Frozen Summer [Paperback]

Mary Jane Auch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2000 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

It's 1816 and Remembrance "Mem" Nye and her family are going through a cold, hard summer in their new home in western New York. There's barely any food since Papa's crops were destroyed by the late
season frosts. Mem's mama has never gotten used to their new home. It's even harder for her to cope after she gives birth to baby Lily. Papa puts Mem in charge of caring for the baby, her younger brother, and their sick Mama. Though Mem struggles, it's hard to do the chores and watch them every moment. Then the worst happens . . . one stormy night Mama and Lily are gone.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review of this sequel to Journey to Nowhere, PW said the author's "attention to the unromantic details of pioneer life, combined with evocative description and involving dialogue, gives her work uncommon dimension." Ages 10-up. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-In this sequel to Journey to Nowhere (Holt, 1997), the Nye family has settled in Genesee Country in western New York in 1816. An unusually cold summer has devastating effects on local farmers. Twelve-year-old Mem's mother gives birth and becomes depressed, leaving the girl struggling to hold the family together and hindering her dreams of getting an education. As Mama's spells grow worse, Mem feels isolated and helpless. Things get even worse when Mama walks off with the baby during a storm. The plot here is almost exactly like that of Ellen Howard's Sister (Atheneum, 1990; o.p.). However, the tone of that book is more formal and a tender strength emerges in the characters. Although Mem is a determined girl, she is often irritating and readers don't see the inventiveness and adaptability that made her so appealing in the first book. Also, a character from Journey makes an almost deus-ex-machina appearance and there are other surprising plot contrivances that don't ring true. However, Auch does show Mem's unique way of looking at the world. The difference between her take on things and reality adds interest. Frozen Summer will have its greatest appeal for readers who loved the first book.
Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440416248
• ISBN-13: 978-0440416241
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #958,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The sequal to Journey to Nowhere., November 6, 1998

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frozen Summer (Hardcover)

It's been a year since her family moved from Connecticut to the New York frontier, and now twelve year old Rememberance "Mem" Nye, her parents, and her little brother and settled into their new home. Then, severe frosts kill Papa's crops and Mama gives birth to a new baby, a little girl Mem names Lily. Ever since Lily was born, Mama has been going into spells that disconect her from reality. Now Mem must stay at home to take care of her mother, brother, and sister. But when Mama takes Lily and disapears in the forest on a dark, stormy night, can Mem find them and bring them safely home? Mary Jane Auch has written a gripping story of a pioneer family fighting to stay alive even though the odds are against them. I can't wait to read the third book which will complete this trilogy.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The sequal to Journey to Nowhere., November 12, 1998

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frozen Summer (Hardcover)

In this sequal to Journey to Nowhere, Rememberance Nye, called Mem by her family, is twelve years old in 1816, and it's been a year since her family left Connecticut to begin a new life on the frontier. But Papa's crops failed because of strange summer frosts, and since Mama gave birth to baby Lily, she's been having terrible spells. This is an excellant story of a pioneer family fighting to survive in the wilderness. I can't wait to read the third book which will complete this trilogy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brave pioneer girl battles to protect her family, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Frozen Summer (Turtleback)

The second book of the Remembrance Nye trilogy is set in the Wilds of the New York frontier in the early 1800s. The weather is crazy during the family's tough first year on the frontier. Mysterious snow in June and hard frosts in July ruin the crops the pioneers have painstakingly planted. This brave girl holds the family together as her hapless father tries his best to beat the weather to feed the family, and Momma struggles with loneliness that pushes her to the edge. But Mem's positive can-do attitude is an inspiration to those around her, and a salvation for little Lilly. Extremely realistic, it gave us a vivid picture of how truely hard the early settlers had to work -- and the dangers they faced. Very well researched and compelling -- we can't wait for the third in the series!