The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This is an amazing book! A friend recommended the book to me, but I was a little hesitant when I saw how thick it is. I thought I would not have time to read such a long look during the semester. Once I got started, I did not want to put it down. Because of the way the book is written, reading goes very fast - I read 80 pages in 15 minutes. The format of the book definitely helps make it special. The author/illustrator, Brian Selznick, has created a unique combination of illustrations and words. In most books with pictures, the illustrations add to the text. In this book, the illustrations are an integral part of the story and must be viewed very carefully in order to follow the sequence of the plot. These detailed sketches are great tools for teaching the viewing skills along with promoting aspects of art. No wonder this book was chosen as the 2008 Caldecott Award Winner! Besides these wonderful features, the boat has great historical background for such topics as early film making, train stations, magicians, and machines. These are not necessarily topics I would be interested in, but the way the author has combined them into a story about two children helping each other, makes this an excellent blend of expository and narrative text. The author has created a great web site with additional information to enhance the story.
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm