Wonder Struck by Brian Selznick

Pages: 629

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Illustrated / Historical / Crossover

Notes for Parents: There is nothing to worry about. It should be suitable for 10+.

The Inside Cover

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories—Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures—weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The form is the same as what the author used in The Invention of Hugo Cabret – half pictures, half writing. This was made into a major motion picture in 2017.

What’s good?

It’s clever how the two stories parallel each other, with Ben and Rose (both hearing impaired), searching for someone in the same area of New York City, but fifty years apart. While the plots have some complex elements, it’s still easy to understand. The pace moves quickly, thanks mostly to over 400 pages of illustrations, and each story has a likeable main character. The story has mystery, suspense, and adventure. Eventually, the two stories connect and bring both children’s journeys to a surprising conclusion.

Best Part: David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”

What isn’t good?

It’s difficult to tell a strong story when you’re limited to pictures and a few words. The secondary characters are little more than cardboard cutouts, with the exception of Jamie, whose story never gets fully told. Many questions remain in the end, including why Ben’s mother never told him about his father, or why she didn’t tell his grandparents.

Worst part: I didn’t find the illustrations particularly appealing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

Despite the book’s colossal size, it’s a quick and easy read. Two stories are told concurrently, and both are a bit sad, but heart-warming. The overall message—that we are all connected—is beautifully played out in both words and pictures. While the story itself is a bit weak, it was nevertheless entertaining. Recommended.

Selznick, Brian. Wonder Struck. New York: Scholastic, 2011.