Ice Palace [Hardcover]

Deborah Blumenthal (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Every year a glittering palace made from blocks of ice rises several stories above the wintry landscape of Saranac Lake, New York. The workers who build the palace, which is the centerpiece of the annual winter carnival, come from the village and from a nearby prison, Camp Gabriels. Inspired by this real-life event and told in the voice of a young girl who lives nearby, the account of the preparation and creation of the palace and of the festive days that follow gains special poignancy from the fact that the narrator’s uncle is among the prisoners on the construction crew. Ted Rand’s vibrant watercolors join Deborah Blumenthal’s sensitively written text in a unique tribute to a century-old tradition and the community spirit that warms winter’s iciest days. Author’s note.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-A girl describes the annual winter carnival in Saranac Lake, NY. Its centerpiece is an enormous ice palace, constructed in recent years not only by villagers, but also by crews from Camp Gabriels, a nearby minimum-security correctional facility. Each day, the 10-year-old and her father watch the building progress, block by block, with slush used as mortar. When the opening day finally arrives, it is a whirlwind of parades, games, races, and the crowning of a king and queen, culminating in spectacular fireworks. As the book ends, winter fades into spring, the ice palace melts away, and the child is left thinking about her Uncle Mike, one of the prisoners who helped construct the castle. He is due to be released and will perhaps participate freely in next year's activities. The text is poetic yet approachable. The description of the prison is straightforward without being alarming; it is "a place that keeps men away from other people for a while because they've broken the law." Rand's watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations capture the icy-blue feel of a small town in winter, with the brush strokes providing texture and layer to the story. Children will be fascinated by this unusual tradition, and the girl's personal relationship to one of the workers draws readers deeper into the tale.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Based on a winter a carnival in Saranac Lake, New York, first celebrated in 1897, this story mixes unusual elements: winter festivities, family ties, and a community partnership with prisoners from a local correctional facility. An 11-year-old girl relates how men from the village and prisoners cut huge blocks of ice from the lake to build the giant ice palace that becomes the centerpiece of the celebrations. Then comes the fun: 10 days of ski and skating races, hockey games, snowshoe volleyball, a costume parade, and fireworks. The lyrical text ("In Saranac Lake village, / when water hardens into ice / and the wind blows as fierce / as the bite of an Adirondack black bear . . ."), appears in free-verse form on the page and is accompanied by sparkling watercolors that convey the cold, the excitement, and the community spirit, as well as the physical and emotional challenges that the frigid tasks demand. An author's note provides historical background and context. Even kids from warm climates will be intrigued. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (October 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618159606
• ISBN-13: 978-0618159604
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #936,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and nutritionist who now divides her time between writing children's books and adult novels. She has been a regular contributor to The New York Times (including four years as the Sunday New York Times Magazine beauty columnist), and a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Her health, fitness, beauty, travel, and feature stories have appeared widely in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York's Daily News, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Self, and Vogue.

Her latest YA novel, THE LIFEGUARD, will be published by Albert Whitman & Co, in March of 2012.

Blumenthal lives in New York City.

visit her on the web at:
www.deborahblumenthal.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!, October 30, 2003

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"sbw2214" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Palace (Hardcover)

I try to read to my children as much as possible. The Ice Palace was one of the best books I have read in a long time. My children and I were both equally captivated. The story is sweet and compasionate and I would highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Daughter Loves This Book, February 2, 2004

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"busybee25" (Massapequa, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Palace (Hardcover)

My daughter got this book as a birthday present from a family friend, and it has quickly become a favorite of hers, and mine. The story is touching and well-told, and the author tells it in a way that is appropriate for young children but also interesting for adults. The illustrations are also beautiful and really draws you into the story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!!, January 13, 2004

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Tabitha McGillicutty (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Palace (Hardcover)

What a fantastic story! I bought this book at the recommendation of a friend, and loved it from the first page. The way the author takes a story that is interesting from an adult's perspective and makes it enjoyable for young children as well is great - it's hard to find books for my children that my husband and I find fascinating too. The story is great - it's about the men in prison up in Lake Saranac, New York, who build a palace made out of huge ice blocks each winter.
There are so many interesting and touching elements to this story, which are all accentuated by the beautiful illustrations. It makes me want to visit the real ice palace!