Cover of The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

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Among the most widely assigned — 6 curriculum lists · 5 states

#87 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 5 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Caldecott MedalKentucky Bluegrass AwardNorth Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book AwardHawai'i Nēnē Award+2 more

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7. It appears across 6 curriculum references and 5 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Invention of Hugo Cabret is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–7
Pages
527
Reading time
about 9h 40m (est.)
First published
2015
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9780545921947

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Caldecott Medal?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 2010s; cited across 6 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Invention of Hugo Cabret?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret?
It takes about 9h 40m to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret (527 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 580 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Invention of Hugo Cabret?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal, Garden State Children's Book Award, Hawai'i Nēnē Award, and 3 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Invention of Hugo Cabret banned in schools?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 6 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 5 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, read-aloud.

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