The return to Lexicon begins when thirteen-year-old cousins Ivan and Daphne find their Aunt Adelaide deathly ill. Leaving their aunt to rest, Ivan and Daphne accidentally let their younger cousin, Lila, in on their secret world of Lexicon.
Ivan and Daphne must track Lila, who disappears, through the frozen landscape to the Land of Winter where social status and freedom is determined by how well one sings. Fortunately for Lila, her musical talent lands her in the most favorable place. Separated by class now, the cousins face the cold, hunger, poverty, illness, injustice, and the malicious plotting of a power-hungry blind man. Slave, servant, and fine lady, the three cousins must escape their own imprisonment before they reunite, provoke a revolution, and restore spring to the Land of Winter.
Industry Reviews
Mom's Choice Awards® 2012 Winner - Gold (Juvenile Books Level 2, Ages 9-12)
2015 Honorable Mention in the Sixth to Eighth Grade category of the MSRI CBC 2015 Mathical: Books for Kids from Tots to Teens prize list (formerly named the Lyrical + Logical Math Prize)
2012 New England Book Festival Book Award - Honorable Mention (Children's Books)
2013 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist
"A magical world where singing is everything… The Ice Castle is a must for young adult fiction collections, highly recommended." — Midwest Book Review
"There are puzzles to solve, traitors to catch, and friendships to forge. This is a well-written, thoughtful fantasy book that addresses issues of equality while providing interesting musical insights. Besides, it’s a great adventure!" — Teresa Bateman, Keen Readers
"With exquisite language and a sense of humor, Pendred Noyce deftly creates complex characters and imaginative, yet believable, towns and societies...Ice Castle is a beautiful symphony in which Ivan, Daphne, and Lila face various challenges and come to learn about themselves, one another, and human nature. This beautifully orchestrated book will delight and captivate readers of all ages." — Denise LeBlanc, Director of Learning Experiences, The Discovery Museums
"THE ICE CASTLE, the second book in the Lexicon Adventures series, has many necessary ingredients that would entice young readers, i.e. adventure, fantasy, family members who don't get along, social commentary and a unique emphasis on music. Young adults will recognize that it reflects the real world they live in and will be able to see the social implications." — Compass Book Ratings, 4 stars
"There are plenty of adventures, and there are great new characters... An attempt to explain musical scale comes closer to clarifying that brutal arcana than anything written since the days of Palestrina. Once again, conversation and cooperation are brazenly encouraged. In the end, our heroes succeed in bringing Lila back to the ‘real’ world, where Aunt Adelaide is recovering from surgery that may give her a chance, and where Aunt Leonora is confronted with a newly confident Lila. The whole thing ends on a wistful, hopeful note and the promise of at least one more adventure in Lexicon." — Open Letters Monthly
Praise for Lost in Lexicon, book one of the Lexicon Adventure Series:
“An engaging and original narrative...” – School Library Journal
“The setup to many a great story...A strange and beautiful world…” – Parents’ Choice, a Recommended Award Winner
"...This is an adventure story for the digital generation, and Lost in Lexicon breaks new ground in the adventure genre.” – ForeWord Reviews
Gold Award Winner, Moms’ Choice
Kid’s Indie Next List Winter 2011
Juvenile Fiction – Honorable Mention, ForeWord Reviews 2010 BOTYAs
