CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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CCBC Review:
A novel inspired in part by The Snow Queen inhabits two wintry worlds: one realistic, the other enchanted. Being brown-skinned and adopted wouldn’t be such a problem for Hazel if it didn’t underscore the bigger way she’s different: her personality and interests aren’t in synch with most other kids. The bright spot since she had to change schools following her dad’s departure has been her continuing friendship with Jack, who manages to be loyal to Hazel—the two share a vivid imagination and love of adventure—while maintaining other friendships. Still, a potential new friendship for Hazel leaves her feeling guilty about Jack, whose life is shadowed by his seriously depressed mother. But Jack’s dismissive behavior after Hazel hits him with a snowball is so extraordinary that Hazel is sure there’s something seriously wrong. And she’s right: a small piece of glass embedded in the snowball cut Jack’s eye. It came from the Snow Queen’s mirror and it’s turning Jack’s heart to ice. He becomes an easy target when the Snow Queen lures him away, and Hazel enters the woods where Jack was last seen, crossing a veil into a dark, fairy-tale world to find him. Hazel encounters archetypal characters from the world of folklore as she seeks out the Snow Queen’s lair, but whom can she trust? There are surprises at every turn in Anne Ursu’s deft, immensely satisfying blend of contemporary realistic fiction and fantasy that affirms the powerful bond of friendship. ©2011 Cooperative Children's Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Adoption
Depression
Fantasy
Folk and Fairy Tales
Friendship
Imagination/Imaginary Play
Journeys and Quests
Trust
Diversity subject:
Brown Skin Unspecified
On CCBC Booklist:
James: Retellings & Reimaginings and 19th-Century Black Experiences
Publishers:
HarperCollins, Walden Pond
Publish Year: 2011
Pages: 312
ISBN: 9780062015051
CCBC Location: Fiction, Ursu
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Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.