Starred Review It's a new Ice Age on earth, and ever since the glaciers have moved south, refugees have been pouring into warmer climates, which are often just as cold as the rest of the world. Eleanor lives in ever-more-crowded Phoenix with her uncle, while her mother, a climatologist working for a nonprofit energy company, is in the Arctic trying to find new energy resources to help humankind survive against the predatory practices of a for-profit behemoth, the Global Energy Trust. When she disappears, right after sending Eleanor a cryptic series of messages and numbers with the directive to keep the information safe, Eleanor knows something serious is going on, and she packs up her survival gear and hitches a ride on a cargo plane headed to Barrow, Alaska. With the assistance of the plucky pilot, Eleanor relies on her determination, resourcefulness, and intelligence to help her mother and uncover the secret about the earth's climate crisis. The ripped-from-the-headlines elements of global climate change and rising energy prices will pique the interest of many readers, and the thrilling pace and compelling characters will likely keep them flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morning. An exciting, thought-provoking adventure.

Gr 4-7 In the first of this new sci-fi series, the northern part of the world is enveloped in the Freeze, a new ice age that is steadily creeping southward. Twelve-year-old "devilishly clever" Eleanor Perry is safe in relatively warmer Phoenix, AZ. While hoards of northern refugees flood into the city and are housed in buildings plagued by crime, plumbing issues, and power outages, she lives comfortably in the suburbs with her geologist mother and uncle. Currently, her mom is in the Arctic, exploring the frigid ice sheet for a nonprofit organization. Eleanor grows concerned when she receives a cryptic message from her mom, which includes mysterious files from G.E.T., the monolithic and suspicious energy corporation headed by the equally untrustworthy Dr. Skinner. She learns that her mother has gone missing and determinedly stows away on a plane bound for the Arctic. Upon arrival, Eleanor discovers that G.E.T. and Dr. Skinner control everything involving the exploration. Eleanor doesn't trust the doctor's motives and she secretly sets out to find her mom. What she discovers will surprise herand readers. This is an exciting, page-turning tale. Middle grade readers will be compelled by Eleanor's daredevil adventure to find her mom and thrilled as she unearths some startling secrets. VERDICT While the scientific descriptions may be confusing at times, intrepid readers will be rewarded with an action-packed, intriguing story. Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA