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The Ice Bear Miracle
Somewhere in the deep and frozen north is an island surrounded entirely by ice. The inhabitants love their snowstorm isle-with its scattered wooden cottages, its small patches of forest, and its single mountain peak. Most of all they love the magnificent ice bears that roam the streets, giving the island its name-The Isle of Bears. Life with bears is dangerous, as Marv Jackson knows-the large crescent moon shaped scar on his face acts as a constant reminder of the night he survived a bear attack. But something tells him the legendary tale of that night, isn't quite the full story, and that the truth lies with a mysterious skating girl and her magnificent polar bear.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2020
About the author
Cerrie Burnell
30 books43 followersCerrie Burnell is one of the UK's best-known children's TV presenters and has in recent years made a name for herself as one of the most exciting new children's authors on the scene. Her picture book Snowflakes was performed at the Oxford Playhouse to great acclaim in 2016 and Harper, her fiction series, has been set to music by the Liverpool Philarmonic Orchestra.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 17, 2020
This is a beautifully written and truly heartwarming story of a girl and her polar bear, and a boy and his dreams, set in the frozen north of Canada. Tuesday is an ice-skater in a carnival, and skates with her bear Promise, with whom she's grown up. Marv dreams of being a professional hockey player. But despite their different backgrounds they are drawn to one another through a past event that helped to shape both of them. A glittering, snowy tale of heartbreak, friendship, and wanting to belong. Absolutely enchanting!!
November 26, 2020
Is it magic? Is it myth? Is it real? This beautiful tale puts wonder into winter with an Isle of Bears, skating dreams and two children united by a fantastical frozen night on the ice.
I will admit I wasn't drawn in by the slow start, with Marv's bear encounter and the slow introduction to the island and life on it. However, by the time Tuesday and Promise came along I was entranced. If you have an ursine-loving child who is a stickler for behavioural accuracy (me), they might take issue with this, but if your young reader is more fond of fairy tales (also me), then this hits many a good spot.
With POC characters, deeper themes of love, loss and abuse buried in the layers that might not always be consciously picked up on, and themes that should appeal to boys as well as girls, this is a delightful read. It's magical, mythical and mature, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I will admit I wasn't drawn in by the slow start, with Marv's bear encounter and the slow introduction to the island and life on it. However, by the time Tuesday and Promise came along I was entranced. If you have an ursine-loving child who is a stickler for behavioural accuracy (me), they might take issue with this, but if your young reader is more fond of fairy tales (also me), then this hits many a good spot.
With POC characters, deeper themes of love, loss and abuse buried in the layers that might not always be consciously picked up on, and themes that should appeal to boys as well as girls, this is a delightful read. It's magical, mythical and mature, and thoroughly enjoyable.
December 28, 2021
The Ice Bear Miracle
This book is mysterious and magical! I really like how Tuesday and Marv's lives intertwine, that seems like a nice touch. Sometimes I think more commas are necessary, but the story itself is nice! Cerrie herself is a CBeebies presenter and I think I can remember watching her when I was little!
September 7, 2020
It's hard for me to believe they love the cold and winter so much but I got shivers as I read about the snow and ice, the descriptions were so vivid. A lot of time passes very quickly in the book but at the same time I found it too slow moving. I loved the relationships between Tuesday and her bear, and Marv and the mother bear. And there really was such a beautiful ending!
February 26, 2020
"Somewhere off the coast of Canada, in the deep and frozen north, is an island surrounded entirely by ice... As the leaves on the island turn orange and gold and the nights lengthen to days of winter dark, that is when the bears come. Giants the colour of snow, lumbering in packs, rolling in on silent paws. Their eyes hungry and bright, snouts sniffing at the crisp pale air."
That is an evocative description of the Isle of Bears, the main setting for this book. There lives a boy, Marv, "known as the boy who fought a bear - and lived to see the sunrise". This event happened on his fifth birthday and is forever seared on his memory. But as well as the attack, which he was lucky to escape from, he remembers there being an abandoned baby sharing a basket with a bear cub being on the ice at the same time. Yet no one else saw it and no one shares his conviction that there was a baby. "Marv knew, just knew, she was out there."
The book runs with a dual storyline with the tale of Marc and a second tale of a girl called Tuesday who is the star attraction of a travelling carnival where she dances with an ice bear. But throughout the two are connected and they come together part-way through as the two worlds collide.
The story is well written and certainly evokes Canada with the weather, the bears, the snow-wheeled trucks, the ice hockey and more. So I was surprised when I found out the author is British, and is actually a former CBeebies presenter who I watched with my children a lot on TV not to many years ago.
The tale is magical, and you may shed a tear at the end, despite probably guessing what was going to happen. The book is definitely for confident readers with lots of words and no pictures. But the story is great. 5/5.
That is an evocative description of the Isle of Bears, the main setting for this book. There lives a boy, Marv, "known as the boy who fought a bear - and lived to see the sunrise". This event happened on his fifth birthday and is forever seared on his memory. But as well as the attack, which he was lucky to escape from, he remembers there being an abandoned baby sharing a basket with a bear cub being on the ice at the same time. Yet no one else saw it and no one shares his conviction that there was a baby. "Marv knew, just knew, she was out there."
The book runs with a dual storyline with the tale of Marc and a second tale of a girl called Tuesday who is the star attraction of a travelling carnival where she dances with an ice bear. But throughout the two are connected and they come together part-way through as the two worlds collide.
The story is well written and certainly evokes Canada with the weather, the bears, the snow-wheeled trucks, the ice hockey and more. So I was surprised when I found out the author is British, and is actually a former CBeebies presenter who I watched with my children a lot on TV not to many years ago.
The tale is magical, and you may shed a tear at the end, despite probably guessing what was going to happen. The book is definitely for confident readers with lots of words and no pictures. But the story is great. 5/5.
February 23, 2020
This is firmly in the myth interpreted in the real world camp and that’s a wonderful thing though fans of stories like The Girl Who Speaks Bear, North Child and The Way Past Winter will find much to love in this tale creaking with myth and magic.
Whereas Burnell went full out reveal of magical creatures with her The Girl With the Shark’s Teeth novel, this one holds its cards closely leaving is constantly questioning is Tuesday’s existence and affinity with Promise a consequence of magic or nurture?
Packing a lot into its slim tome this story meanders through two key events in Marv’s life and across the snowy tundra of the Arctic region. The magical nature of the landscape is not lost in the narrative and Burnell’s lyrical writing takes us off on a journey of the imagination, but like the snowy beauty do not be fooled by the slender book nor the poetic writing, it has depths and dangers and belies a much more serious and meaningful mythopoiea.
Overall a fabulous second novel for middle grade readers, I’m excited to see what Cerrie produces next.
Whereas Burnell went full out reveal of magical creatures with her The Girl With the Shark’s Teeth novel, this one holds its cards closely leaving is constantly questioning is Tuesday’s existence and affinity with Promise a consequence of magic or nurture?
Packing a lot into its slim tome this story meanders through two key events in Marv’s life and across the snowy tundra of the Arctic region. The magical nature of the landscape is not lost in the narrative and Burnell’s lyrical writing takes us off on a journey of the imagination, but like the snowy beauty do not be fooled by the slender book nor the poetic writing, it has depths and dangers and belies a much more serious and meaningful mythopoiea.
Overall a fabulous second novel for middle grade readers, I’m excited to see what Cerrie produces next.
March 29, 2020
The Ice bear miracle is about a young boy Marv who is one of the only people to have survived a bear attack. He remembers a baby but little does he know that the nearby circus may be the baby's home...
I found this book quite intriguing because of the relationship between Marv and Tuesday. I loved how the ending was really mysterious yet wholesome.
It was quite short and sometimes the story was rushed a little. A bit more mystery, less obvious, in a longer book would have been better.
I found this book quite intriguing because of the relationship between Marv and Tuesday. I loved how the ending was really mysterious yet wholesome.
It was quite short and sometimes the story was rushed a little. A bit more mystery, less obvious, in a longer book would have been better.
July 27, 2020
Read this aloud to my 6yo and the story really held his attention. The writing gave him an good exposure to some poetic descriptive language which lead to lots of good discussion around new words, meanings and applications.
March 28, 2024
It is a beautiful story about hope, love, courage, and family. I didn't really know what to expect when I started this, but it was wonderful! I couldn't stop thinking about Marvel, Promise or Tuesday. And the ending... it didn't end how I thought it would. It had a much, much better ending. ⛸️ 🐻❄
July 20, 2024
This was kind of a boring book.I didn’t really get the plot and I just skimmed through the pages I don’t know why I didn’t like it maybe I was just not in the mood for a book that had a snow ⛄️ setting.Anyways you might enjoy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2020
This is a beautiful story about a girls love of a bear.
I'm always wondered if a book written by a TV personality will be any good, but it was. Poo
I'm always wondered if a book written by a TV personality will be any good, but it was. Poo
April 12, 2024
This book is brilliant! It’s very sad and made me cry, especially when the bear died. Beautifully written, I really recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2020
From the very first few pages it was clear to me that this story was made of magic. Cerrie Burnell’s writing has a stunning aura that made me feel like I was a little girl being read bedtime stories to again. I loved the human/animal bonds shown in this story, & I so desperately want to live somewhere like the Isle of Bears. The Ice Bear Miracle took me on a journey totally different to the one I expected & I adore that the ending was a mixture of happy & sad. I genuinely cannot wait to read more of Cerrie’s work!
⚠️ This book contains animals being forced to perform & animals being hurt by humans ⚠️
⚠️ This book contains animals being forced to perform & animals being hurt by humans ⚠️
March 19, 2020
The Ice Bear Miracle is a dream-like adventure set in the far north which will have you getting out on the ice.
Twelve-year-old Marv Jackson is a marvel. That’s what the inhabitants of the Isle of Bears call him, and not just for his prowess on the ice hockey rink.
Full Review Here https://justimagine.co.uk/review/the-...
Twelve-year-old Marv Jackson is a marvel. That’s what the inhabitants of the Isle of Bears call him, and not just for his prowess on the ice hockey rink.
Full Review Here https://justimagine.co.uk/review/the-...
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews