With her black hair, red lips, and lily-white skin, Summer is as beautiful as her father's garden. And her life in the mountains of West Virginia s...
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Dec 10, 2011
Hylary
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Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!
Snow-in-Summer Morton’s life changed forever at age seven when her mother died in childbirth, leaving her alone and her father, Lemuel, with a broken heart. Cousin Nancy, the widow of Summer’s father’s favorite cousin who was recently killed in World War II, helps to care for Summer after her father slips into a deep, dark grief unable to cope with the death of his beloved wife. One d More...
Snow-in-Summer Morton’s life changed forever at age seven when her mother died in childbirth, leaving her alone and her father, Lemuel, with a broken heart. Cousin Nancy, the widow of Summer’s father’s favorite cousin who was recently killed in World War II, helps to care for Summer after her father slips into a deep, dark grief unable to cope with the death of his beloved wife. One d More...
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Feb 04, 2012
Miranda
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Okay first...the cover is amazing. It's what made me decide to read the book in the first place (that and knowledge of Jane Yolen's writing) and know, looking at it after finishing the book...there are so many little pieces from the story tied in.
Snow in Summer is a beautiful little girl, but, as often happens to such little girls, tragdey has struck. Her mama, in the process of giving birth to her new baby brother, has died, along with the baby. Summer is sad, obviously, but her sorr More...
Snow in Summer is a beautiful little girl, but, as often happens to such little girls, tragdey has struck. Her mama, in the process of giving birth to her new baby brother, has died, along with the baby. Summer is sad, obviously, but her sorr More...
Dec 25, 2011
Crys
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Readers are thrust into Appalachia with Snow in Summer, or Summer for short. She is dealing with the loss of her mother, and in a way her father as well. His love for Summer is not as strong as that for his now deceased wife, and Summer is left to her own devices.
While keeping the house going, she is kept company by Cousin Nancy until Stepmama arrives. Papa has quickly fallen under her spell, but there is something about Stepmama that does not seem to ring true. But Summer is young a More...
While keeping the house going, she is kept company by Cousin Nancy until Stepmama arrives. Papa has quickly fallen under her spell, but there is something about Stepmama that does not seem to ring true. But Summer is young a More...
Dec 18, 2011
Melissa
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I started this book more than a week ago... it's not a big book. But it's not been easy for me to get through. Not because it's a hard topic... but it's boring. Incredibly, intensely, amazingly boring. I'm 100+ pages in and the only thing that has really happened is that Snow in Summer's (yeah... that's her name!) dad got married. In 100 pages. That's it. There wasn't even a build up to that. I'll probably finish this book... but so far I'm not enjoying it at all!
Update: Hav More...
Update: Hav More...
Jan 19, 2012
Kiirsi
rated it:
First off, the cover: WOW. It is beautiful, gorgeous, amazing. The artist obviously read the book. Huge props for the cover.
This book was a really unique twist on the story of Snow White: set in 1940's Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains, "Summer" has to fight against her evil stepmother. There are the classic elements of a magic mirror, 7 little men, and more...but lots of new things too. There was also a creepy, horror-type feel throughout most of the book.
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This book was a really unique twist on the story of Snow White: set in 1940's Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains, "Summer" has to fight against her evil stepmother. There are the classic elements of a magic mirror, 7 little men, and more...but lots of new things too. There was also a creepy, horror-type feel throughout most of the book.
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Nov 30, 2011
Nick
rated it:
Other than the few elements of fantasy, it is also a good historical fiction about life in rural West Virginia. The story develops slowly, but that is because the author made it ten times longer than the version of the fairy tale that most of us have read. This allows for more development of the characters, as well as the side plots, ranging from the social life in the community to the controversial church in the hills, based on a real religious movement in the South.
I still think that nam More...
I still think that nam More...
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Jan 24, 2012
Christina
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Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com/20...
Snow in Summer takes place in West Virginia's Appalachian Mountains during the 1940's. Jane Yolen re-tells the fairy tale of Snow White in a more modern time that we're familiar with.
Summer's life was like a fairy tale until the day her mother and baby brother died and her father retreated into himself from heartache. Then Summer's father starts visiting her mother's grave every night after dinner and she hopes it's More...
Snow in Summer takes place in West Virginia's Appalachian Mountains during the 1940's. Jane Yolen re-tells the fairy tale of Snow White in a more modern time that we're familiar with.
Summer's life was like a fairy tale until the day her mother and baby brother died and her father retreated into himself from heartache. Then Summer's father starts visiting her mother's grave every night after dinner and she hopes it's More...
Feb 03, 2012
Phoebe
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There are so many tired retellings of fairy tales that to stand out an author has to do something extraordinary, but even an author of Yolen's standing can't really pull this off. I found this new book to be a little dull, perhaps because the story is predictable no matter how the details are altered. The tale is split into three voices, Summer, her stepmother, and Summer's godmother Cousin Nancy. The voices switch without much fanfare so the reader must be sure to pay attention to the chapte
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Feb 10, 2012
Lolene
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If you like great retellings of fairy tales, don't miss this one. (The spell-checker hates the word, "retellings." Too bad.)
Jane Yolen is a crazy-talented writer. This book is the traditional tale of Snow White with a big twist...it takes place in rural Appalachia in the 1940's. If you read my reviews at ALL, you know that I hate writing summaries as much as my challenged students do...so if it's a synopsis you want, click on the book!
Yolen's characterizations w More...
Jane Yolen is a crazy-talented writer. This book is the traditional tale of Snow White with a big twist...it takes place in rural Appalachia in the 1940's. If you read my reviews at ALL, you know that I hate writing summaries as much as my challenged students do...so if it's a synopsis you want, click on the book!
Yolen's characterizations w More...
Feb 20, 2012
Mary Ann
rated it:
I love retellings of fairy tales, and Jane Yolen is particularly good at it. Snow in Summer takes place in Appalachia in the 1940s. Summer is grieving the loss of her mother who died in childbirth along with the new baby. Her father takes it even harder and becomes a mere shell of his former self. Her father's cousin Nancy becomes caretaker for Summer and Lem until a new woman appears in their lives. And so begin the common elements of the traditional fairy tale, with wicked step-mother, magic m
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Jan 31, 2012
Ranting
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http://www.rantingdragon.com/snow-in-sum...
Jane Yolen’s latest novel, Snow in Summer, is a wonderful addition to her series of reinvented fairy tales. Like her earlier Briar Rose, this is a dark retelling of a Grimm fairy tale—in this case, Snow White instead of Sleeping Beauty. It follows a girl named Snow in Summer, who tells the tale of her childhood in retrospect as she grows up in the mountains of West Virginia. It was published in November of 2011 by Philomel.
To cl More...
Jane Yolen’s latest novel, Snow in Summer, is a wonderful addition to her series of reinvented fairy tales. Like her earlier Briar Rose, this is a dark retelling of a Grimm fairy tale—in this case, Snow White instead of Sleeping Beauty. It follows a girl named Snow in Summer, who tells the tale of her childhood in retrospect as she grows up in the mountains of West Virginia. It was published in November of 2011 by Philomel.
To cl More...
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Dec 25, 2011
Julia
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Snow in Summer is Snow White set in the West Virginia mountains the years during and after World War II. Her father isn’t a king, but a farmer with rich bottom land, who can grow anything until his wife dies, and who over-grieves his wife’s death and falls under the sway of a magic user. Summer, though very young when her mother dies, takes care of her father, even does the farming for him, and then her Stepmother. Summer doesn’t leave her Stepmother, but when she takes her to a snake-handling
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Dec 27, 2011
Libby
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This retelling of Snow White is placed in an Appalachian mountain village during the Great Depression. The setting adds interest to a short and well-known fairy tale. When Summer’s mother dies, her father is crushed by grief. He spends every evening playing his banjo in the graveyard, but one evening is different. As he plays, he meets a strange and beautiful woman and soon the two are married. This seems to be the end of grief, but some things are not right. Although, he is no longer over
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Jan 28, 2012
Lauren
rated it:
3.5
A creative retelling of Snow White set in West Virginia coal mining territory in the 1940s. The story was adapted well to Appalachia and the fairy tale elements were nicely creepy. Yolen did a good job detailing the relationship between a child and an abusive parental figure. However, everything felt a little bit abbreviated and distant. I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I had had a chance to read it when I was much younger.
A creative retelling of Snow White set in West Virginia coal mining territory in the 1940s. The story was adapted well to Appalachia and the fairy tale elements were nicely creepy. Yolen did a good job detailing the relationship between a child and an abusive parental figure. However, everything felt a little bit abbreviated and distant. I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I had had a chance to read it when I was much younger.
Dec 11, 2011
Marilyn
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I really enjoyed this book---young adult, but would be enjoyed by anyone who likes fairy tales retold. It's Snow White set in a small town in West Virginia. There are all the familiar elements--girl whose mother dies, sad and lonely father, evil stepmother, poisons, potions and a magic mirror, a hunter, seven little men in a forest cottage,etc. But it's all combined in a new, fresh way that makes it magic all over again. Jane Yolen does it again!
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Feb 17, 2012
Jen
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Ms Yolen always keeps you guessing. I love the twist she can put on a fairy tale that we are all familiar with. I don't think I would recommend to the younger crowd due to some innuendos but for that 6-7 grader who is a little skeptical of "happily ever after" it is good. I wish the end would have been a little longer, it felt like she had a deadline for about the last fifty pages and was tying up everything to make it.
Jan 18, 2012
Melissa
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A very interesting retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. It is set in very rural West Virginia in the 1940s. Mixed in is some Appalachian folklore and a very satisfyingly Snow White (Snow in Summer) who manages to take care of herself, wish some judicious help from some interesting characters. There's even a evangelical snake-handling church and a large bear.
I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation.
Jan 02, 2012
Shannon
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I was really enjoying this until I was around the last 20-30 pages knowing we were plowing into new topics and characters without finishing the plot with other ones. It is a fun story - but it could have easily had at least 7 more chapters added onto it and then it would have felt finished and tied up. But, still a fun spin off of Snow White.
Nov 29, 2011
Laura
rated it:
this was an interesting re-telling of the snow white story in a 1900's time period. I picked it up as a recommendation from a librarian and I think I'll try another one pretty soon. I kept waiting for the action to come and it seemed a little slower than the classic fairy tale it's based on, but I enjoyed the dwarfs and the twists all the same.
Nov 25, 2011
Valerie
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Funny thing, 3/4 of the story was about her wicked stepmother the witch and how awful she was to Snow. I kept thinking I was reading cinderella. Where was the great forest escape? Where were the dwarfs? I got tired of poor snow doing all the work, cleaning the ashes out of the fireplace with her fingers - or was the cinders and cinderell?
Dec 03, 2011
Salimbol
rated it:
Jane Yolen always makes for a good read! Set in the 20th century in the Appalachians, this is an interesting take on the Snow White story, with some quite profound things to say about cycles of abuse, and family and community responsibility for children (plus some absolutely charming "dwarves"). It does feel as if it was wrapped up perhaps a little too quickly, but that's a fairly minor criticism.
Feb 20, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
I felt like I was constantly on the cusp of falling into liking this book. But it never felt fleshed out enough for me to sink my teeth into and actually enjoy. At least it was a quick read. It felt more like a short story that got misdirected at the publishers and somehow became a full-length (albeit short) YA novel.
Jan 25, 2012
Amy
rated it:
The writing style was haunting and magical, which worked, but it was also occasionally abrupt, which did not work so much for me. I would have liked more follow through on some of the cryptic statements the narrator made. All in all however, it was a great retelling of Snow White.
Jan 18, 2012
Jacqueline
rated it:
An interesting take of the Snow White tale, with a twist on just about everything right down to the poisoned apple. My only beef with the book was the fact that most of it was taken up with the backstory of Stepmama, Snow and Papa leaving the the rest of the tale for the very end of the book. This made it feel rushed to me.
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Dec 30, 2011
Patricia
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I enjoyed this book very much! It's a version of Snow White that takes place in West Virginia in the 1930s & 40s. Having visited there myself, I could picture the graveyard and old church in the hills where Snow's mother was buried. A great fairy tale read for ages 11 & up.
Nov 18, 2011
Lynn
rated it:
An interesting twist on Snow White. Set in mid-1900s Appalachia, it was fascinating to see how Yolen took traditional elements of Snow White (magic mirror, evil stepmother) and put them in a new setting with historical elements. A good read! For mature 4th or 5th graders and up.
Feb 11, 2012
Martha
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Although obviously there cannot be a great deal of suspense in yet another retelling of a well-worn fairy tale, this was nevertheless an interesting and well-written spin on the old story (set in 20th-century West Virginia) and kept me reading to the (predictable) end.
Jan 16, 2012
Anne
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Yolen re-tells the classic story of Snow White but in modern day West Virginia. Clever and well-written - although I hate it when she has the main character use a big word and then immediately give the definition of said word.
Nov 20, 2011
Jenny
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A fun version of Snow White - tad scary though for juvenile. I recommend it for 12 and up. The ending is a bit rushed and there were a couple nit-picks, but over all a sweet short read. LOVED the 'dwarfs'.
Feb 08, 2012
Charlene
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From the hills of West Virigina comes this tale of an American Snow White. A crazy stepmother who is right out the pages of Grimm's Fairy Tales taunts and tortures Summer and her papa and the whole community just stands by and allows it.
