Teaching The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This is a book about magic, plain and simple—the magic of the silver screen, the magic of family and friendship, the magical thrill of adventure. And if you're not sold yet, it's all set in Paris: the City of Light, La Ville-Lumière.

With words and illustrations, The Invention of Hugo Cabret gives us a world that only great cinema can inspire. The characters get swept up in the adventurous history of moviemaking, and make their own history while they're at it. And of course the book was so good that it became a movie itself: Hugo, starring big names like Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley, and Jude Law. However, you can't just rely on a sweet movie adaptation to make a text come alive for elementary students—sometimes you need to call in Shmoop for a little help breaking down all that visual imagery.

In this guide, you'll find

• an exploration of the illustrations in Selznick's book and the level of awesomeness they bring to the text.
• a look at the power of illustrations to tell a story without words.
• an automaton design activity.
• a chance to debate the "moral rightness" of a character's actions.

With our Shmoop guide, transport your students to the past when things like moviemaking were not only novel but also straight up revolutionary. It's a great opportunity to see how history and literature—and CGI Jude Law—can converge.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

• 13 – 18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students
• Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students
• Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text
• Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students
• A note from Shmoop's teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles

Want more help teaching Teaching The Invention of Hugo Cabret?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.