In my last post, I talked about how challenging it could be to find that “just right’ book for a classroom read aloud. It must be wholesome while still having depth. And, most importantly, it has to be entertaining so the kids will WANT to listen to it.

I just read the book Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu and think it would be a perfect read aloud book for both home and the classroom. First of all – it’s completely wholesome. Secondly, there is an atmosphere of mystery, magic, and suspense that will hook your students And as a bonus, this book is beautifully written. The imagery, symbolism, and many literary devices used in this book – could prompt no end of teachable moments,

As a mom, I adored the loveable and flawed main character, Hazel. She took me right back to fifth grade, and how hard it can be to fit in. The imagery was spectacular, and of course, I love to read my kids a good modern fairy tale with a strong female heroine. I also liked that it challenged my mind.

It was not predictable, and left me thinking about the story and what it all meant. This is why I’m certain this book would have wide appeal, from about third grade on up to at least eighth, or beyond if the reader didn’t mind a fifth-grade protagonist.

I loved that this book was magical –  but still managed to be real, and the characters lives were far from perfect. Of course, I am a sucker for a book about growing up and coming of age, so this book checks all my boxes, so to speak.

For teachers, I think the value of this book multiplies. It is squeaky clean and features both a boy and girl as main characters. The characters are those that every kid can relate to.  As for literary devices – take your pick as this book features all of them. You could analyze and this book for days. Plus, the plot is discussion-worthy, the characters complex, and the messages – fantastic. Whether you are a teacher or just a reader, check out this little gem of a book.

-Shannon, StorySnoop

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 8:22 PM and is filed under Books for Boys, Books for Girls, Books for Younger Readers, Shannon - StorySnoop, Super Scoops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.