Wonderstruck

Well, today was the start of a brand new school year. It was good to get back in the swing of things. Summer's great and I enjoy the break, but it's always nice to get back to the routine of school life. I enjoy catching up with the other teachers and staff and of course the students.

Over the summer I was able to read some really good books. The one I finished most recently was Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. I really enjoyed it. Brian Selznick is also the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Both books are done in the same style. Half of the story is text, while the other half of the book is done with wordless pencil drawings. 

Wonderstruck is told in two parts. One part is set in 1977 and the other takes place 50 years earlier in 1927. The two parts come together in a very sweet and moving way. The story focuses on family, museums,  and deaf culture. The book is 460 pages long, but because about half of the story is told by the pictures, it didn't take me too long to read. And I'm a slow reader. The bottom line is I think most fourth and fifth graders (and some third graders) could read this and really enjoy it. I totally recommend this book.