Ice Storm

March 1, 2011

The sixth title in Draper's Disaster Strikes series is based on the ice storm that wiped out much of the northeast United States and eastern Canada in 1998. The horrific storm that cripples Montreal unfolds from the paired perspectives of Alice and Sophie, two cousins who lead very different lives. Alice lives in Montreal with her father, who works for Montreal Hydro. She is a talented figure skater who cares little for competing. Sophie lives outside the city on a dairy farm with her maman, papa and younger brother, Sébastien. Sophie loves the cows, especially her newborn calf, Mélisande. The two girls have grown close since the death of Alice's mother three years before. The third-person chapters alternate between the girls and recount the first eight days of the storm. Alice is left alone to fend for herself while her father works round the clock trying to restore power. Sophie's family fares a little better, as they have a woodstove, but the loss of electricity leaves them unable to milk their 50 cows. From dead cows to looting to staying in a shelter, Draper covers the terror and impact of the storm. She also weaves in a subtle environmental message about overreliance on electricity. A bit dense in factual information, this is nevertheless an unusual story of survival. (author's note, ice-storm trivia) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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