The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
Historical-Fiction, Fiction, Young-Adult, Middle-Grade, Graphic-Novels, Fantasy
A beautiful combination of images and text, bridging the gap between graphic novel and novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret weaves an intricate and compassionate story. 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.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 8+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that Brian Selznick‘s poignant, magical Caldecott Medal-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret is set in a Paris train station and features a 12-year-old hero who’s had a sad life. Orphaned, alone, and homeless, he lives by stealing and scavenging, and no one is kind to him until late in the book. The wholly original story is told largely in beautiful black-and-white charcoal drawings — 284 pages of them — whose perspective pans in and out the way shots in a film would. It was made into a live-action movie titled Hugo and released in 2011.
Educational Value: 3/5
Readers learn a bit about clocks, mechanical machines, automatons, and the history of film, especially the work of filmmaker Georges Melies.
Positive Messages: 4/5
Strong messages about resilience, friendship, love, and family.
Positive Role Models: 3/5
Hugo steals to survive but yearns for friendship and love. A girl loves books and helps Hugo in his endeavors.
Violence & Scariness: 1/5
A boy’s hand is crushed in a door.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: n/a
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Language: n/a
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Products & Purchases: n/a
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5
Adults drink, and Hugo’s uncle gets drunk.
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