Unit: Independent Reading

Thread: Book Reviews

Author:          Brian Selznick   

Genre:            Historical Fiction

Pages:            533

Level:             NR 

Character Descriptions:

Hugo Cabret, orphan boy living in the attic of a train station in Paris trying to figure out the mystery his father left behind involving clocks, a mechanical man, and a magician-movie maker. Curly dark hair and never gives up

     Isabelle, follower of Hugo and probably admires him. Help solves his mysteries through out the book. Short hair, beady glare, smart.

     George Melies, Old man working at a toybooth but had a previous more interesting life.

     Hugo's father first shows Hugo the automaton and the museum catches on fire and the mechanical man is destroyed whether or not he is dead is yet to find out.

Plot:

     This book is about Hugo Cabret, an orphan living in the walls of a Paris train station. only 12 years old, he already has alot going on in his 

I don't know if I'm allowed to edit the other two if my group members aren't quite getting it...  Although I couldn't let "atomatron" stay.  That "R" had to go.

Discussion: 

Brian Selznick's goal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret was to combine all possible elements from novel, graphic novel, picture book and film.  Do you think he succeeded?

How long do you think that Hugo and Isabelle will stay "together?"  Do you think it's even remotely possible for their bond through an amazing experience-- which involved tons of trust in each other, while Hugo was a thief, and VERY hard to believe when he explained situations-- is strong enough so that they never abandon each other?  What about in the whole world.  If you're like me, you'd like to think that if people do something amazing together (solve a mystery, save the world, get through something death-defying unscathed, crap like that), they'll never part, and the bond will never break, right?  But I suppose that isn't really realistic in the least.  That's show biz.  But it still poses a question: is it possible for people to actually stay together "forever" (as long as they live) as partners, or lovers, or anything?

The Inventions of Hugo Cabret