Jamie Bastedo,
On Thin Ice
Red Deer Press, 2006.

Ages 9-12

In this book based on the well-documented effects of climate change in the Arctic, ecologist Jamie Bastedo successfully blends an engaging fictional coming-of-age story together with the story of a community dealing with dramatic changes in the environment. And while many teenagers will recognize themselves in Ashley, in many ways a “typical” 16-year-old girl, the backdrop for On Thin Ice will be novel to most readers south of the Arctic.

A newcomer to the small Arctic town of Nanurtalik and of mixed (Irish, French Canadian and Inuit) heritage, Ashley struggles to define her own cultural identity.  Intelligent and talented, she is beginning to recognize her own greatest strength (drawing) but still struggles to be accepted among her peers. She tries to find a deeper meaning to life: and whereas she does find fulfillment in her art and good company in her friend Rosie, she suffers frequently from “cabin fever,” perhaps the Arctic version of teenage ennui.

Living under the same roof as her mother and father, two rowdy brothers (one of whom is blind), a grandmother, and a somewhat intimidating great-uncle can also prove a challenge. Many of the trials that Ashley faces are amplified by the severe weather that hits the region - a result of global warming. Dangerous flooding, thinning ice, a freak blizzard, power outages and a plane crash are only a part of it. Polar bears, which used to keep their distance from the town, are being forced to range closer and closer to find enough to eat. Sadly, two boys in the town are killed in what appears to be a polar bear attack. Ashley feels horrible about the death of the boys, but she also feels a special connection with the bears, who often play an important role in her vivid, prescient dreams. Even while Ashley and the townspeople grieve, they must also figure out what to do about the encroaching bears and the other dramatic consequences of climate change in their community.

On Thin Ice is told through entries in Ashley’s diary together with stories from her “dream journal,” which introduces an abundance of Inuit lore; and the engaging text is peppered with words in Inuktitut, lending an authentic feel to the novel.  The book clearly illustrates how people and animals alike are affected by global warming in the Arctic, where the effects of climate change are already being measured in terms of loss of life, loss of habitat, and loss of traditional Inuit ways.  The book will appeal to readers first, though, because of the affectionately drawn characters who give the book its heart.

A companion Teacher’s Guide, Polar Bears in a Climate of Change, is available online.