Ages 10 and Up - The heroine of this retelling of the Norwegian fairy-tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, is known simply as pika, or the lass. The youngest of nine children, she was so unwanted by her mother that she wasn't given a name. In a land cursed with never-ending winter, the lass lives with her family, including her father, a kind but poor woodcutter, her brother Hans Peter, who, greatly changed after returning from a sea voyage, carves wood all day, and her pet wolf Rollo. After catching the white reindeer, the lass is gifted with the ability to speak with animals; as her reputation with animals spreads and people seek her out for help, she is, in some ways, able to make it up to her mother for being born a girl. Then one day, during a terrible blizzard, an isbjorn (polar bear) knocks on the family's cottage with a bargain: if the lass will come with him and live with him in his palace for a year and a day, he will bring great fortune to her family. And so the lass goes with him. Once at the palace, she cannot contain her curiosity. Who built the ice palace she lives in? Who are these strange creatures waiting on her? Who is the stranger slipping into her room to sleep beside her at night? What enchantment is her isbjorn under?
The talking animals and fairly strict adherence to the original story make "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" more accessible for younger readers than Edith Pattou's 2005 retelling "East," which draws heavily from other Norwegian mythology, is told from multiple viewpoints, and is much longer and, in my opinion, grown-up in theme. Fans of one, however, will mostly likely enjoy the other. Recommended for public library collections - perhaps with cross-holdings in juvenile fiction and young adult fiction - middle school libraries, and some elementary and high school libraries. ( )

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

The lass is the youngest of the woodcutter's children. Her mother was so upset that she had another child, let alone another girl, that she refused to even give her a name. The lass grows up, and is delighted when her older brother, Hans Peter, comes home from the sea. Hans Peter is cursed upon his return and is forever depressed, but he enjoys the lass's company and teaches her how to read the strange symbols in his wood carvings.

When the lass is sixteen, rumors of an isborjn, a white polar bear, surround the village. The lass has been gifted with the ability to talk to animals. Upon hearing of this gift, the white polar bear seeks the lass out and asks her to join him at the palace of ice for one year. Hans Peter tries to argue that she can not go, but the bear promises her family riches if the lass joins him. The lass agrees and travels with him to the ice palace.

While there, she meets an array of magical creatures. All seem to be under enchantments of the evil troll princess. There's also a mysterious visitor to the lass's room every evening, but she is unable to see his face or talk to the stranger, and each morning he has disappeared.

Thanks to Hans Peter's carvings, the lass realizes that she can read the carvings on the wall, which tell stories of the spells and curses the troll princess has cast. When the lass's own isborjn is taken away by the troll princess, the lass must risk everything she has to find the palace East of the sun and West of the moon and break the curse upon him.

A beautifully written tale of spells, magic, romance, and wit, SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW is a retelling of the Nordic tale, EAST OF THE SUN, WEST OF THE MOON. Author Jessica Day George adds depth to the story and background to the characters that makes this retelling stand out on its own. The story itself is reminiscent of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, but SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW holds its own surprises.

The reader will be enchanted by the story of the lass and her isborjn. This is a stunning tale that deserves to be read again and again. ( )

When you can't put a book down at Pennsic, you know you've got a good one. This book, a retelling of a Norwegian legend, has some Beauty and the Beast parallels (hence the tag). It's a fascinating one where everyone makes sacrifices to make everything right in the end. ( )

I have to say, it took me a few chapters to really get into this story. It very much has the feel of an old fairy tale. Our protagonist, un-named by her mother at birth, is called Lass by her affectionate older brother Hans Peter. They live together, with the rest of their large family, in the frozen north. On the day the great bear, an isbjorn, comes to take Lass away, the family's fate is sealed. Lass must spend a year and a day in the Ice Palace - full of fantastical creatures and a mystery night time visitor.
There are many layers to this tale and Lass is a wonderfully strong young girl. I really liked this book. A few points did bother me though. The ending was rushed - I loved the time Lass spent in the Palace of Ice and would have liked the telling of her time in the palace east of the sun and west of the moon to have been more detailed. Also, I felt that the troll queen and princess weren't quite as horrible as we were led to believe.
All in all, a great YA fantasy - 3.5 out of 5 stars ( )

The lass's mother is so upset to see that she's borne another daughter that she refuses to name her. Nonetheless, the lass creates an identity for herself, with the help of her grieving brother. When a white bear asks for her to stay in a palace with him for a year and a day, she agrees to accompany him if he will make her family rich. This retelling of the tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" brings it to life, although it was not precisely innovative in storyline. Still, a good read, if not genius. ( )