This book wasn't on my radar until my Goodreads friend Jackie kindly offered to gift me with her copy, which she'd read and didn't want to keep; and I owe her a big "thank you! And, yes, wonder! We have an earli This book wasn't on my radar until my Goodreads friend Jackie kindly offered to gift me with her copy, which she'd read and didn't want to keep; and I owe her a big "thank you! Selznick is an accomplished artist as well as a gifted writer; but what he's created here is not simply a novel with illustrations, nor a conventional "graphic novel.
Their storylines switch back and forth, Ben's told almost entirely through text, Rose's through pictures, except where writing is a seamless part of the picture itself. Surprisingly, the events of Rose's story aren't as ambiguous as one might think; there are some surprises, and some things that are mysterious, but they're intended to be.
We sense that the two narratives, though separated by fifty years in time, are somehow interrelated; but Selznick will answer our question of how in his own perfect time. The author was born in , for Rose's story, he reaches back in time, while Ben born in is almost his exact contemporary. Hence my classification of the novel as both general fiction and historical fiction though I see it primarily as general fiction. It's a story about family, about friendship, about belonging, about love, about the worth of every person, about being who you are, about the wonders of life and the world around us.
While it's not a sappy story, it's a moving and uplifting one. The Hugo Cabret book is classified as a children's book and won the Caldecott Medal, given for art in a children's book.
This one, obviously, has child protagonists; and it's refreshingly free of bad language. There's also no violence, and no sexual content as such, though one situation might presuppose a degree of adult understanding.
We know early on that Ben's mother was a single mom, and that since this isn't Xanth, the stork wasn't involved. But given modern social conditions, even if they aren't initiated into what's known in Xanth as the Adult Conspiracy, today's kids are probably accustomed to not thinking it unusual that some sets of parents aren't married to each other. There's nothing here that makes the book unsuitable for teens or tweens, and the reading level should be within their grasp, though it isn't dumbed-down.
That said, there's also nothing here that makes it unsuitable for adults indeed, as C. Lewis pointed out, a children's book that's ONLY capable of appealing to children probably isn't very worthwhile reading even for the latter. Selznick tells an emotionally, socially and morally authentic story in a realistic way, dealing with serious themes and truths that are as meaningful for adults as for the younger set.
And he tells it with artistry that an adult reader can appreciate. No review of this book would be complete without a word about the artwork.
Of course, I'm no art critic I took two years of art in high school, and that's about it , so my critique won't be highly technical. I can say that Selznick works strictly in black and white, using I'd guess a pencil, and varies his compositions from close-ups of faces and figures to more panoramic scenes, some of which have wonderful levels of detail.
He made serious use of real-life models of, and familiarity with, actual localities and buildings. His draftsmanship is excellent, perfectly adapted to storytelling with pictures.
The facial expressions of the characters make them as real as actual persons, and more than once he makes outstanding use of the technique of showing the same scene with increasingly close focus on one point of the picture --kind of a slow-motion close-up with pencil. Personally, I found the use of visual images here very effective. The author's Acknowledgements in the back are quite detailed, and give an idea of the extent of his research into his settings, as well as the rare slight liberties he took.
He also shares a three-page Selected Bibliography mostly of print books about several topics and settings relevant to the story. If you read the book and I recommend you do! View all 6 comments. Jan 31, Lora rated it liked it Recommends it for: fans of Brian Selznick and illustrated children's fiction.
Shelves: lib-read. Despite Wonderstruck 's pages, I read it within the span of three hours. Granted, over of those pages are illustrations, but I still believe this fact attests to Wonderstruck 's ability to keep its reader engaged and entertained. Wonderstruck is two stories in one: it is Ben's story, and it is Rose's story. With the former's being told in words, and the latter's being told in illustrations, this textile tale takes two youngsters, a book, a turtle, a bookstore, a museum, and several supporti Despite Wonderstruck 's pages, I read it within the span of three hours.
With the former's being told in words, and the latter's being told in illustrations, this textile tale takes two youngsters, a book, a turtle, a bookstore, a museum, and several supporting characters and blends them perfectly to ultimately make one beautiful, symmetrical story. As the story carefully unfolds, we learn that Ben is deaf in one ear, and Rose is deaf completely.
Ben has recently lost his mother, and is now anxious to find out all he can about his father, whom his mother never told him about. After finding a few clues in his mother's bedroom, Ben goes off to New York in search of his father. Meanwhile, Rose, always feeling like she doesn't belong anywhere, is obsessed with a movie starlet. Thanks to a newspaper article, Rose ends up going to see this actress during one of her stage shows in New York.
Although their stories are fifty years apart, both characters go on almost the exact same journey and end up in many of the same places, and the reader is left feeling nothing short of amazement when all is revealed and each character finds what they've been so desperate to have: love, and a sense of belonging. As it is children's literature, Wonderstruck isn't the sort of story I'd normally go for. But the more I read the more I realize that stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to truly see what you're missing.
And in the case of Wonderstruck , it is certainly something to behold. Selznick's illustrations are absolute food for the eyes and I believe they speak for themselves: Along with a few other illustrated works I've recently read, Wonderstruck has given me an appreciation for art and helped me to see how it can truly make a story come alive. I'm very much looking forward to exploring Selznick's debut, The Invention of Hugo Cabret , which I'm sure you know has recently been made into a movie.
View all 8 comments. Shelves: history , adventure , children-without-adults , losing-a-loved-one , friendship , male-author-or-illustrator , runaways , books-about-booksor-reading , great-illustrations. The story is very unique, one part told by text and one by drawings. When the book started switching between the two, it made me feel as though the story told by the drawings was a silent movie, as I read on this became more relevant.
I liked the way the story deals with a parent who has died, but still feels like they are there, a parent who didn't know he was one, but again plays their part, and a parent who was around but not really being a parent- several examples of being a parent from a distance. The illustrations are beautiful, I loved the way they went on for several pages and you could become quite involved with them, I liked the way you could spot view spoiler [ family resemblances hide spoiler ] At first I thought the girl in the illustrations was view spoiler [ his mum as a child hide spoiler ] I enjoyed watching the storylines come together and they weren't completely predictable.
I love museums, so this book was really enjoyable for me. My daughter has just started reading this. One thing I found odd was a part where the sign language alphabet was illustrated, showed different gestures for each letters than the one I was taught.
Surely US sign language is the same as UK sign language?! This is a lovely book and I think it would be ideal for children who struggle to read a longer fiction book, as the pictures help whizz you through what would otherwise be a long read. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
View all 9 comments. Mar 08, Merphy Napier rated it really liked it Shelves: contemperary , middle-grade. This one was tough to rate. I couldn't decide between four stars or five!
I loved this story and think it's an extremely important middle grade novel. We have a protagonist who was born deaf, and one who lost his hearing later in life. This is something that isn't shown in literature enough and the fact that it's done so well in a middle grade novel is so beautiful. The author even took the time to explain a little about the Deaf community in his author's note which I appreciated so much!
It deal This one was tough to rate. It deals with grief, with not knowing where you belong, and with finding family that you thought you had lost.
It's honestly such a sweet and heartwarming novel and I can't wait to read it to my son one day. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because at the end of the novel I didn't feel like we had a ton of story.
What we had was wonderful, but it felt like so little was told in those pages. I really think that's just because it's difficult to tell a full story in illustrations alone and even though when the two points of view came together it all started making so much sense, it still felt like there was so much more to be told. But this story was phenomenal and I highly recommend it!
Apr 25, Lisa Vegan rated it it was amazing Shelves: childrens , z , fiction , readbooks-male-author-or-illust , orphaned-and-quasi-orphaned-kids , picture-books , novel , books-about-books , 1-also-at-librarything , goodreads-author. So special! Very clever! All of them touched me. For not the first time I am tempted to create a new-york or nyc shelf. I read this book in one day.
The title name is brilliantly incorporated more than one way into this story. Basil E. Frankweiler , is a fan of wolves, appreciates a good orphan story, enjoys beautiful and fascinating book illustrations, can feel in awe of unusual and brilliant books.
This book is great. Truly great. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. Entertaining and informative and absolutely not to be missed: end of the book Acknowledgments, and also a great Selected Bibliography, with many categories. View all 52 comments. Sep 04, Kerri rated it it was amazing Shelves: most-loved. Such a beautiful book. I read it as slowly as I could, but I have finally finished it. The use of illustrations and text were so wonderful and made for a unique reading experience.
I'm sad to have finished it and will be reading more by Brian Selznick, as this was absolutely amazing. View all 5 comments. Jul 26, Tatiana rated it really liked it Recommended to Tatiana by: Kirkus. Shelves: children-s-middle-school , 4 , graphic-novels , , starred Wonderstruck is over pages long and I read it in one sitting. Brian Selznick intertwines two stories together in his Novel in Words and Pictures. Ben's story is told entirely in words, and Rose's - in pictures. Of course we know Wonderstruck is over pages long and I read it in one sitting.
Of course we know that these two stories of lonely children are bound to merge together, and they do. But the way they crisscross and link into each other along the way is a wonder.
Both narratives are paced in the best possible way, making you want to read more, to learn more, to uncover the mystery faster. Selznick's prose is simple but soulful, his pencil I assume drawings are vibrant.
A very sweet novel about friendships, families and desire to belong, and an unexpected ode to New York City and museums. Nov 23, CarolynMarieReads rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. This is one of those moments when I finish a book, look at the blank screen of my goodreads review section, and feel lost for words!
So I shall write about my loss for words! Ever since I was little, I preferred to look at pictures over reading words. My artistic imagination was ablaze whenever I saw any kind of book illustration!
Let's go back in time to when I was maybe 9 years old. I was in the library trying to pick out a book in the children's section.
I was always being encouraged by my pa This is one of those moments when I finish a book, look at the blank screen of my goodreads review section, and feel lost for words! I was always being encouraged by my parents and teachers to form mental images in my mind while I read prose. I remember feelings my eyes widen as I took in the face of Hugo Cabaret drawn beautifully on the spine and back cover. It was one of the thickest books on the shelf, and I had an overwhelming thought of, "I can't read this!
It's HUGE! Meaning that it told the story through words AND pictures! I can perfectly remember the excitement I felt to this day! It was then that I knew I would become a book illustrator and writer myself one day! And here I am, in my last year of Uni getting my degree in Illustration and writing! Look how far we've come little Carolyn! Now you may be wondering pun intended why I'm talking about Hugo when this is a review for Wonderstruck! Well, that story of my discovering the brilliant writer and illustrator Brian Selznick directly relates to my enjoyment of this book!
I've only read Hugo by Selznick because I was oddly nervous to read another story him. Would it live up to the life-changing effects Hugo had on me? Well of course not, because I'm not 9 years old anymore I'm 22! I now primarily read prose writing, although my heart will always belong to illustrated books! I'm also not doodling in my math and science classes anymore, because I'm not taking math and science classes! My schoolwork IS doodling! A more advanced form a doodling, but doodling none the less.
So no, it didn't have the same effect Hugo had. It had an even more special effect, one that proved I'm on the right path! Reading this incredible book, and seeing these stunning drawings just confirmed that my 9 year old self was right! I'm meant to be an illustrator! I owe a lot to a vast number of illustrators, Brian Selznick especially, for showing me my "destiny" in a sense. Their stories will live in my heart forever, and hopefully one day I can do the same for another child seeking words and pictures.
Please read this book and Hugo Cabaret!!! It will comfort your mind and amaze your eyes! Feb 02, Connor rated it really liked it Shelves: middle-grade , graphic-novels. I'm not sure why it took me so long to pick this up since I enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret so much. I think I still liked that one better, but I love how these two stories set 50 years apart develop together and weave together.
Brian Selznick is truly an awesome author and storyteller. Jun 25, Betsy rated it it was amazing. A publisher believes that a book is going to be big so they crank up the old hype machine and do everything in their power to draw attention to it long before its publication date. Here you had a book that managed to get hundreds of librarians across the nation of America to redefine in their own Hype. Cabret was remarkable because it combined words and pictures in a manner most closely resembling a film.
Indeed the whole plot of the book revolved around filmmaking so what would be the point of writing another book in the same vein? While the art was spectacular and the plotting just fine, the writing was merely a-okay.
By no means a detriment to the book, mind you. Just okay. And maybe that's partly why Wonderstruck works as well as it does. The art is just as beautiful as Cabret 's, the plotting superior, and the writing not just good, but fantastic. No Comments Yet. More by Brian Selznick. New York Times Bestseller. IndieBound Bestseller. Harding-Pencroft Academy guide, cast list Adventure. Pub Date: Oct. Page Count: Publisher: Disney-Hyperion. Review Posted Online: Sept.
More by Rick Riordan. Good Guys and Bad get just deserts in the end, and Stanley gets plenty of opportunities to display pluck and valor in this rugged, engrossing adventure.
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Need Help? Contact us: or email customercare kirkus. Please select an existing bookshelf OR Create a new bookshelf Continue. Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures. Selznick, Brian. To purchase this item, you must first login or register for a new account. Annotation: It's , and twelve-year-old Ben has recently lost both his mother and his hearing.
He leaves Minnesota for New York City, hoping to find his long-lost father, and meets Rose, another seeker, on the way. Genre: Historical fiction. All Formats: Search. Availability: Available. People with disabilities. New York N. Language: English. Reviews: ALA Booklist. Following the Caldecott Medal winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret , Selznick offers another visual narrative, one that feels even better suited to his inventive style.
The beautifully crafted structure includes two stories set 50 years apart. The first, set in , is told in text and follows Ben, who is grieving the sudden loss of his mother when he stumbles upon clues that point to his father's identity.
The second, told entirely in richly shaded pencil drawings, opens in as a young girl, Rose, gazes at a newspaper clipping. Rose is deaf, and Ben also loses his hearing, during a lightning strike.
Both lonely children run away to New York City, and their parallel stories echo and reflect each other through nuanced details, which lead "like a treasure map" to a conjoined, deeply satisfying conclusion. Selznick plays with a plethora of interwoven themes, including deafness and silence, the ability to see and value the world, family, and the interconnectedness of life.
Although the book is hefty, at more than pages, the pace is nevertheless brisk, and the kid-appealing mystery propels the story. With appreciative nods to museums, libraries, and E. Konigsburg, Wonderstruck is a gift for the eye, mind, and heart. Pictures follow a girl, Rose, in ; the text is set in where a boy, Ben, struggles with hearing loss. Ben's story suffers from an excess of telling rather than showing; nevertheless, there is much technical brilliance and genuine heart here.
Brian Selznick didn't have to do it. He didn't have to return to the groundbreaking pictures-and-text format that stunned the children's-book world in and won him an unlikely—though entirely deserved—Caldecott medal for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Weighing in at about two pounds, the plus page tome combined textual and visual storytelling in a way no one had quite seen before.
In a world where the new becomes old in the blink of an eye, Selznick could have honorably rested on his laurels and returned to the standard to—page picture-book format he has already mastered. He didn't have to try to top himself. But he has. If Hugo Cabret was a risky experiment that succeeded beyond Selznick and publisher Scholastic's wildest dreams well, maybe not Scholastic's—they dream big , his follow-up, Wonderstruck , is a far riskier enterprise.
In replicating the storytelling format of Hugo , Selznick begs comparisons that could easily find Wonderstruck wanting or just seem stale. Like its predecessor, this self-described "novel in words and pictures" opens with a cinematic, multi-page, wordless black-and-white sequence: Two wolves lope through a wooded landscape, the illustrator's "camera" zooming in to the eye of one till readers are lost in its pupil. The scene changes abruptly, to Gunflint Lake, Minn. Prose describes how Ben Wilson, age 12, wakes from a nightmare about wolves.
He's three months an orphan, living with his aunt and cousins after his mother's death in an automobile accident; he never knew his father.
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