Wonderstruck

Brian Selznick is a fantastic artist, and his newest graphic novel Wonderstruck doesn’t fail to please. I particularly loved how he took two very distinct stories and brought them together in a unique way. The action of the second half of the novel takes place in a museum reminiscent of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler, one of my favorite books growing up. As a matter of fact, Selznick mentions that book in his afterword and says that there are numerous references to The Mixed Up Files in his graphic novel…I wish I had had that little puzzle given to me at the beginning of the book; I would have looked for them! As it is, even in the summer, I don’t really have the time to re-read the book.  The other major theme in the novel has to do with how we treat the deaf, another interesting topic.

Fans of all ages who enjoyed Hugo Cabret will also enjoy Wonderstruck.