"Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick

Even better than Hugo Cabret! Masterpiece work of art and story perfect for all generations. Two stories are told, one in print, the other in gorgeous black and white drawings. Ben lives with his aunt and uncle after his mom dies. They live on Gunflint Lake in Minnesota in 1977. Rose is obsessed with a famous actress. She lives with her dad in a beautiful mansion in Hoboken, New Jersey, overlooking the city skyline of New York City. Rose is living in 1927. Ben is determined to find the father he has never known. Rose is determined to find the actress who influences her life in powerful ways. Both Rose and Ben run away to New York City to look for missing clues, each trying to piece together their own puzzles. Selznick seamlessly intertwines their stories with compassion, curiosity and a sense of true wonder. I loved "The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" when I was young. This book almost made me cry with its references to this classic tale about running away, hiding out in your favorite museum, and trying to make sense of it all.