Dina resents going to stay with Aunt JJ in Sheffield. She resents being the ‘Eldest’, the one expected to look out for her two younger brothers. She wants to be at home, amongst the trees and below the mountains, skating on the frozen surface of Mill Pond. But life often takes us in directions we least expect and Dina finds herself thrust into a new school in a new city. Aunt JJ is nothing like the person Dina remembers; instead, she is straight-backed and reserved, a true ice queen. Sasha, Dina’s older sister, won JJ over of course. Their aunt even calls her spare room ‘Sasha’s bedroom’. Sasha has gone though. She is never coming back. Shy and awkward, Dina wonders how she will ever find the courage that Sasha always insisted was there inside her, just waiting to be harnessed. Dina escapes to the local Ice Arena where she can lose herself amidst the rhythm of the sweeping blades beneath her feet. When Dina’s talent is spotted, she finds that there are friends and enemies at the rink, and that it is not always easy to distinguish between the two. Someone wants to stop her skating in the Winter Wonderland Showcase and that same someone definitely doesn’t want her to compete for the Steel Trophy. This is a middle-grade story suitable for readers aged 9+. There’s a mystery to be solved that will keep readers turning the pages. There is also a real sense of place, with the writer capturing the spirit of Sheffield and the Peak District.
Suzanne Chinnock
Ice Dancer by Alex Cotter
Nosy Crow
ISBN 9781805133025
£7.99
Published 2025
