The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author/Illustrator: Brian Selznick
Audience: Grades 4 to 7
In a Nutshell: a young timekeeper-turned-thief, a little mechanical man that draws little clues, and a not-really-dead film director in Paris

Hey, kids! Want to read a 525-page book in a couple hours? Want to read a book that seems a lot like watching a movie? Look no further!

Even before his drunken uncle disappears, assistant timekeeper Hugo Cabret does most of the work of keeping all 27 clocks in the Paris train station running smoothly. He lives and works behind the walls, only entering the station to steal food or small mechanical parts from a toy maker's stall. He is obsessed with fixing up a small automaton of a man that will write something when it's fixed; Hugo is sure the writing will be a message from his dead father (he has his reasons). Instead, it leads him to an early French silent film and its legendary creater, Georges Melies, who was supposed to be dead, but isn't.

Out of 525 pages, 284 are entirely taken up with original drawings by the author, plus there are photos, stills from silent movies, and reproductions of sketches by the real Georges Melies. I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this. The words and pictures blend seamlessly; the illustrations don't accompany text, they replace it in large chunks.

Cinematically presented story with mystery, action, and plenty of visuals: perfect format for telling a story about silent film.