Age-range: 10 and up
You would think that a book entitled Breadcrumbs would be a re-telling of Hansel and Gretel. You would be wrong. This book is, in fact, a re-telling of Hans Christian Anderson's Snow Queen. It's a story about Hazel and Jack and they're best friends. And they're both in 5th grade and they're both dealing with having to grow up and face the real world and stop being so fanciful.
This book deals with some pretty serious issues: Hazel's father left and is getting remarried, Jack's mom has depression (implied, but never expressed), Hazel is bullied at school and feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere, and Jack is her only friend. As I was reading this book I was thinking how sad it was and yet how hopeful. Because, as someone once said, (Chesterton, I think), fairy tales don't tell you that dragons exist, they tell you that dragons can be defeated. So this book, while Hazel has to travel to the Snow Queen's castle and rescue Jack, is, at it's core, a great big book of hope.
Happy reading!
P.S. Carlye should read this, Carianne (after you do, of course).
1 comment:
I would love to read this one! Snow Queen is one of my favorite fairy tales. I loved reading the book at grandma and Popis house.
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