Wonderstruck

Selznick, B. (2001). Wonderstruck. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Wonderstruck is a unique book of two stories in one. The author tells one story entirely with pictures and another with words. There are two different characters living in two separate time periods who lead lives chasing after what they feel they are missing. Ben is a young boy living in the 1970’s who discovers a clue following the death of his mother that leads him to New York in search of his father. His story is told through words. Rose is a young girl living fifty years earlier, in the 20’s. She keeps a scrapbook of a silent film actress whom she runs away to find in New York after reading a headline in the newspaper. Her story is told through illustrations. Their two stories end up weaving together and merging in a touching way.

This book would be great for reluctant readers who may be less intimidated by its size once they see how many pictures make up such a large book. It also gives readers a view into the lives of children with hearing loss and the loss of a parent and would be great for children experiencing similar circumstances. This would be a great story for students to compare and contrast characters, time periods, and setting with the two different storylines.

Learn to fingerspell your name and other fun things related to the book at Scholastic’s website devoted to Wonderstruck:

Brian Selznick’s website with Wonderstruck and his other books:

Teaching with Wonderstruck:

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