticated readers may find the text overly simplistic, but still be charmed by the illustrations. ( )

This picture book follows the story of Hugo Cabret, an orphan intent on fixing his father's last project in the hopes that it would help him figure out what to do with his future. Hugo befriends Isabelle, a mischievous girl who picks locks, but helps him with the last piece to his invention. Isabelle's guardians turn out to be renowned movie makers and magicians who, through the help of the children, gain status back into the movie world.

This is a great example of integrating illustrations into novels. This book is more black and white pencil drawings than words. But it is elaborate and extensive. Hugo is a character to feel sorry for and George is a character to sympathize with. The story is sad, but brilliant.

In a class room, we could create something in science that may resemble an automaton, the device Hugo works so hard to repair. We could learn about simple machines, such as gears and levers. We could also dissect some magic and talk about illusions for fun.

This story is about a boy, Hugo, who lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station. But when his world as he knows it suddenly clashes when he meets a girl and a very bitter and grumpy old man, Hugo's undercover life, and his secret, are now in jeaopardy.
This book was ok to me. The pictures are kind of dark, but pretty good. I think young readers may have a hard time getting through the beginning of it, but if they stay with it, they will not be dissappointed. I think it is for the more advance reader of maybe fourth and fifth grade.
After reading the book, we could discuss the way the author/illustrator were concise in how the pictures related so well to the story. I could also ask the students how they might have drawn a particular picture instead of the way the illustrator did it.

This book is a fun and differbut but also great example of a historical fiction book because the story takes place in Paris in 1931. It takes place in a historical time and place but the story itself is fiction because it did not happen.
This book is about a young boy named Hugo who is 12 years old and an orphan. He now lives in a train station in Paris. His uncle used to make sure the clocks all were running at the same time but now Hugo keeps up the clocks. In his free time Hugo like to draw.
Age Appropriateness: Primary, Intermediate
Media: pen and ink ( )

A lovely children's book about mystery, clocks, automatons, magic and friendship. A sort of graphic novel with text. ( )

This book is an excellent teaching guide on so many levels. The first several pages are purely illustrations in which you, as the reader, must interpret to start the story. Chapters are intertwined with large collections of illustrations, in which the story unfolds largely under the control of the reader.

Hugo Cabret, a 12-year-old orphan living in a Parisian train station, is desperately trying to connect the links between his most precious posessions: a treasured notebook, a cryptic drawing, and a mechanical man. He forms a friendship with a toyshop owner and a young girl and, through these relationships, is able to piece together this unexpected puzzle. ( )