The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Watch out Chris Van Allsburg! The Mysteries of Harris Burdick came rushing into my mind as I read and saw the illustrations. This book gives you mystery, suspense, wonder and excitement all rolled up into one. The black and white illustrations bring mystery and suspense to the story through the amount of detail in each one and the use of light and dark shading. The main character is Hugo Cabret a 10 year old boy who is left to live with an uncle, after his father dies in a fire at the local museum. Before his father’s death, Hugo and his father found automaton in the attic of and were planning on restoring it one day. Hugo’s father was a clock maker and as he worked on the automaton kept notebooks of its design. Hugo and his uncle now lived in an apartment of the train station where he became an apprentice and learned to manage the clocks. One day his uncle did not return and Hugo was left to fend for himself. Fearing he would be found out and sent to an orphanage he hid in the apartment, maintaining the clocks, collecting his uncle’s paycheck, and stealing what he needed to survive. Hugo watches the happenings of the train station from behind the walls and one of the clocks. The only thing Hugo has left of to remember his father is the automaton and a notebook full of his drawings. One afternoon Hugo was caught trying to steal from the toy store when the shop keeper caught him and discovered the notebook of illustrations. The store keeper was intrigued, upset and nervous at the sign of the notebook and threatened to burn it. That night Hugo followed him home and made contact with a young girl who lived in the same house. She told him she would save his notebook and to go to the toy store tomorrow. Hugo did and was given back a pile of burnt paper. He was devastated only to learn later that the notebook was never burned and it was a trick. Hugo went back to the toy maker and told he knew it was a trick. Hugo ends up working for him to repay his debt. Eventually it is discovered that the automaton belonged to the toy maker and that he was a famous film maker. Eventually Hugo is found out and after a long chase ends up living with the store keeper and his wife.
Watch out Chris Van Allsburg! The Mysteries of Harris Burdick came rushing into my mind as I read and saw the illustrations. This book gives you mystery, suspense, wonder and excitement all rolled up into one. The black and white illustrations bring mystery and suspense to the story through the amount of detail in each one and the use of light and dark shading. The main character is Hugo Cabret a 10 year old boy who is left to live with an uncle, after his father dies in a fire at the local museum. Before his father’s death, Hugo and his father found automaton in the attic of and were planning on restoring it one day. Hugo’s father was a clock maker and as he worked on the automaton kept notebooks of its design. Hugo and his uncle now lived in an apartment of the train station where he became an apprentice and learned to manage the clocks. One day his uncle did not return and Hugo was left to fend for himself. Fearing he would be found out and sent to an orphanage he hid in the apartment, maintaining the clocks, collecting his uncle’s paycheck, and stealing what he needed to survive. Hugo watches the happenings of the train station from behind the walls and one of the clocks. The only thing Hugo has left of to remember his father is the automaton and a notebook full of his drawings. One afternoon Hugo was caught trying to steal from the toy store when the shop keeper caught him and discovered the notebook of illustrations. The store keeper was intrigued, upset and nervous at the sign of the notebook and threatened to burn it. That night Hugo followed him home and made contact with a young girl who lived in the same house. She told him she would save his notebook and to go to the toy store tomorrow. Hugo did and was given back a pile of burnt paper. He was devastated only to learn later that the notebook was never burned and it was a trick. Hugo went back to the toy maker and told he knew it was a trick. Hugo ends up working for him to repay his debt. Eventually it is discovered that the automaton belonged to the toy maker and that he was a famous film maker. Eventually Hugo is found out and after a long chase ends up living with the store keeper and his wife.
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