Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an "isbjorn" (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who's been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he's forced to marry a troll princess. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 5 8 As the last born in a family of nine siblings, the lass is a source of great displeasure to her mother. Angry that she had been unlucky enough to produce a girl, the woman denies her a name. Nevertheless, the child finds happiness in a close relationship with her older brother. This closeness is broken when an enchanted polar bear enters her home and demands that she spend a year and a day with him in return for her family attaining riches and good fortune. This exciting tale built on the foundation of an old Nordic tale is a work of great beauty. George demonstrates her mastery of both Norwegian folklore and storytelling by taking an old yet familiar story and making it captivating from start to finish. As the nameless lass searches for the answers to the riddles that surround her and her loved ones, readers will find themselves engaged in the emotions and adventures that she faces. They will be taken on wild rides across the countryside on the back of a polar bear, experience life in an enchanted ice castle, and fly on the winds of the far corners of the Earth, as the girl moves swiftly toward her inevitable destiny. Caryl Soriano, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Unnamed and rejected by her mother, a girl (known as the lass) jumps at the chance to leave her meager home after a great white bear offers her a deal: if she accompanies him to his ice palace for a year and a day, he will reward her and her family with wealth. At the palace, she is waited on by an odd assortment of creatures, including salamanders and a selkie, but there are sinister undercurrents beneath the luxury, leading to a series of horrifying deaths. George has adapted Norse myths and fairy tales to create this eerily beautiful, often terrifying world in which animals talk, trolls marry humans only to destroy them, and weather forces are actual characters. Mystery, adventure, the supernatural, and a touch of love are woven together to create a vivid, well-crafted, poetic fantasy for readers who have enjoyed works by Robin McKinley and Esther Friesner or who are ready to move from Gail Carson Levine's fairy-tale adaptations to more sophisticated fare. Bradburn, Frances. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.