Ice Cream Summer and Once Upon a Winter

This fall. Not been good. I've managed to continue to post a book a day because I read like a maniac over the summer, but I've only read 786 books of my 820 goal. Recent bout of strep throat with lingering brain-full-of-snot has not helped matters! This is why some of my reviews were very half baked this fall.

Two more days of school, and then winter break. I hope to recuperate, regroup, and come back a healthier and more motivated librarian in January!


Atwood, Megan. Ice Cream Summer (Orchard #1)
May 2nd 2017 by Aladdin
Copy checked out from The Ohio E Book Project

From Goodreads.com
"Every summer the Garrison Family Apple Orchard opens its ice cream stand and lets two kids run the show. Now it’s best friends Lizzie and Sarah’s turn.

When new kids Olive and Peter join their ice cream team. Sarah had big plans and she’s not too happy about sharing the stand or her best friend. But a disaster at the grand opening results in a mysteriously empty cash register, these four kids have to become good friends—and expert detectives—before this Ice Cream Summer turns into the Worst Summer Ever."

This was a nice, easy to read friend drama set in small town. Families a bit quirky (one has two dads; the other has a mother dating a local policeman), but there is a farm stand AND lots of ice cream. I wasn't really very interested in the whole idea of a zombie hayride, but the kids were passionate about it and were working toward a goal. Enjoyed, purchasing, and looking forward to sequel.

Atwood, Megan. Once Upon a Winter (#2)
December 19th 2017 by Aladdin
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Above the Treeline

From Goodreads.com
"Wintertime at the orchard has Peter learning some important lessons about speaking up in this second novel of a sweet series about the bonds of friendship.

Blanketed in snow, the orchard looks like a magical wonderland. But Peter is not so charmed by his new life. He just can’t ignore how he’s always ignored any longer. Sarah, Lizzie, and Olive are always talking over him and bossing him around. And on top of that, it’s really cold outside.

One January day, Peter reluctantly agrees to join the girls on a carriage ride through the freshly fallen snow. But things go terribly wrong when a dog incident has the horses running away in fear, with Peter and the carriage trailing dangerously behind them. Then, Peter hits his head on a passing branch and is thrown to the ground.

Woozy, Peter wakes up alone in the snow but he makes his way to a cozy cottage. Kai, the cool new kid, opens the door and welcomes Peter inside. Kai shows him a magical mirror that brings the two new friends to another world. A world where people listen to Peter and need his help to defeat dragons, warlocks, and other scary things.

Then Peter wakes up in the hospital with a bandage around his head. Everyone is so happy to see him awake. Peter tries to tell them all about the mirror but they dismiss his experience as a wild dream. When Peter goes back to school, it seems like Kai knows what Peter’s talking about. Could the dream have been real? Is there really a magic portal deep in the woods behind the orchard? Even if everyone thinks he’s crazy, Peter is determined to find out."

As much as I like the first book in the series, this one got a bit strange. I'm never a fan of series where the first book is realistic and the second book is fantasy, and that's definitely what this is. Also, Kai was a horribly reprehensible character, Peter was unhappy all the time, and everyone just seemed dysfunctional. Sort of like Seasonal Affective Disorder descends on Ice Cream Summer.  I think I am more confused by this book than anything. My students are becoming increasingly unfamiliar with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, so I don't think they would get the references.