James Moloney is the author of great books including The Book of Lies, Dougy, Gracey, Angela, Black Taxi and heaps more.

Right now, James is also over at insideadog as the writer in residence. You might say Jim in the dog house. (Most people call him Jim.) He looks rather serious here, doesn’t he? In fact, he’s one of the funniest and smartest people I know.

Here’s your chance to look in on one of Australia’s most popular and successful writers. He’s also one of our most versatile, writing books for all ages. You can see what a busy writer really does: visit Jim here.

And if that’s not enough, James Moloney is also the author of Boys and Books. You might say he’s the spiritual guide for this blog.

Jim Moloney will be in the dog house for the next few weeks.

I’ll be taking a little break, but back revved up around Anzac Day. Oh, I’ve already mentioned the book about East Timor, haven’t I?

Hugo Cabret is an orphan. He lives, or survives, in a Paris railway station. Hugo is obsessed with an automaton, a machine that looks like a man but is made entirely of clockwork parts, like the clocks Hugo winds at the railway station. Machines and the invention of film play a big part in this book. It’s a mystery, a puzzle, and feast for the eyes.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is not like any book you have read before. It’s a graphic novel, a picture book, it’s a mystery that uses real events as part of the story.

When you see it you think, my god, that’s the like a phone book – two phone books – but when you turn the pages you are on the way to another time and another place. If you can lift it, I guarantee you won’t want to put it down!

For more Hugo Cabret, explore the website, or pester your librarian. They like it when you pester them!