Year 6 are reading…Hugo Cabret!
We Are Currently Reading: The Invention of Hugo Cabret!
This week in class we started reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, and honestly, it already feels like stepping into a secret world full of clocks, mysteries, and shadows. The coolest part is that the book is half‑story, half‑pictures, but the pictures aren’t just decorations—they actually tell the story. It’s like watching a movie and reading a book at the same time, which makes me feel like a detective trying to piece everything together.
The story follows a boy named Hugo who lives inside the walls of a train station in Paris. He fixes clocks and tries to stay hidden so no one finds out he’s living there alone. There’s also this broken automaton (which is basically a robot but old‑fashioned and way creepier) that Hugo is trying to fix. I think the automaton is going to be super important later, because why else would it look so spooky and mysterious.
Everyone in class has different predictions, and some of them are honestly wild. Here are some of the things kids have said so far:
“I think the automaton is going to come alive and write a secret message that changes Hugo’s whole life.”
“The old toy shop man is definitely hiding something. I bet he used to be famous or magical or both.”
“The drawings in the book look like clues. I think we’re supposed to solve the mystery before Hugo does.”
“I predict the ending will be sad but also happy, like when you cry but in a good way.”
I love hearing everyone’s ideas because this book feels like anything could happen. One minute Hugo is sneaking around gears and machinery, and the next minute he’s getting caught by the toy shop owner who seems grumpy but maybe isn’t actually bad. I’m not sure yet. Grown‑ups in books always act mysterious for no reason.
Something else I really like is how the pictures zoom in and out, almost like a camera. Sometimes the drawings start far away and then get closer and closer until you’re staring right at something important. It makes me feel like I’m being pulled into the story, like I’m walking through the train station with Hugo, hearing the clocks tick and the trains screech.
My prediction is that Hugo is going to discover something huge about the automaton—maybe something connected to his dad—and that it will change everything he thought he knew. I also think the toy shop man is going to end up helping him, even though he seems annoyed all the time.
We’re only part way through, but I already want to keep reading forever. If the rest of the book is as mysterious and magical as the beginning, then I think this might become one of my favourite reads of the whole year!
