Kid Konnection: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Kid Konnection: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Posted by Laura at Library of Clean Reads on November 19, 2011 in Brian Selznick deaf culture Middle Grade Book Reviews | Comments : 8

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0545027892
Published September 13, 2011
Hardcover, 640 pages
Ages 9 - 12

Wonderstruck is truly a unique book. It's impossible not to open its pages and be pulled in. It's a beautiful book. My daughter and son LOVED the illustrations and thought them amazing. I totally agree. Wonderstruck involves two stories that eventually converge into one, which my daughter thought was cool because Rose's story, told through the illustrations, was from the viewpoint of someone deaf living in the 1920s, whereas Ben's narrated story took place in the 1970s.

Selznick skilfully weaves back and forth between two stories that are set fifty years apart. We wondered how they would connect and I could appreciate how delighted my daughter was when the connection was made. Rose's story that unfolds through the black and white illustrations adds mystery to who she is, making us really pay attention to the details, and yet the simplicity of some of the illustrations evoked deep emotions, such as the facial close-ups, which I loved and could look at for a long time. The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is so true with Selznick's artwork.

It's not easy to address issues such as parental death, or the sense of loss when a parent is missing from a child's life. Selznick addresses both through Rose and Ben who set out on a quest to find what they are missing. We felt their desperation, their loss, their disappointment, but also their joy and wonder as they experienced difficulties and new friendships each in their own journeys. My daughter was engrossed in their stories and liked both characters.

I also know sign language and getting to learn more about deaf culture just added to my enjoyment. My daughter too liked this aspect of the story. Selznick's books are not your average novels. They are works of art, both literary and illustrative. The visual stimuli from the images adds much to the already wonderful experience of reading. My daughter and I loved reading this book together.

In conclusion, my daughter's words well summarizes this book: “I was really wonderstruck.”

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

I will count this book toward the following challenges: Middle Grade Book Challenge

Disclosure: Thanks to Nikole Kritikos from Scholastic for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.