Snow in Summer

The book I have been reading this trimester is called “Snowin Summer,” written by JANE YOLEN, who is the author of children's books. She has written over three hundred books including “Owl Moon, The Devil’sArithmetic, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?” Her books are mostly to be Fantasy and Science Fiction. Have you ever lived a happy life and then all of a sudden it becomes tragic? Well this story is about a little girl at the age of seven who loved her parent very much, but after the death of her mother and her little brother things begin to change. The overall message in this book is that no matter what comes in the way we should never give up.

Snow in Summer is a pretty good book, it retells the story version of Snow White. In a small town in West Virginia where a girl lives, as beautiful as the roses in her father's garden. The memories she had with her mother and father were cherished memories she had, her parents sang and danced with her and did other fun things with her. Those days were what you would call paradise. Till one day her mother got pregnant with her little brother, the baby dies as soon he is born taking her mother with him. The life of her and her father had changed, but it was never the same as when her mother was there. Her dad (who is called Lemuel) had to remarried a woman who had bewitched him into doing it and who is also to become her stepmother, who not only brings coldness into the house, but a sense of wrongness too. Living so long with her stepmother who talks to magical mirrors and other equipments was creepy to her. Summer’s father had not talk to her or do any other fun things with her for a long time because of the spell that was cast upon him. Also because of the treatment she gets from her stepmother, she one day ran away from home, but her stepmother had to send someone to go after her, someone called ‘Hunter’. He was cute and charming in the outside, but not cute and charming in the inside. Sending him to chase after her, she then ran as fast as she could in the forest till she lost sight of where she was going. Later after a few days had past, she found a small looking house with no one in it, except for the seven beds that were there. She then thought that this was a house for a mother and her children, but as soon as the owners came back from their long work she became surprised that the little children were actually little men (you can call dwarfs), who were totally surprised to see a girl in their home. From here she then explains her story to them and tells them that she wanted to stay there for a little while. They later then allowed her to stay with them, but after the past of one month of staying there the little men had gone out to work living summer to stay in the house alone. Then an old woman came by the door and knock, her skin was like parchment stretched over brittle bones, her hair was gray and greasy which hung down to her shoulders and who she thought didn't seem well. She was old enough to be described well. Summer felt bad for this poor woman who was meant to be her ‘Stepmother’ who used spells or magic to turn old, and letting her in even caused more trouble for her. As the story goes by, this old woman is brought down to defeat and everything slowly goes back to the way it was.

Not everyone would like this book, but when I first read this book I instantly fell in love with it. This book was mostly written for young readers like us, if books like these are not your interest there are many other books the author JANE YOLEN wrote that you readers could try reading. What I have learned from this book is that you should watch out for evil people that are trying to give you a hard time. When you read this book you might some how be able to get pass a wicked stepmother. If you want to learned new things read this book, it inspired me and you it will. Read this book then you can face challenges and life itself.

Book Review by Daphne K.