Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

 Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck: A novel in words and pictures. New York: Scholastic. 

Summary:
      
        Ben and Rose are two kids that are trying to find their place in this world. Although they are on the same quest, Ben and Rose are from two different decades (Brian is in the 1970s and Rose is in the 1920s). We see their stories play out through text and images in a beautiful way the intertwines to create a big picture.


Reader Appeal:

I believe that after reading these books, readers in my library would be drawn to Selznick’s Wonderstruck because of the artwork included. The artwork is amazing because it will help a lot of ELLs (a large population in my community) grasp what the story is telling them. Seeing as many of my students love to read graphic novels, starting them off with Selznick’s work can help them view different types of literature without feeling too bombarded with pages full of words.

How would I sell this book:

There are different ways I would try to sell these books to our kids. One would be to do a mini-lesson using excerpts from the books to try to catch the students’ attention. This can be done during certain units that are being taught by teachers such as text structures, poetry, and figurative language. In addition, doing book talks with the students and teachers can help increase promotion of books, so I would want to do a book talk in coalition with the mini-lesson. 

Want more Brian Selznick:
Visit the Wonderstruck Website to check out a few essays, videos, and more!!!

3 other books by Selznick:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Boy of a Thousand Faces

The Marvels

These books by Selznick are very similar to Wonderstruck in that they combine words and images to weave together his tales that leave readers in awe. Though these novels are very similar in that respect, they still have their own special quality that sets them apart from the others. One example of this would be how Selznick’s images in The Boy of a Thousand Faces is very different compared to the other 3 book listed.