Colder Than Ice

Colder than Ice is a good book. You sould read it. Its an action book. You would like it if you like sad stuff a story about how kids stop a bully. My favorite part is when Skye Mark Josh help save another boy from a bully. my favorite character is josh. If you want to know more you will have to read it you self

When 6th grader Josh and his pre-school sister Lindsay move from Seattle to a town in Northern Idaho, they are literally snowed. On Josh's first day of school, he meets the implacable school secretary who refuses to let any pupil see the principal (now there's a switch) and meets a classmate who has Asperger's Syndrome, the spectrum partner to autism. Mark, the boy with AS takes pictures in class indiscriminately; he blurts out answers; he speaks in a loud, unmodulated voice and prefers informative books to novels. He and Josh enter their 6th grade classroom together and are immediately singled out by a bully named Corey and his sidekick Bunk. Corey tries to groom and stroke Josh as he hopes Josh's father, a coach at the local high school will give him plum positions on the teams once he is in high school. Corey and his cronies hound and harass Mark. Interestingly, Mark and Josh become friends along with a kind girl named Skye. Corey, spoonfed a sense of entitlement because of his athletic prowess and local fame by being written about in the local paper has conned Ms. Benedict, who feels he can do no wrong. The boy's teacher, on the other hand is very sharp and savvy and not fooled by Corey. She also wisely keeps Skye, Mark and Josh together as they are a cohesive group who are good for each other. It is their teacher who tells Skye and Josh that Mark has Asperger's. She said that "some experts think they [people with autism] think in pictures." Not all people with autism do. That applies to some and not to all. Corey will stop at nothing to get what he's after. His friend leaves a mysterious package of hockey skates at Josh's door; he and his cronies invite Josh to skate with them. They try to trick Josh into doing something very dangerous and it is Skye and Mark who come through like the cavalry, averting a potential tragedy. Mark, lacking in social savvy for the most part is quite astute in summing up Corey's motives. Skye, also warns Josh of what Corey is really like. A smart, kind girl, Skye will stand up for what she thinks is right. This is a wonderful book that is gritty, sharp and well worth the read. It is a serious look at bullying. Corey overtly attacks Mark. His subtle cruelty includes trying to trick Josh and another boy into taking dangerous chances under the guise of friendship. He resorts to cruelty and threats when thwarted on any issue. The characters are well created and plausible; Mark is a believable character with AS. Mark's father is a delightful character who just happens to have a very unusual job "helping people," as Mark says. He is truly a wonderful character as is Mark. This book makes me think of Foreigner's 1977 song, "Cold as Ice" and Yoko Ono's "Walking on Thin Ice."

David Patneaude has a bead on the push-and-pull of middle-school society. His main character is realistically torn between the flattery of a popular bully and the cameraderie of new friends who are way outside the in crowd. That alone will cause young readers to buy into this story. Patneaude adds suspense, some memorable characters, and drama, along with a satisfying conclusion. Young readers will almost certainly forgive the preachy and over-long finale wherein the bullies get their due. If you like this book, though, don't bypass this author's earlier novels Someone Was Watching and Last Man's Reward.