Laurel Snyder's BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX (Random House 2011) is a skillful blend of realism and magic (magical realism) that centers on Rebecca, aged 12. Rebecca's parents are having issues and one morning Mom simply packs up suitcases and whisks Rebecca and her toddler brother off from Baltimore to Atlanta to stay with Rebecca's maternal grandmother. Rebecca is hurt, of course. She adores her father and did not have any hint that she was going to be separated from him. She did not even have a chance to say goodbye to her best friend. Full of resentment, Rebecca hides herself away in Gran's attic where she discovers a bread box, a magical bread box, that seems to grant her wishes. What Rebecca wishes for more than anything else, though, might just be ebyond the capabilities of the bread box. Rebecca wants something that will bring her parents back together. <534>
The magic of the bread box in no way detracts from the all-too-real situation in which Rebecca finds herself. Separating from a parent can leave a huge void in the life of a tween. Rebecca longs for something that might never be possible and acts in any way she thinks might further her cause. Snyder captures the petulance, the resentment, the anger, and the other emotions of a 12 year old perfectly.
Great topic. So many teens are dealing with parents separating and divorcing. I'm sure many of them wish they had a magical bread box to reunite their parents.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Krista. With so many children dealing with family separation, Rebecca seems like a character they can relate to.
ReplyDeleteLS 5385 I came from a home where my parents separated and I think this book would have been very helpful in helping me deal with the separtion. Many students now a days have to deal with separation in the home and the fact that the parent that they are living with works makes it difficult for the child to have some support in dealing with the separation. This ends up staying with the child even in adulthood and they take it into whatever realtionships they may form. I would really like to read this book. :)
ReplyDeleteBooks like these are always a topic in season for many tweens and teens alike. The situation is not one a child would ever choose, but authors with an eye for helping a reader connect make it possible to do just that with these types of books. Hope for something better is something books can give a student struggling with these issues.
ReplyDeleteJust looking at the cover of this book makes me want to read it! I like being aware of books that deal with these issues. As teachers, we are entrusted with instilling knowledge in our students, but there is more to teaching than just "teaching". Having books that deal with the issues our children are facing makes it easier to reach the "whole" child.
ReplyDeleteSeems not only interesting but also a great story that tweens may relate to. There are books that have the power to heal and help to understand a particular issue. Bigger Than a Bread Box seems to be a book that could do such thing.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I think this book deals with many issues that some of our students see on a day to day basis. Books like this may help those children realize they are not the only ones facing these problems.
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ReplyDeleteDivorce is such a huge problem for students now-a-days and I think author's are writing more fiction books about it. This looks like a great read.