OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile
Hazel’s best and only friend, Jack, has disappeared, yet no one else seems to notice. Hazel fears the worst and embarks on a quest to save her friend from a wicked ice queen in an enchanted land. The world of fairy tales can be dangerous, but for Hazel the real world of fifth grade is worse, so she’s up to the task at hand. Kirby Heyborne is a bit too slow paced in his delivery of the narrative, but he excels with dialogue and characterization. The listener easily pictures awkward Hazel, cocky tween boys, cruel witches, and helpful woodsmen. Even magical animals, ice, and wind come alive, thanks to Heyborne’s tones. This is a gem, and Heyborne makes the audio experience one to treasure with family. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
Ursu follows her Cronus Chronicles trilogy with this deeply felt, modern-day fantasy that borrows plot from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Richly imaginative fifth-grader Hazel, adopted from India, has recently switched schools and is failing (badly) to fit in. Money is tight, her parents have divorced, and her best friend, Jack, suddenly rebuffs her. Hazel is devastated, but readers learn the cause of Jack’s alienation is a shard of magical mirror lodged in his heart. When Jack disappears with an ethereal woman on a sled pulled by wolves, Hazel heads into the wintry and enchanted Minnesota woods to rescue him. A sadness as heavy as a Northwoods snowfall pervades this story, though it has its delights, too. Ursu offers many winks at avid fans of fairy tales and fantasy (Jack’s mother looks “like someone had severed her daemon”). The creepy fantasyland that Hazel traverses uses bits from other Andersen tales to create a story that, though melancholy, is beautifully written and wholly original. It’s certainly the only children’s fantasy around where Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer figures into the plot. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Devastatingly brilliant and beautiful...Ursu has sculpted a rich and poignant adventure that brings readers deep into the mysterious, magical, and sometimes frightening forests of childhood and change. Breadcrumbs is one of those rare novels that turned me on my head then sat on my heart and refused to budge.” — Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor-winning author of Savvy
“This is a lyrical book, a lovely book, and a smart book; it dares us to see stories as spreading more widely, and running more deeply, than we had imagined.” — Gary Schmidt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Wednesday Wars
Like a fairy-tale heroine, Hazel traverses the woods without a breadcrumb trail to save a boy who may not want to be saved in this multi-layered, artfully crafted, transforming testament to the power of friendship. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The creepy fantasyland that Hazel traverses uses bits from other Andersen tales to create a story that...is beautifully written and wholly original. It’s certainly the only children’s fantasy around where Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer figures into the plot. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
2011 NPR Backseat Book Club — Featured Selection
“Wonderfully distinct, delightfully told and destined for a long life on the shelf.” — The Wall Street Journal
Featured Selection
2011 NPR Backseat Book Club
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal.
Ingrid Law
Devastatingly brilliant and beautiful...Ursu has sculpted a rich and poignant adventure that brings readers deep into the mysterious, magical, and sometimes frightening forests of childhood and change. Breadcrumbs is one of those rare novels that turned me on my head then sat on my heart and refused to budge.
Gary Schmidt
This is a lyrical book, a lovely book, and a smart book; it dares us to see stories as spreading more widely, and running more deeply, than we had imagined.
The Wall Street Journal
Wonderfully distinct, delightfully told and destined for a long life on the shelf.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal.
The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal.
School Library Journal - Audio
Gr 4–8—Hazel and Jack were friends, once upon a time. The games they played demonstrated rich imaginations and kindred spirits. Then Jack got a sliver of a magic mirror in his eye and his heart grew cold. Soon he was snatched away by an evil woman in a sleigh into a strange magical world where snow and cold abound—a place where his frozen emotions seem perfectly at home. Does Hazel have the heart to risk everything to find her friend and bring him back? In Anne Ursu's book (Walden Pond Press, 2011) we find a creepy, compelling homage to Hans Christian Andersen in a story based on "The Snow Queen." Vibrant threads from other Andersen stories are woven into the tale, creating a brilliant tapestry. There are also references to both classic and modern fantasy tales, showing that all are related. The underlying theme of friendship that is constant and true, sacrifice, and choosing reality over fantasy is beautifully written. Kirby Heyborne reads without background noises or musical embellishment, allowing the story to stand on its own so that listeners can enjoy its rich language and gentle messages.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA
OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile
Hazel’s best and only friend, Jack, has disappeared, yet no one else seems to notice. Hazel fears the worst and embarks on a quest to save her friend from a wicked ice queen in an enchanted land. The world of fairy tales can be dangerous, but for Hazel the real world of fifth grade is worse, so she’s up to the task at hand. Kirby Heyborne is a bit too slow paced in his delivery of the narrative, but he excels with dialogue and characterization. The listener easily pictures awkward Hazel, cocky tween boys, cruel witches, and helpful woodsmen. Even magical animals, ice, and wind come alive, thanks to Heyborne’s tones. This is a gem, and Heyborne makes the audio experience one to treasure with family. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
