The story is about a girl named Hazel who has a best friend named Jack. Girls' and boys' can be best friends, of course, but there comes a time in life where people start thinking it's not okay. Hazel is at that point in life. Her friend Jack seems to be turning away and hanging out with boys more. Hazel knows something is wrong and only she can save him because only she knows the truth - his heart has been frozen by the White Witch. She has to do something! Sometimes the princess CAN save the prince. And sometimes kids DO know more than adults, and luckily they have magic and imagination on their side.
This book is full of themes that kid's face: leaving the magical world of imagination and growing up, figuring out who you really are (p. 176), learning to fit in (p. 17), or realizing it's okay to not fit in, being stifled by school and it's silly rules (p. 10), being adopted (p. 17), being a proper young lady like people expect you to be (p. 9) and relationships with parents. In this book the parents are lost in their own world and really no help to the kids because either they don't believe, or they're too busy with their own issues to even know the big problems the kids are facing...just like in all fairy tales. Parents and adults are totally peripheral.
The bread crumb theme was really interesting. I think the purpose of that was to talk about how sometimes you have to follow the clues that are left to comfort yourself, and sometimes you have to follow them to save yourself. (p. 15, p. 150)
I love how the author brings fairy tale characters into this story. It is brilliant! Because the characters in this story are familiar with so many great stories, they're able to build their lives around rich imaginative play. It is powerful! (p.224) Hazel's friendship with Jack is a strong one because he is the only person she knows who sees things for what they could be instead of what they are. Together they can see what lives beyond the edges of what your eyes take in. (p. 20)
Stories and books referenced:
p. 2 Narnia
p. 13 Wrinkle in Time
p. 31 The Golden Compass
p. ? Harry Potter
p. 161 Red Riding Hood
p. 164 Alive in Wonderland
p. 168 a woodsman
p. 171 Dorothy (red shoes)
p. 176 3 witches/fairies....from Cinderella??
p. 187 the witch from Sleeping Beauty?? she wanted to be beautiful....swan lady
p. 200 Hansel and Gretel (only Hansel's name is Ben)
p. 220 magic potions abound!
p. 224 a couple who turn little girls into flowers so they can keep them (??)
All through out part 2 there are wolves....they seem bad. Wolves are always bad in fairy tales right? But on p. 252 she realizes these woods are ones where the woodsman tells lies, and so maybe the wolves are telling the truth (and they are!)
p. 253 the Little Match Girl
And of course, there is a magical object they use to save themselves from danger (a signed baseball!)
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