The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of hugo cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Living in an abandoned apartment above the ceiling in a train station in Paris in the 1930s, Hugo Cabret tries to live in his father's footsteps. His parents have died, and he was left in the care of his uncle. His uncle was the clock keeper in the train station and an irresponsible guardian who has disappeared.  Hugo tries to keep up false pretenses to secure a place to live, fix his father's automaton and solve the mystery of what the automaton will reveal. Hugo finds a family to call his own through his friendship with Isabelle and her god parents. An interwoven story of discoveries of mechanical and human connections unfolds through Hugo's narrative and an abundance of sketches The sketches give a a 3rd person perspective and give a visualization of time and place. Love, family and discovering one's connection to the past create an imaginative tale that is truly believable.