Gimmicks in literature (YA)

Here at WCL we love authors who commit to the bit, so here's a selection of books where the author took a gimmick and ran with it.

In this list you'll find interactive books, less linear stories, the same story from multiple perspectives, narratives told through ephemera, and even an abridged version of a book that never existed.

Updated July 1, 2024
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The wonderful O
Thurber, James
Paper Book
This delightful tale, first published in 1957, features two pirate adventurers, Black and Littlejack, who sail to the island ofOoroo in search of treature. Black, a despot, bans anythings and everything to do with the letter O upon his arrival there. Now the people of the newly named island of R...
The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures
Selznick, Brian.
Paper Book
Don't miss Selznick's other novels in words and pictures, Wonderstruck and The Marvels, which together with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, form an extraordinary thematic trilogy!2008 Caldecott Medal winnerThe groundbreaking debut novel from bookmaking pioneer, Brian Selznick!<...
The neverending story
Ende, Michael
Paper Book
Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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