Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together...in The Invention of Hugo Cabret. This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you. ([source](https://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_hugo_intro.htm))
Is The Invention of Hugo Cabret appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 8 and up.
A gentle, beautifully illustrated story about an orphaned boy living secretly in a Paris train station. Themes of loss and loneliness are handled sensitively with an ultimately hopeful resolution about finding family and purpose.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include death of parent, grief, and abandonment.
Who'll love this
Kids will love the mystery of the mechanical man, the adventure of living in a train station, and the gorgeous illustrations that bring Hugo's secret world to life.