If you're still struggling to fill out a few more nights of Chanukah or find one or two more presents for under the tree, might I suggest a book?
And this won't just be any book.
Oh no.
This'll be a book written by our friend and former neighbor, Anne Ursu, who happens to have written an irresistible tale called Breadcrumbs.
Don't take my word for it. NPR thought it was irresistible enough that they made it their December Kids' Book Club Pick. <---Go read all about it.
The book is about a little girl named Hazel who ventures into the woods, looking for her best friend, Jack. A modern day Snow Queen.
Interesting side note: Hazel just so happens to be adopted from India. Anne was very, very kind and e-mailed me recently to tell me that the year we lived next to each other in Massachusetts, when Gabriel was just two years old, inspired her to write Hazel as an internationally adopted child. Flattery will get you everywhere:-) I'm beyond touched.
A review reads, "The crumbs that lead us are stories, which point the way toward understanding and acceptance of loss and sorrow and change, and which shout at us of hope and friendship and love."
Now of course, since I'm reading this with Gabriel and chapter books are relatively new terrain for us, I can't verify with 100% certainty that the end is as illustrious as the beginning... but in an effort to get this blog post written BEFORE holiday shopping is complete, you're going to have to have a little faith and just go buy the book. If you don't love it, you can take it up with Gabriel;-) Impossible, I say. You'll love it. Without a doubt.
And this won't just be any book.
Oh no.
This'll be a book written by our friend and former neighbor, Anne Ursu, who happens to have written an irresistible tale called Breadcrumbs.
Don't take my word for it. NPR thought it was irresistible enough that they made it their December Kids' Book Club Pick. <---Go read all about it.
The book is about a little girl named Hazel who ventures into the woods, looking for her best friend, Jack. A modern day Snow Queen.
Interesting side note: Hazel just so happens to be adopted from India. Anne was very, very kind and e-mailed me recently to tell me that the year we lived next to each other in Massachusetts, when Gabriel was just two years old, inspired her to write Hazel as an internationally adopted child. Flattery will get you everywhere:-) I'm beyond touched.
A review reads, "The crumbs that lead us are stories, which point the way toward understanding and acceptance of loss and sorrow and change, and which shout at us of hope and friendship and love."
Now of course, since I'm reading this with Gabriel and chapter books are relatively new terrain for us, I can't verify with 100% certainty that the end is as illustrious as the beginning... but in an effort to get this blog post written BEFORE holiday shopping is complete, you're going to have to have a little faith and just go buy the book. If you don't love it, you can take it up with Gabriel;-) Impossible, I say. You'll love it. Without a doubt.
