Module 3: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

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Book Summary: Hugo Cabret is an orphan living in the walls of a Paris train station with his uncle, who keeps the station's clocks running. Hugo's only goal is to figure out the automaton that his father left behind when he died, thinking it will hold some message from his father. When his uncle disappears, however, Hugo finds himself in a race to against time to figure out the secrets of the automaton before the authorities in the train station realize that he is living on his own and take both him and the automaton away. Matters are complicated when his father's notebook, which contains all of his notes on the automaton, is taken by an angry toy shop keeper who catches Hugo stealing from him, and soon Hugo finds himself looking to solve not only the mystery of the automaton, but also of the grouchy shopkeeper who seems to know more than he is saying.

APA Reference of the book:

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

Impressions: I immediately fell in love with this book when I first read it, as the unique combination of pictures and words told a story in such a way that either one alone never could.  At first it was almost startling to turn the page after several pages dark with pencil-drawn pictures and find a flat panel of white partially filled with text, but after awhile the shift between the two became more natural and helped draw me more into the story. The shift between relatively quickly paging through the pictures and stopping to read text also helped set the pace of the story, slowing down and speeding up depending on which section was being read. The growing mystery of the story also helped to draw me in, and I read onward quickly to find out just what was going on. Also, the illustrations helped to not only establish the setting and characters, but also mimic the movies of the time in that they are in black and white. The story is an engaging one in which the reader is cheering on the protagonist throughout and can share his emotions, and can help the reader to connect with the story. Overall, it combines a lovable protagonist with an intriguing plot that leaves the reader, or me at least, dying to know what is going to happen next, as well as beautiful illustrations that move the story along as much as the text.

 

Professional Review: " Brian Selznick has created a bit of an anomaly: though his book is a blend of visual and textual narrative, it isn't a graphic novel, it is hundreds of pages longer than the average picture book, and the term "illustrated novel" doesn't really address its particular nature. Specifically, unlike most of the books in any of the three aforementioned formats, the drawings and text in this novel work not in synchronous partnership but rather sequentially, with the story handed off from pages of text to pages of visual narrative, resulting in something that evokes an intricate and tension-filled silent movie.
    These alternating narrative media tell the story of twelve-year-old orphan Hugo, a boy who desperately misses his recently deceased father and who struggles to hold his life together after a new tragedy, the disappearance and likely death of his uncle, Hugo's guardian. Hugo had been acting as an apprentice to his uncle, learning to set the clocks in a Paris train station; as long as he keeps the clocks set properly, suggesting his uncle's continued presence, he can hide the fact that he is now living alone, stealing food to survive, and scavenging bits of machinery to pursue his dream: the restoration of a complex automaton that his father had found in a museum. At first, Hugo works from a notebook of diagrams that his father left behind, but after this is taken from him by an irate toymaker who catches Hugo stealing, he eventually discovers that he is talented enough to continue without it. The story also hints at broader mysteries with curious connections: the toymaker immediately recognizes the sketches of the automaton, a necklace worn by the toymaker's granddaughter is the last item needed by Hugo to complete the restoration, and the drawing that the automaton eventually produces has a dramatic impact on all of the characters.
    Far from feeling coincidental or forced, however, the plot unfolds in satisfying layers, like a dramatic mystery film. And indeed, the careful pacing, heavy black frames that outline each page, and the sequential views that zoom in on a single image produce a remarkable cinematic effect. The nearly 300 pages of elegant pencil drawings, most combined in pages-long sequences, pick up where the text leaves off and sweep the reader along until the story is picked up again in words, sometimes twenty pages and several scenes later. The film influences are apparent in both the plot (the toymaker is the prolific filmmaker George Méliès, considered the father of science fiction movies) and in the visual images, several of which are photographed stills from Méliès' movies.
    Avi's elegant Silent Movie (BCCB 4/03) recently explored this alluring genre, and Selznick ably picks up the thread, offering an engaging novel and intriguing end . matter (author's note, film credits, and further reading list) that all but guarantee interest in the subject of silent film. It may well elicit some rather unexpected library requests for more information on early twentieth-century filmmaking; better yet, any library lucky enough to still have 16mm films in their collection will be perfectly equipped to offer young readers a rare glimpse into the quirkiness, beauty, and near magic of early moving pictures.
    D[e]spite that sophisticated artistry, this remains a book firmly and appealingly intended for its young target audience. True, adults are likely to find it intriguing, and they will enjoy some of the subtleties that kids may miss (Remy Charlip posing as Georges Méliès, for example). However, the pacing, plot, and characters are all geared to young readers, who will find Hugo, the intrepid orphan racing against time and toward his goals, as compelling as the artistic tribute to cinema and forgotten filmic geniuses. Nor are they likely to mind the book's multiple layers; instead, they'll appreciate the ambition, embrace the complexities, and revel in the rare experience of an original and creative integration of art and text. (See p. 344 for publication information.)"

Spisak, A. (2007). [The invention of Hugo Cabret]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 60(8), p. 321-344. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/.

Library uses: This book, in addition to telling a captivating story, also gives some insight into the early days of filmmaking. Sharing this book with a class, either by reading it together (a document camera would be very helpful for projecting the illustrations on a Smart Board), or by book talking and allowing students to explore the book on their own could begin a discussion of that era in history in general, or of the history of filmmaking in particular.

Module 2: McElligot's Pool

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Book Summary: When Marco decides to go fishing in McElligot's Pool, a local farmer tells him how foolish he is to look for fish in the small, polluted pool. Marco is undeterred, however, and is soon imagining all the different kinds of fish that might make their way to McElligot's Pool from just about anywhere for him to catch, such as a fish "with a checkerboard belly" or one "who has fins like a  sail." He spends so much time imagining these fish that he concludes that he must only be patient enough to see who comes to the pool.

APA Reference of the book: Dr. Seuss (1947). McElligot's pool. New York: Random House.

Impressions: I am a huge fan of Dr. Seuss books, and was pleasantly surprised to find one that I hadn't heard of before on the reading list. I was not disappointed when I read the book, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Like most Dr. Seuss books, it had a great deal of word play, and the main word used in the book was might. The entire story is a speculation of what might be down in the pool and the reader is caught up in all the possibilities that may or may not actually be. The overall message seems to be to look past what's right in front of the reader to imagine all that might be. The positive message seems like one that everyone needs to hear at one point or another.

One interesting aspect of this book was that while all the illustrations were painted in the same style, only every other page was in color. The constant switch between grayscale pictures and color pictures made the color pictures stand out even more, and each color picture was almost a surprise after finishing a page in grayscale.

In the review below, it is mentioned that there is not a great deal of conflict to the book, which the reviewer feels is to the detriment of the story. However, I think that although the only conflict is whether or not there are actually any fish in the pool, the way Marco addresses the issue is where the theme of the story lies. Specifically, to look past the surface and see what is, or in this case, can be underneath. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

Professional Review:

"McElligot's Pool is a Seuss classic from the distant era before even The Cat In The Hat. It's a single poetic variation on the theme of adult skepticism that's no match for childhood faith and daydreaming. A small boy is fishing in the tiny, unpromising McElligot's Pool, a puddle that (as a passing farmer informs our diminutive hero) is nothing but a hole where people dispose of their junk. But the boy is all optimism: what if the pool is deeper than anyone thinks? What if it connects to an underground stream that flows under the town to the sea? Might not all sorts of fish then swim up the stream and be caught here? "I might catch an eel... (Well, I might. It depends.) A long twisting eel with a lot of strange bends. And, oddly enough, with a head at both ends!" The moral of the story is straightforward: "If I wait long enough, if I'm patient and cool,/ Who knows what I'll catch in McElligot's pool?" (Ages 4 to 8)"

Farr, R. (n.d.) [Review of McElligot's Pool, by Dr. Seuss]. Amazon.com review. Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/McElligots-Pool-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394800834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380850585&sr=8-1&keywords=mcelligot%27s+pool
Library uses: This book could be used in the library to show students the power of imagination. This could lead to a discussion of how fiction books help readers to imagine the story in their heads as if a movie is playing. After looking at this book, students could look for other books whose characters use their imagination to think of what might be.

Module 2: The Middle Moffat

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Book Summary: Jane Moffat likes things that are in the middle, which describes her perfectly, as the middle of four children. When she introduces herself as the Middle Moffat to the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury, she begins a year long adventure in which she witnesses her first eclipse, plays her first basketball game, is the middle bear in a production of Goldilocks, and most importantly, works to ensure that the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury makes it to his 100th birthday, which leads to the largest celebration the town of Cranbury has even seen.

APA Reference of the book:

Estes, E. (2001). The middle Moffat. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc.

Impressions: When I first began reading this book, the best word I could think to describe it was "quaint." About halfway through, I thought to look at the copyright date, and realizing that the book was written in 1942, I was able to read the book with the right expectation of the time the book was written, which was reinforced by the illustrations. By the end, I was engrossed in the story and wanted to see what happened next. Overall I think it is a well told story that would probably surprise today's kids with its lack of gadgets and electronics, but does point back to a simpler time to live. However, it also shows some of the  things that kids still do for fun today, such as playing sports, getting involved in theater, or choir, as Jane's sister Sylvie does.

One thing I did notice was that the stories, while all loosely tied together with Jane's continuing concern that the oldest inhabitant reach is 100th birthday, can also stand alone. The story could have been published as a series of very short books had the publisher chosen to do so. This provided a small challenge in that it was hard to tell how much time had passed between each chapter and made it a little harder to keep engaged in the story since they seemed more as separate stories than as a part of a whole.

Professional Review: "Jane thinks "middle" things sound good, like the middle of the night or the Middle Ages, so she asks to be called the middle Moffat—or maybe even the mysterious middle Moffat. Jane's appealingly tenacious personality emerges as she attempts to read every book in the library, single-handedly win a basketball game the first time she plays, host an organ recital that is ruined by swarming moths, and do everything she can to help Mr. Buckle, the town's oldest inhabitant, reach his hundredth birthday. These stories and others reflect the simplicity of life in the 1940s, but readers will relate to problems that are timeless, like trying to stay awake to hear Santa Claus, or wanting to give your mother a store-bought handbag but having to settle for one you've made, or losing the head to your bear costume minutes before the curtain rises. Jane makes the middle child seem indispensable, not just to her family, but to everyone in town. The charm of these stories lies in their subtle humor and abundance of heart. Because each tale can stand alone, many selections would be excellent for reading aloud. It is part of the "Young Classics" series."

Hicks, B. (n.d.). [Review of The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes]. Barnes and Noble Reivew. Retrieved from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/middle-moffat-eleanor-estes/1100303319?ean=9780152025298

Library uses: This book illustrates the different roles that kids take on in families, and although families have changed in many ways since the forties, the dynamic between oldest, youngest, and middle children is still largely the same. This book can be used to discuss those dynamics between siblings. Because each chapter can act as a standalone story, it would be easy to read a single chapter to discuss with students.

Module 1: Bats at the Library

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Book Summary: A colony of bats finds an evening of excitement when the window at the local library is left ajar. The older bats find books and magazines to read, while the younger ones find themselves playing with library equipment such as computers, overhead projectors, and copiers. When the bats all gather to listen to a story, they find themselves lost inside the adventure of a book. The bats get so absorbed they must hurriedly fly away when the sun rises, looking forward to the next time the bats will get a night at the library.


APA Reference of the Book: Lies, B. (2008). Bats at the library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions: This book does a good job of setting the tone from the beginning, first with an almost bored tone as the bats face another night of simply flying about outside, and the immediate excitement as word spreads that they can get into the library. The excitement continues throughout the book as the bats explore the library, with the young ones playing with all the equipment and the older ones looking at books of their choice.

The illustrations greatly add to the story, primarily by illustrating the text, sometimes with humorous results. Even inside the library, the illustrations use primarily dark colors appropriate to the nighttime setting which creates a dark environment for the bats. Despite this, the bats and other details still manage to stand out, giving the reader plenty of visual interest to see. The use of light in the illustrations, for example from a lamp or computer, draws the eye to the action that is happening there. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book because of its playful text, excellent illustrations, and the way it sparks excitement about the library.


Professional Review: "Following his delightful book, Bats at the Beach (2006), Brian Lies continues to offer readers a unique perspective of the world, the sometimes-upside-down view of a bat. This beautifully illustrated picture book, set in a library, conveys the pleasure of being lost in a good book as older bats teach their young offspring the power of stories.

[Written in gracefully rhyming couplets, this is the tale of a colony of bats that has grown bored with its nightly routine and is anxious for new experiences. Suddenly, word is sent out that a window in the local library has been left ajar. Swooping into the darkened building the older bats immediately lose themselves in the joys of the library. The bats settle down to read about their interests (such as fancy foods) or gather in clusters to talk about the ideas in the books they have read.

 

However, the younger bats have never been to a library. They invent games to play that include everything but engaging with books. They create shadow puppets using overhead projectors, make photocopies of their little bat bodies, play within the confines of a pop-up book, and raucously splash one another in the drinking fountain. The older bats must intervene to show their little ones the most splendid and powerful resources of the library -- the books. As the baby bats settle down for story time (some of them hanging upside down from the ledge of a table), they find themselves lost in the story. Lies speaks to the magic that occurs when readers are engrossed in a book: "everyone -- old bat or pup -- / has been completely swallowed up / and lives inside a book instead / of simply hearing something read" (p. 21). Before any of the bats can believe it, the sky has turned pale; morning is coming soon; and they must leave the library before they are discovered. All the bats depart with the hope that the librarians will leave the windows open again so that they can continue to experience the joy that immersing oneself in a book can bring.

 

Lies' illustrations bring the Bats at the Library to life. With subdued colors meant to represent the bats' nocturnal habitat, Lies humanizes the bats, complete with glasses, smiles, and for one baby bat, arm floaties, much like a young child might wear in a swimming pool. His illustrations also show bats engaging in real bat-like behaviors; for instance, during story time, the bats are surrounding a book that has been placed upside down, the better to accommodate the positioning of the bats hanging from the table ledge. In what are perhaps the most inspired pages of this creative book, Lies gives readers several text-free pages where bats are reimagined as the central figures in classic children's stories. The illustrations have even been designed in the style of the original illustrations in these classic works of children's literature. A bat with red, Pippi Longstockinged braids cartwheels across the page. A policeman halts traffic to "make way for bat-lings." A bat wearing a red cloak, hood pulled tight, hurries to grandmother's house. And a young girl studies a suspiciously cat-like bat with an enigmatic, Cheshire-grin hanging upside down from a tree. These exceedingly clever illustrations speak to all of us who have found ourselves so drawn into a story that we become a part of it. Lies' reimagining allows his readers to envision bats as the central characters in familiar stories.

 

The young bats squeak with excitement at finding themselves in the unfamiliar surroundings of a library. However, it is only with the older bats' assistance that they are able to grasp the true treasures this building holds. As is the tradition with human children, adults have the privilege of introducing the young to the power of stories."

 

[Review of Bats at the library by Brian Lies]. (2011). Journal of Education, 191(2), p. 75. Retrieved from: http://www.bu.edu/sed/about-us/journal-of-education/

 

Library Uses: This book is a great illustration of all the different resources that a library offers. It can be used to help spark discussion with students about what different materials from the library can be useful to them, and hopefully generate some excitement about using the library. This would be a great book to read at the beginning of the year with students.