Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck
by Brian Selznik
★★★★★

When I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret I was swept away by the illustrations, the magic of Paris in the 1930s, and the sweet story of an orphaned boy living in a train station. So it would be an understatement to say I was eagerly anticipating the author's next book Wonderstruck.

Using his finely-hatched illustrations interwoven with chapters of text, Selznik introduces us to Ben, a boy living in Minnesota in 1977 and Rose a deaf girl living in New Jersey in 1927. Their separate stories revolve around the Natural History Museum in New York City and hearing loss. What at first seems completely unrelated slowly connects in wonderful ways.

Selznik allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of a deaf person and he does it in a way that takes your breath away. I wasn't completely hooked until more than halfway through the book, but when things clicked for me I remembered feeling the same way about Hugo. Once the reader realizes what he's doing it's a joy to watch the story unfold.

BOTTOM LINE: This creative author has both the skills to craft a lovely story and to paint the world in which that story takes place. I will be reading whatever he writes!

"The world was full of wonders."

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
★★★★☆

Hugo is the orphaned son of a clockmaker. He lives in a small room in a train station in Paris in the 1930s. His father was in the midst of trying to fix an automaton when he dies unexpected, leaving his son alone in the world. Hugo attempts to continue his father’s work, while trying to survive on his own.


This graphic novel is fanciful and sweet and just the right blend of drawings and text. The story sweeps you along and you find yourself running through the streets of Paris with Hugo, evading police and stealing milk. Hugo is caught stealing by a man who runs a toy shop and soon their lives become intertwined.

Selznick works bits of fact and historical trivia into the book. I love it when authors do that, because adds a richness to the story. He makes it clear, in an endnote, what is fact and what is fiction.


The book looks huge, but I read it all in one sitting. The drawing and photos supplement the text and so it flies by. It was just delightful. I heard Martin Scorsese is making a film version and I can’t wait to see it come to life on the big screen. I think this is the kind of book that would actually work well as a movie.

*All images from the book