Growing up is hard to do: so many lessons to learn, so many heartbreaks to bear. Some lessons are easily taught with love and compassion by a parent, a teacher, or through the joys of reading. But other lessons are learned the hard way: unexpectedly and sometimes with fierce brutality that can be downright scary. The Snow Girls are learning both the easy, loving way and the scary, hard way. Sisters Katy, Lacey and Charlotte, along with a good friend, Sharron, whom they’ve somewhat adopted as an extra sister, have a frightening encounter with a group of mean boys while enjoying a friendly skate. The boys threaten Katy, but the impact affects the other girls as well. They manage to escape and Mom lovingly explains to them later about harassment and bullying and how they handled themselves really well. Not to be put down for long, the girls plan a weekend event of building a snow/ice castle in their backyard. The project takes longer than they expected and it attracts others, including two new girls, Destiny and Alyssa, also sisters, who recently moved into the area and want to help. But the bullies haven’t finished their harassment and their misadventures almost turn deadly and would have done so without Katy’s quick thinking.

Oh! for the playful antics of children and their resilient ability to rise to the occasion despite the obstacles put in their path. Irene Petrucci’s early chapter book, Snow Girls – Ice Castles, is both charming and informative. Young readers will enjoy the continued adventures of this group of girls as they learn both good things and not-so-good things about the world around them. The plot develops at a comfortable pace, the author using lots of dialogue and simple language to invite the reader right into the story. The characters are realistic and well developed. There are parts of the story that might be described as ‘raw’ for its brutal presentation, but the lesson learned is a valuable one as are all the lessons presented in this story. There are some colorful illustrations to help move the story along. A good read, overall.

Irene Petrucci’s Snow Girls – Ice Castles is an interesting tale about the adventures of six young girls and the building of an Ice Castle. Kate, Lacey, and Charlotte were enjoying a day at Griffon pond where their mom, Caroline, left them for an errand she had to run. While Kate and her sisters waited for their mom, Sharron, a friend whom they’d come to love as a sister, arrived and invited them to play on the ice with her. As the girls were playing, they noticed a group of boys who were plotting something quite mischievous. These boys would soon cause trouble for Kate, her sisters, and their friends. Join the sisters as they embark on an interesting, snow-filled project, find new friends, and learn important lessons along the way!

Snow Girls – Ice Castles by Irene Petrucci is a wonderfully written short piece of work that showcases the beauty of unconditional love and kindness for the people around you. The sisters building their Ice Castle was a beautiful representation and example of their determination, trust, and patience. Because of their resolve to finish the Ice Castle, despite the unexpected challenges they encountered along the way, they were able to meet two new friends, Destiny and Alyssa, who stuck by their side and helped them finish it. It amazed me how something that started out as nothing but a small idea turned into something so symbolic. The Ice Castle played a big role in uniting the neighborhood after the girls faced a dangerous, traumatizing situation. I was also so worried when it put Charlotte’s life in danger. But most of all, I was impressed by Kate’s kind nature. She was more mature than those miscreants and that stood out to me the most. This was indeed a well-written piece of work that is full of valuable lessons to keep in mind. Great job!