45. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author/Illustrator: Brian Selznick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright Date: 2007
Number of Pages: 525
Reading Level: 11+
Genre: Fiction

Summary
Hugo is the son of a horologist. He’s learned his whole life how to run and fix clocks. Hugo’s dad sees a mechanical robot at work one day and is fascinated. He draws page after page of the automaton to see how it works and to see if he can fix it. One night Hugo’s father doesn’t come home and the next day his uncle shows up and tells him his father died in a fire. Hugo’s world shatters. Hugo’s uncle takes him in as his apprentice at the train station maintaining the clocks. Hugo returned to the place where his father died and finds the automaton in the wreckage. Hugo packs it up and takes it back to the train station. Hugo tries to fix the automaton but needs the little parts that go with it. He is sure that once he finishes it the machine will write a message to Hugo from his father. Hugo steals small toys for the parts and one day is caught by the toy booth owner. The owner demands that Hugo empty his pockets and so he does, all but one. The storekeeper notices and demand he turn it out. The notebook that Hugo’s father gave him with pictures of the automaton is in his pocket. The storekeeper is furious and tells Hugo to leave. He says he’s going to go home and burn the notebook. The next day the storekeeper hands Hugo a handkerchief with ashes in it. The storekeeper’s goddaughter, Isabelle, reassures Hugo that he did not burn his notebook and she will find it for him. Hugo doesn’t feel he can trust her. Hugo ends up working for the storekeeper to earn back his notebook. Everyone believes he is a thief. Hugo fixes the automaton on his own and is missing only one thing. He finds out he doesn’t need the notebook after all. No keys will fit. Hugo sees the key one day around Isabelle’s neck. He pretends to give her a hug and steals the necklace. Isabelle notices later and follows him inside the walls to find out where he lives and what he did with her key. They use the key to turn on the automaton and it draws a picture that is familiar to Hugo. His dad had described the image from a movie but the picture was signed by Isabelle’s godfather. They find out he was a famous movie producer but after the war he had to sell all his films to pay for his family. Hugo is adopted into the family and Mr. Mieles is honored at a dinner for him. Everyone now knows he didn’t die in the Great War.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to kids who have vivid imaginations, enjoy drawing, or who are interested in magic. This makes me wish I could draw but honestly I can’t to save my life.

Problems/Conflict
Hugo did steal from other people.

My Reaction
In the book Hugo said that every great movie should end with a chase scene. This book ends with a pretty intense chase scene when Hugo is running from the Station Inspector. I appreciated that Hugo didn’t enjoy stealing; he only did it when he had to or when he needed the parts for the automaton. It’s a nice coincidence that the parts he stole were for a machine with the same creator as the toys.