Upon first glance, this book seems daunting due to its large size. However, after the reader opens the book and sees the first beautiful charcoal draw...moreUpon first glance, this book seems daunting due to its large size. However, after the reader opens the book and sees the first beautiful charcoal drawings, they will be unable to put it down. The opening sequence is just like an old-fashioned movie, but in drawings. We first see Hugo Cabret skulking around in a busy train station. We see him watch a man working in his toy booth, and wonder: Why is Hugo watching him? As it turns out,Hugo Cabret is an orphan that lives in this busy Paris train station. His father was a horologist, and passed his talents on to his son before dying in a mysterious fire. Hugo's only remaining piece of his former life is the automaton his father was working to restore when he died. It will write a message, which Hugo believes will change his life forever. However, he must steal parts from the toy-maker to complete it, but is caught one day, which changes his life forever. This story is especially great for reluctant readers that are scared of chapter books. There are several spreads of the drawings, that help highlight important hints of the mystery, kind of like they do in movies. A lot of the story is told through the drawings, which also helps younger readers learn to pay attention to details besides those which are expressed in the text. It is a fun, slightly spooky, novel that has a little something for all kinds of readers. It is highly recommended for readers ages 9-14.(less)
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