Recommended for ages 9-12
Fifth graders Hazel and Jack are best friends until the day Jack decides he
wants to be around boys more than a girl. Hazel is miserable at the loss of her
friend, but when Jack disappears, she is the only one who ventures into the
mysterious woods to find him, and get him back from the White Queen – whether or
not he wants to come home.
Breadcrumbs is a trip through fairy tales and middle-grade stories
that many readers will be familiar with, all surrounding a retelling of the
classic tale of the Snow Queen. The characters are fifth graders who actually
act their age; they are fully fleshed out with backgrounds that touch on issues
that many readers will be familiar with – multiculturalism, adoption, divorce
and remarriage, depression, and the pain of loss and how to move past it. There
is a little bit of magic in every world, and Breadcrumbs brings that to
life in the form of the main characters’ imaginations and in the more literal,
magical forest sense. Erin McGuire’s black and white illustrations bring the
chill of the cold forest, particularly the Snow Queen, to life and enhance the
text. Compulsively readable, the book also provides numerous opportunities to
enhance classroom discussions on topical issues or on a fairy tale unit.
Breadcrumbs is a 2011 Cybils award nominee for Middle Grade Science
Fiction/Fantasy. Author Anne Ursu’s webpage offers information about
Breadcrumbs and all of Ms. Ursu’s books, plus updated news and
appearance information and links to social media.
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