A wonderfully suspenseful book. I definitely reccomend reading Breadcrumbs.
Plot
Hazel and Jack are best friends, their minds full of fantasies. Hazel depends on Jack. She feels that she doesn't belong anywhere, but when she's around Jack she feels like she fits in just right. So when Jack starts to change - ignoring her on the playground and the bus, calling her names when she comes to see him - Hazel is devastated. Then, one snowy winter day, Jack is taken by a mysterious white lady into the strange woods - and Hazel sets out to find him.
Morality
Hazel does seem to have some trouble controlling her anger. At school, she throws a pencil case at one of the boys who sits behind her, and then runs out of the classroom to the bathroom and sits in a stall for the rest of the day and cries. There are also some boys who are mean to Hazel.
Spiritual Content
They mention some things from other books, like Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings. There is also a lot of magic and fantasy in this book, including a witch - "The White Witch," as everyone calls her.
Violence
There are some people who purposely and physically hurt Hazel and the author describes the texture of the blood, but not too vividly.
Drug and Alcohol Content
None.
Sexual Content
Since Hazel is a girl and Jack is a boy and they are in 5th grade, another girl suggests that they are "going out".
Crude or Profane Language or Content
Hazel's mother swore a couple times. Hazel does call some kids a goon, and Jack calls Hazel a baby, but other than that, none.
Conclusion
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen," "Breadcrumbs" is a lovely book that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story, like the original, is a great example of true friendship and determination, while the occasional illustrations make it even more magical.
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