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suehc's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story. Rebecca's family is breaking up and when her mother takes her and her brother to Atlanta to live with her grandmother, she thinks her life is over. Then she finds a mysterious bread box in her grandmother's attic. Suddenly , whenever she wishes for something, it shows up in the bread box. But where are these things coming from and how will she keep them hidden from everyone? What she really needs is something to help her parents get back together. Can the bread box help with that? Rebecca learn a hard lesson about friendship, family, and integrity in this exciting story.
vtsarahd's review against another edition
4.0
Rebecca is a twelve year old girl who finds herself moving to Atlanta from Baltimore unexpected when her parents separate. In her grandmother's attic, she finds a bread box that she decides she wants to bring downstairs and keep in her new room. She soon accidentally discovers that the bread box can bring her things that she wishes for. As Rebecca struggles to adjust to living in a new city and going to a new school, she takes comfort in the items she receives from the bread box, until one day when she discovers that the box steals the items that it gives to her. Rebecca has tough choices to make and all the while is coping with the impending divorce of her parents. Children whose parents are going through a divorce may take comfort in this story as Rebecca comes to terms with the changes in her life. Laurel Snyder does a great job of helping the reader empathize with Rebecca.
gmamartha's review against another edition
4.0
Magical realism. This one definitely defines the genre.
bickie's review
4.0
Set in modern-day Burma, the book shows the experiences of two boys on opposite sides of what could be called the civil war. Explores how you treat people on the other side of a fight, how to survive while holding on to your moral beliefs. Ultimately, the two boys learn that even though they are technically enemies, they really want the same thing - a peaceful united country with free flow of ideas. Accessible exploration of Burma (called Myanmar by the current government), especially for thoughtful boys. Appropriate for 10 and up.
debbiebarr's review against another edition
5.0
I love Middle Grade, but it's been harder lately for me to find MG books that are charming and sophisticated, something 10 year old me would have loved to read and think about long after the book was finished, and maybe pick up again a few months later and enjoy the story again.
This is one of those books.
BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX is primarily a contemporary MG story, about a girl named Rebecca whose parents are thinking about separating, and she ends up in a new place living with her grandmother. The conflicts mostly center around her family, but what makes the book so fun is the little element of magic that comes with a magical bread box that grants wishes. I loved how odd the wish-granter is in this story, and I loved how smart our protagonist is with how she figures it out and learns how to use it.
This book reminded me in the best ways of Edward Eager's Magic series, especially HALF MAGIC which was a favorite of mine growing up, and would be a great fit for fans of contemporary or fantastical middle grade fiction.
This is one of those books.
BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX is primarily a contemporary MG story, about a girl named Rebecca whose parents are thinking about separating, and she ends up in a new place living with her grandmother. The conflicts mostly center around her family, but what makes the book so fun is the little element of magic that comes with a magical bread box that grants wishes. I loved how odd the wish-granter is in this story, and I loved how smart our protagonist is with how she figures it out and learns how to use it.
This book reminded me in the best ways of Edward Eager's Magic series, especially HALF MAGIC which was a favorite of mine growing up, and would be a great fit for fans of contemporary or fantastical middle grade fiction.
hiccyup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
fizzingweasleys's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
A short, beautiful story of forgiveness between enemies. Will definitely pick up more copies for my classroom. Looking forward to using this one with some junior high reluctant readers.
beths0103's review
4.0
I love books that introduce kids (and adults!) to moments in history or injustices in the world that are otherwise foreign or unknown to them. Mitali Perkins does this in her newest book Bamboo People. She takes the story of two boys, Chiko and Tu Reh, two theoretical enemies, one Burmese, one Karenni, and shows how their lives collide.
I found Chiko's story incredibly gripping and tragic but I had a more difficult time following along with Tu Reh's story. The character names in his half of the story were all so similar (Sa Reh, Bu Reh, Ree Meh...) that I couldn't remember who was who.
With books like this, I often find myself reading the author's note either at the beginning or mid-way through my reading because it helps to give context to the story. That is something I encourage all readers to do. I'll be doing a book talk on this book with my new class in September, and the first thing I'll do is read the author's note, and then I'll lead into telling them about the story.
I highly recommend this book as a parley into teaching and learning about the injustices of modern Burma.
I found Chiko's story incredibly gripping and tragic but I had a more difficult time following along with Tu Reh's story. The character names in his half of the story were all so similar (Sa Reh, Bu Reh, Ree Meh...) that I couldn't remember who was who.
With books like this, I often find myself reading the author's note either at the beginning or mid-way through my reading because it helps to give context to the story. That is something I encourage all readers to do. I'll be doing a book talk on this book with my new class in September, and the first thing I'll do is read the author's note, and then I'll lead into telling them about the story.
I highly recommend this book as a parley into teaching and learning about the injustices of modern Burma.