Wonderstruck

Selznick, B. (2007). Wonderstruck. NY: Scholastic.

About the Book

Ben recently lost his mother. He was living with his Aunt and Uncle, when one night he returned to his home and was struck by lightning through the phone. He never knew his father and decided to set out to find him in New York City. Running parallel with his story is the illustrated story of a deaf girl from 40 years earlier. During Ben's adventure he makes a friend and makes new discoveries. He comes to learn that the his grandmother is the deaf girl whose story runs parallel to his through pictures. In the end he is able to find out who his father was and learn about his extended family.

Similarities and Differences to El Deafo, Brown Girl Dreaming, Love That Dog

What makes Wonderstruck different? - Two stories woven together. The book is written in two formats, one traditional words and the other illustrations. About a boy dealing with the loss of his parents and his hearing.

     What are some similarities between the 4 books? -   All four books have won multiple literary awards. The audience for all the books is the middle grades, 3-8. Each books premise is based on real world issues (realistic fiction)

What might appeal to a reader in “your library”?

A reader in my library might like: That it is a different format than most fiction books, with the pictures telling a parallel story to the text part.That it is by the same author as Hugo Cabret. A struggling reader might like that they were able to read a big book with a lot of pages and it did not take them forever. A student who is struggling with a death of a parent might like make connections with the main character Ben.

How would you sell these books?

Making a display highlighting specific books written by Selznick. Some readers are encouraged to read more books by the same author if they enjoyed one of that authors books. Asking the art teacher to contribute by utilizing the style that the illustrator is using to portray the story. Allowing students to tinker around with the technique. In the library an illustration station could be set up with different illustrators and their books displayed for the students to practice the techniques