Synopsis: A magical breadbox that delivers whatever you wish for—as long as it fits inside? It's too good to be true! Twelve-year-old Rebecca is struggling with her parents' separation, as well as a sudden move to her Gran's house in another state. For a while, the magic bread box, discovered in the attic, makes life away from home a little easier. Then suddenly it starts to make things much, much more difficult, and Rebecca is forced to decide not just where, but who she really wants to be. Laurel Snyder's most thought-provoking book yet. (Goodreads.com)
I really enjoyed the thoughtful use of magic in this book. Magic starts off as this great hope for Rebecca, who is going through a rough time as her parents have separated and her mom has taken her, along with her younger brother, Lew, to their mom's hometown, Atlanta, which is definitely as far as it's possible to be from Baltimore, particularly when you're just twelve. Magic can do anything! Or that's what we are led to believe as kids but Rebecca is getting to that stage in her life where magic isn't a cure-all. Even though I figured out the obvious twist with Rebecca's magic bread box, I liked seeing her discover it and become perhaps more aware that once again in life, nothing comes for free. Everything has a price, whether it is losing a new friend, making a mom happy, or realizing a bus ticket back to Baltimore really will not bring your parents back together.
This is a rather melancholy story. Rebecca is having a difficult time in Atlanta. She misses her father. She misses her parents together. She is very angry with her mother. That is another well written dynamic in this story because even at the book's end, while there is some resolution between Rebecca and her mom, it's not a clear cut answer and there is still friction. I liked how Rebecca was portrayed when it came to her mom. She is still a young girl in many ways and feels guilty for forgetting her mom's birthday but then she gets so very angry when she starts to miss her dad or when her mom doesn't give her the answer she wants as to when they can go home. There is a very visible back-and-forth of emotions that Rebecca goes through in regards to her mom and it feels incredibly authentic. This is how many young tween girls are feeling when it comes to their parents.
This reads like a very authentic and emotional story that is going to be very easy for young girls to empathize with. Readers will pick up this story (despite the rather blah cover). There is a magical element but it is not the focus of the book. Rather, the family and social problems Rebecca goes through are the focus of the story. She is a character that will make you remember your own inner tween and the conflicted feelings you felt during that time in your life. Bigger than a Bread Box is highly appropriate for elementary and middle school collections, along with public library collections. There is high appeal in this story and it can be book talked very easily because readers are going to care about what Rebecca is going through.
I will say, the one point of contention I had with this story was the overly dramatic ending. It didn't mar my reading experience but it also didn't mesh as well with the rest of the story. Yes, Rebecca was definitely going through much conflict, but the climax towards the end relied less on the emotional for me and it rang a bit false.
You MUST read the author's acknowledgements in this book. They were top-notch and include this wonderful gem of a book summary: "A middle grade book about Bruce Springsteen songs and seagulls and divorce and a magical bread box." What can beat Bruce Springsteen in a middle grade novel?? Nothing I tell you!
Bigger than a Bread Box is available now.
Other reviews:
Stacked reviews Bigger than a Bread Box
100 Scope Notes reviews Bigger than a Bread Box
A Patchwork of Books reviews Bigger than a Bread Box
Reviewed from public library book.
