Rating: 4 stars

“Whatever After: Cold as Ice” by Sarah Mlynowski is the sixth book in the “Whatever After” series about Abby and her brother Jonah, who crash into fairy tales, changing the lives of the characters for the better, and learning a lesson in the meantime.

In “Whatever After: Cold as Ice,” Abby has been having problems with her best friend, Robin. Robin has made a new friend, and Abby feels excluded. She thinks that Robin must decide — be best friends with Abby and Frankie (the three of them are best friends), or not be friends with them at all.

When Abby and Jonah go through the mirror and end up in the story of the Snow Queen, they encounter extreme cold and snow, and more danger than ever before. The Snow Queen freezes Jonah and Prince, their puppy. It’s up to Abby and her new friends (including a reindeer named Ralph) to save them.

As usual, in the process they also save the Snow Queen. She has been bitter and lonely, and they manage to show her a better way to live, and one of their new friends becomes the Snow Queen’s friend. It’s a great commentary on friendship and how important it is to be inclusive rather than exclusive.

Read all the “Whatever After” books starting with “Fairest of All, ” “If the Shoe Fits,” “Sink or Swim,” “Dream On,” “Bad Hair Day,” “Cold as Ice,” “Beauty Queen,” and “Once Upon a Frog.”

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover provided by the publisher, Scholastic, for review purposes.