The Iciest, Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride Ever!

Gr 1–3—Lizzie and her brother want to go sledding with their friends on the first day of February vacation. The hills are too icy for their snow saucers, but Lizzie's grampa has a homemade travois sled that the children can use. They make their way to the "highest, mightiest, iciest sledding hill off Old Mountain Road," which is covered with a hard crust of ice, making it nearly impossible to climb. At last, by clinging to the trees at the edge of the field, all seven kids make it to the summit. With some trepidation, they pile onto the sled and off they go. They fly down the hill, forgetting their fear. When they reach the bottom, someone cries, "Let's do it again." And so they do. Rule sprinkles the exciting adventure with some lovely imagery ("The world was ice and we were skaters without skates" and "The wind whipped our screams and laughter like a beautiful scarf trailing wildly behind"). Her lyrical tone mirrors the picturesque charm of Thermes's watercolor illustrations. The faces of the characters alight with anticipation and the crisp, snow-covered landscapes perfectly capture the joy and freedom of a carefree childhood. Young readers will shiver with delight along with the intrepid sledders as they stare down at their town, spread out below them, so tiny and far away. Pair this old-fashioned New England adventure with Ezra Jack Keats's classic urban snapshot of winter, The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) or Emily Arnold McCully's First Snow (HarperCollins, 2004).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston