The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick · Grade 4-7 · Ages Ages 8-12
Hugo is an orphan who secretly lives inside a busy Paris train station, caring for the clocks and hiding from grown-ups who might send him away. When he tries to fix a mysterious mechanical man left by his father, he meets a sharp-eyed girl and a grumpy toy seller who may be connected to the secret.
Key vocabulary
A machine shaped like a person or animal that can move by itself when its parts are wound or powered.
A person who makes or studies clocks and watches.
A set of parts that work together inside a machine to make it move or do a job.
A child whose parents have died.
Someone who learns a job or craft by working with a skilled person.
A place where trains stop so people can get on and off.
Something new that someone creates, like a tool, machine, or clever idea.
A small book with blank pages for writing notes, drawings, or important ideas.