A review by shighley
Bigger than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder

4.0

There is so much that I liked about this book: it was different, it seemed to accurately capture the voice of Rebecca, it included some school scenes (including science class, which helped her realize some important points, and a struggling English teacher Rebecca appreciated), and it had some great phrases, such as Rebecca noting that for the first time she was a "new kid", when before she had always been a "Since Kindergarten Kid". Rebecca's unwavering love and devotion for her baby brother (who seemed a very precocious two-year-old) was also a plus. It was fun to try and predict what she would request of the breadbox, to think what I would ask for, and to see how her wishes evolve. Those parts would be great read-alouds at school.

This book was going to be a '5' for me all along until the last act. When Rebecca takes off again for a mission that is well-intentioned but very ill-advised, the results were just too weird and out of place for me.

I also wish a few questions had been answered, such as a simple question to Gran about the breadbox; the magic wouldn't have to be mentioned. I felt at times that Gran and Rebecca's mom were too easy on her (hiding the phone for days?), and that the relationships among them were depicted a bit unevenly.

I couldn't wait to get home to finish it, but was just a bit disappointed when it was over.