4 Kids books

Finished April 21
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This inventive book might throw a reader off due to its size, but that is definitely misleading. It is told in a combination of text and black and white pictures, all by Selznick (except those that are really movie stills as told in the book). The tale is set in 1931, and because the story comes around to the early movies, the black and white nature of the pictures fits very well. Hugo is young boy whose father was a clockmaker and who now lives in the railway station with his uncle who looks after the railway clocks. When his uncle fails to return one day, Hugo keeps doing his work as well as trying to fix an automaton his father was working on when he died. As Hugo begins to be noticed by others and starts to venture beyond the station more and more, he discovers others have secrets too.
Recommended, particularly for boys, 8-12

Curious George Visits the Library by Margaret and H.A. Rey's
This is the usual sort of Curious George story where he gets into trouble without trying to, in this case at the library. The Man in the Big Yellow Hat leaves him at the storytime and looks for books for himself, but the monkey gets bored and starts looking for books that appeal to him, borrows a book cart and ends up crashing it. All his new friends from the storytime chip in to help tidy things up and get books too, and George gets a library card and gets to take books he likes home to enjoy.

The Librarian from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, pictures by Jared Lee
This Scholastic title is another classic. A child's class is going to the library and he says that they've been told lots of scary stories about the library, the librarian and her authoritarian rules. The pictures of these are very amusing. When they actually go to the library they find they are welcomed, they can touch the books to their heart's content, and the librarian is friendly and helpful. It even ends with a knock-knock joke, which should appeal to most kids.

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
This is a wonderful book from the same duo who wrote and illustrated Coraline.
When Lucy begins to hear noises in the wall and attributes them to wolves, she is given other explanations by her mother, father, and younger brother. But when the wolves do come out of the wolves the family grabs what they can and runs to hide in the garden. The wolves take over the house and the family's possessions. But Lucy has left her beloved pig puppet behind and goes back to rescue it. She must go in the walls herself so that the wolves don't see her. When she gets back to the rest of the family, they decide to live in the walls as it is warmer than the garden. As they watch the wolves make messes they get upset, and come out of the wolves. Now it is the wolves turn to run!
Wonderful, funny and great pictures.