Amazon.com: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow: Jessica Day George, Jessica Day George: Books

From Booklist
Unnamed and rejected by her mother, a girl (known as the lass) jumps at the chance to leave her meager home after a great white bear offers her a deal: if she accompanies him to his ice palace for a year and a day, he will reward her and her family with wealth. At the palace, she is waited on by an odd assortment of creatures, including salamanders and a selkie, but there are sinister undercurrents beneath the luxury, leading to a series of horrifying deaths. George has adapted Norse myths and fairy tales to create this eerily beautiful, often terrifying world in which animals talk, trolls marry humans only to destroy them, and weather forces are actual characters. Mystery, adventure, the supernatural, and a touch of love are woven together to create a vivid, well-crafted, poetic fantasy for readers who have enjoyed works by Robin McKinley and Esther Friesner or who are ready to move from Gail Carson Levine’s fairy-tale adaptations to more sophisticated fare. Grades 7-10. --Frances Bradburn

Product Description

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (January 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599901099
ISBN-13: 978-1599901091
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #102,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	54% buy the item featured on this page: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow 4.2 out of 5 stars (23) $11.53
	16% buy Dragon Flight 4.7 out of 5 stars (11) $7.99
	11% buy Dragon Spear 4.8 out of 5 stars (6) $11.55
	10% buy Princess of the Midnight Ball 4.4 out of 5 stars (19) $11.55

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

fantasy(12)

fairy tale retellings(11)

magic(7)

norway(7)

trolls(7)

fairy tales(5)

retellings(5)

mythology(4)

princess(4)

fairy tales - retold(3)

east of the sun west of the moon(2)

See all 29 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

23 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's in a name?, February 21, 2008

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

As I see it, there are two different ways to adapt a fairy tale into a full-length novel. You can either reinterpret the entire shebang with a whole new spin on the formerly familiar (ala A Curse Dark as Gold or The Magic Circle) or you can take the essential parts of the original tale and just fill them out with some depth and padding (ala Beauty). "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" falls squarely into the latter category. Now if I was a fairy tale snob I might get all huffy that Jessica Day George's book stays so close to the original fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". And maybe I'd even have a reason to object, if it weren't for the fact that George's text is just so enjoyable to read. Basically it all comes down to a likable heroine, a great story, wonderful Norwegian touches, and a tale that will age beautifully as the years go by. When it comes to adapting a fairy tale into a full-length novel, George writes with a steady hand.

She never had a name, this small girl, the last born in her family. The daughter of a poor woodcutter, the child's mother is so disappointed to have yet another female mouth to feed that everyone refers to the girl as simply "the pika". Not having a name can be dangerous when you live in a land of trolls who'd like nothing better than to snatch you away. Fortunately, one day the pika frees a white reindeer trapped in the wood and it gives her two gifts as thanks: a name and the ability to understand the words of animals. The second gift seems great but turns against the lass when a huge white polar bear enters her home one night and demands that she come with him to his palace in the north. If she does so for just one year then her family will be rich and she will be free to go back. But what is it about this palace that seems so odd? What do the strange inscriptions say? Why do the servants disappear when she asks questions? And why, oh why, is there a strange man sleeping next to her in bed every night?

I think that more than almost any other fairy tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" has always been one of my favorites. It's this bizarre amalgamation of a bunch of different stories. There's the man under a beastly spell like in Beauty and the Beast. There's the girl looking at his forbidden face at night like in the tale of Cupid and Psyche. And then there's the long journey as the girl encounters magical beings in a quest to regain the man she loves, as in The Snow Queen. Stories where girls go out and get a job done appeal to me, and George's heroine is likable while still making the requisite mistakes needed to keep the plot going.

What George does well is to take the original tale, stick with it practically to the letter, and then explain some of the moments that don't make as much sense out of context. For example, why would the troll princess love something as simple as a golden spindle or a golden carding comb? Well, trolls have an obsession with human objects and try to act as human as possible sometimes. That, in turn, reminded me of the polar bears in the book The Golden Compass, and so it goes. The pacing is also pretty good, though I was surprised that it took us to page 181 for the lass to betray the isbjorn (the other word for polar bear).

Of course, there aren't many moments of deep introspection in this novel. For example, when the heroine makes a deal with the isbjorn on the condition that her family become wealthy, he promptly forces another bear to kill itself so that her no good brother can find the corpse and become rich. You'd think the lass would think long and hard about the consequences of her choices, but I suppose she has other stuff on her mind. And for an all-powerful Troll Queen who inspires fear in her minions, the final showdown between her and the lass is accurate to the original tale but may strike some as vaguely anti-climactic when compared to contemporary fantasy face-offs.

I also would have liked it if a little more time had been spent examining the fact that no woman has ever stayed a whole year in the polar bear's frozen palace without somehow seeing his face at night. Clearly this original tale was one of those curiosity-killed-the-cat stories ala Pandora. I don't know that it's a fair criticism for a story to make these days, though. It would have been nice if George has spoken a little bit about how unfair it is to withhold the rules in a game and then blame a player for not following them to the letter. Ah well.

In terms of age appropriateness, there's no reason in the world that a fairy tale loving ten-year-old wouldn't enjoy "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow". Yes, part of the story involves a girl who keeps finding a man coming in and sleeping in her bed, but he's always full clothed and never so much as speaks to her. Really, this is just an adventure novel couched in a great old tale. The kind of thing everyone can enjoy, and many will.

Comment Comments (5) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Whirlwind" retelling of a Unique Tale...exciting and appropriate for young readers, March 12, 2008

By	homeschooler (Misawa, Japan) - See all my reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed pre-reading this book before handing it over to my 8 yr old daughter -- I knew she would fall in love with it as well. I was right; as soon as she finished it (which only took her a few days), she declared triumphantly that it is her favorite book ever. We've recently read many fairy tales by other great authors such as Gail Carson Levine, Adrienne KressAlex and the Ironic Gentleman, Brittney Ryan The Legend of Holly Claus (Julie Andrews Collection), Dave Barry Peter and the Starcatchers Peter and the Shadow Thieves (The Starcatchers) Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (The Starcatchers), and Shannon Hale (least appropriate for younger readers and I will pre-read each one by her). My point being, I believe that Ms. George is among the best. I suppose I would have to agree with another reviewer's comment about the lack of serious depth to some of the characters, but it still deserves 5 stars because they are nonetheless interesting and the story still pulls you in and sums up as greatly satisfying. In my opinion, not every detail needs to be exposed; in fact, much of the charm of this particular fairy tale is its mystery as well as its uniqueness. The girl's family/home is rather heartwrenching and compelling; the ice palace, bear, and servants are invitingly mysterious; and the troll castle scenes are flat out amusing (although indeed rather frustrating)! The original fairy tale from which this is retold is indeed a strange one, and Ms. George did an excellent job at keeping the feeling of the original -- all while adding some enjoyable depth to it, as well as keeping it appropropriate for younger audiences. The author's snapshots of human nature accurately capture certain angles of character inherant in our species -- for better or for worse. This curious and assertive girl's attempt to solve a problem/mystery only causes worse trouble and frustration (and of course most readers familiar with the original story will be trying to warn our young "heroine" to STOP...DON'T DO IT!!! However, most of us would do the same (if not worse)-- hindsight is 20/20! So just how far will she go to attempt a happily ever after for those she seeks to help?

While my daughter and I were anxious to get a follow-up on Dragon Slippers...this far surpassed our expectations during our wait! Sun, Moon, Ice, and Snow was very difficult to put down, and while I don't re-read many books (don't have time for that), I will look forward to reading this one again -- and hopefully soon! Bravo!!!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect book for everyone!, June 24, 2008

By	Julie Wright "jules" (Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The ability to tell a story with characters who have warmth, humor, and humanity to them is my greatest reason for loving Jessica Day George's work. Sun and Moon is a fabulous retelling of the fairytale: East of the Sun West of the Moon. The Nameless ninth daughter of a poor woodcutter saves a white deer and is given the gift of speaking to animals which leads her on an adventure where she's stuck living with a polar bear for a year and a day so her family can have wealth. Loved the book, love the moments of humor, loved the characters, and HATED that it all ended when I closed the book.

I love how our heroine was spunky and imaginitive enough to try to solve her own problems (even if she made a few things worse for herself) I can easily see fans of fairy tales placing this book on their "favorites" shelf. The writing was beatuiful and lyrical, and yet straightforward and simple to read, which makes it accessable to a wider audience. Loved it and cannot wait for more!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 23 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars East o'the Moon, West o'the Sun
I have yet to meet a re-interpretation of my favorite fairy tale 'East o'the Moon, West o'the Sun' that hasn't pleased me greatly and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow (SaM, IaS)does not... Read more

Published 3 days ago by Alexandra Cenni

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of her novels
I've enjoyed the Dragon books so I got this as well. I'm quite impressed! The characters are fleshed out, and her ability to describe the scenery, the people, the actions and... Read more

Published 1 month ago by erica

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Donna Jo Napoli's ZEL you'll love this one too
Disney will never touch this one, thank goodness, because it will never sell any lunchboxes or socks or underwear. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Gwynne C. Spencer

4.0 out of 5 stars Good...
This is a retelling of the classic tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." The good points are that it tells the story in a different way than the rest of its contemporaries. Read more

Published 4 months ago

3.0 out of 5 stars Angieville: SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW
In the fairy tale mood, I was looking for something to follow up Master Of Shadows. Jessica Day George's SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW looked like just the ticket. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Angela Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too
The lass is the youngest of the woodcutter's children. Her mother was so upset that she had another child, let alone another girl, that she refused to even give her a name. Read more

Published 9 months ago by TeensReadToo.com

4.0 out of 5 stars Imagination station
This novel took me back to my childhood and the Chronicles of Narnia. I read the Narnia series over and over as a kid due to the fascinating mythological settings and adventures I... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Angela Eschler

2.0 out of 5 stars Severely lacking
Jessica Day George's new book is a retelling of East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. In this version, the young girl is known only as the lass because her mother had wanted a boy... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Audrey

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting and fun to read
The author retales a Nordic fairy tale. I have not read the original story but loved this one. George captures the great story and brings the reader along the "young lass's"... Read more

Published 12 months ago by R. B. Birch

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful Storytelling
This book is my favorite of all of Jessica Day George's books. It is a wonderful retelling of the fairy tale East O'the Sun, West O' the Moon. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Melinda

› See all 23 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (1 discussion)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	haven't i read this already?	5	2 months ago

› See all discussions...

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
fantasy Books you recomend for teenagers. Any kind.	12	8 minutes ago
fantasy Survey: Are you male or female and how many books do you read a year?	81	16 minutes ago
young adult Writers and Readers Alike, I Need Your Help Deciding	10	2 hours ago
young adult Some Long YA books?	16	2 hours ago
childrens books Looking for a certain book...	3	3 hours ago
childrens books books set in other countries	19	3 hours ago
fairy tale retellings What's your favorite fairy tale adaptation?	6	6 days ago
magic Do Kids buy on Kindle?	4	7 days ago