This fairytale-esque story hooked me from the start! A creative spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” Bianca’s brother, Finn, is frozen into a statue and other children soon follow. Bianca tries to unravel the mystery of what’s going on. I can’t say much more without spoiling the story. Just know it’ll have you frustrated and biting your nails in the best way! Bianca is a caring, loving character that will have you rooting for her the whole time.

Personal opinion: While the message about global warming is extremely relevant and important, I felt that it came on too strong. It was as if the tone and mood shifted suddenly into borderline political territory. That could’ve been what Leonard was going for, but I think the same point could’ve been made in a subtler way that didn’t lose the magic of the story.

Regardless, I still gave the book a 4/5 stars. A fun, magical read!

This was such a sweet story for my children. We enjoyed reading as a read a loud! The boys were excited each night to ask about it.

I really loved this one. It was so good and fun. I had never read anything from this author. So it was fun to try it. I highly recommend reading it again.
10/10

A fantastic middle-grade fantasy with a strong environmentalist message, The Ice Children is an absolute must-read for anyone invested in fairy tales, sibling relationships, or our warming planet! The story of BInaca Albedo fighting to save her brother, and later the children of her town, from a mysterious spell is absolutely gripping, made even more engrossing by the wonderful illustrations from Penny Neville-Lee. This artwork truly brings the story to life, making the mysterious realm of Winterholme all the more appealing! A fantastic outing, and one that I'm excited to put in the hands of readers! Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher Spotlight for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this was a beautifully done middle grade novel that uses the Snow Queen elements to its advantage. It made this story its own and worked overall with what I was looking for. M.G. Leonard was able to weave a interesting tale and make the inspiration its own thing. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and this world. I'm glad I got to read this and hope to read more from M.G. Leonard.