Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu; BlogTour: Book Review & Giveaway


Published by: Walden Pond Press
Released on: September 27th, 2011 TODAY!
Ages: 8-12
Source: ARC from publisher to review
5 stars- I LOVED It & Highly Recommend It

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbsis a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

A breath taking story about friendship, magic, imagination and growing up, Breadcrumbs is a story that will capture your heart, your mind and your imagination. Anne Ursu's writing is inviting, beautiful and vivid. This story is one that will leave you yearning for that moment in time when the world was your play ground and you were free to run around and pretend, allowing your imagination to take to you to far off places, and on exciting adventures.

What a magical, beautifully told story about two fifth grade friends who have grown up as best friend, playing pretend and being there for each other when no one else has been. Their imaginations allow them the freedom to just be and to escape the harsh realities of their young worlds. Like most childhood friendships, thinks start to change between them, and what ensues is a journey about change, growing up and learning that the magic that lies in our imagination is something we choose to either embrace or let go of all together. Anne has create characters that readers of all ages will be able to relate to and identify with, and fall in love with.

Anne has a beautiful way with words and her incredible story telling really came to life for me. Her writing is vivid, layered and enthralling. Being a huge fan of the classic fairytales and fairytale retellings, I commend Anne for being able to keep the classic fairytale feel with her unique story. All the fairytale elements molded together perfectly to create a story I am absolutely head over heels in love with. I connected with this book on so many levels, as an adult, as a parent and my former childhood self. It reads like a classic, it's full of classic literature references and it's a book that simply reads like an ageless story.

This is one of the this year's best MG books that I've read. I HIGHLY recommend picking this book up. There are so many elements and topics within this story that teachers and parents can discuss with their children. Not only that, this is a story that kids and parents can really enjoy being whisked away in together. It's an astonishing story filled with wonder, heart, magic, and it's one I can't wait to pick it up and start reading with my kids.

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Thank you to Walden Pond Press we have a SIGNED copy of Breadcrumbs to giveaway!




Additional Breadcrumbs Blog Tour Stops
Monday, 9/26- Guest Post at The Book Whisper
Tuesday, 9/27 - Review and Book Giveaway at Mundie Kids
Wednesday, 9/28 - Review and Skype Giveaway at Great Kid Books
Wednesday, 9/28 - Book Giveaway at 5 Minutes for Books
Thursday, 9/29 - Interview at Bildungsroman
Friday, 9/30 - Review, Guest Post, and Book Giveaway at Bookalicious
Saturday, 10/1 - Interview and Skype Giveaway at Kid Lit Frenzy
Sunday, 10/2 - Review, Interview, and Book Giveaway at The Reading Zone
Monday, 10/3 - Guest Post at Galleysmith
Tuesday 10/4 - Review at Galleysmith
Tuesday, 10/4 - Guest Post, Review, and Book Giveaway at The Book Smugglers
Wednesday, 10/5 - Review and Illustrator Interview at A Backwards Story
Thursday, 10/6 - Guest Post at The Mod Podge Bookshelf
Friday, 10/7 - Interview at Book Rat

Giveaway: Walden Books Press is celebrating the release of Breadcrumbs with a giveaway! They're giving away an iPad and an iPad cover with Breadcrumbs cover art on Twitter! Be sure to visit their blog for more details.
Author Chat: On Tuesday, 10/4 at 8pm EDT Breadcrumbs author, Anne Ursu (@anneursu) and Bigger Than a Breadbox author Laurel Snyder (@LaurelSnyder) will participate in a chat hosted by my #titletalk co-host, Paul W. Hankins (@PaulWHankins), called "Magic is Real: Magic, Fantasy, and Realism in Middle Grade" under the hashtag #magicisreal.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~