Ice Storm
Coteau Books / 15 February 2012

Ice Storm by Penny Draper Published by Coteau Books for Kids Review by Donna Gudjonson ISBN 13:9781550504514 Twelve year old girls have complicated lives at the best of times, but for two cousins in Quebec during the devastating ice storm of January1998 everything most certainly changes without warning. Alice, a talented young figure skater from Montreal, finds herself stranded at home all alone during the first days of the crisis. She must quickly learn some grown up skills in order to survive in the cold and dark during the extended power outage caused by the storm. Later she heroically saves the life of one of her neighbours and finds ways to help out at the crowded shelter where she must wait out the storm. Sophie, her country cousin, finds herself pitching in to keep her family and their dairy cows from perishing in the extreme conditions and must function like an adult in a very difficult situation. Both girls’ priorities will be changed forever after the experience. The story begins just before the storm hits to give a snapshot of normal life for the two girls. Then as quickly as the storm front rolls in, the reader is taken through…