I felt like the author was trying to do altogether too much and not enough simultaneously. Overall, the cultural and historical information about the protagonist's family history and their tribe's history was way more interesting to me than the ballet storyline, but I'm sure that could differ for others (or kids). Seems weird to take your injured athlete child on a strenuous hiking vacation. The little brother character was a pretty annoying caricature to me. Good messaging around anxiety and depression and seeking help to handle grief.

Thank you for allowing me to present Christine Day at the ALAN Workshop! I was so appreciative that I could be in community with her and share her work. I am very excited for her next book, which arrived. Although I wasn't able to make this one fit into my courses at the time, I am already looking for places for her next book!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free copy of this advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Oh my goodness I really loved this sweet and tender story. The Sea in Winter is such a heartwarming story about facing loss and finding your life again after a trauma. I would recommend this book maybe for older MG readers (10+), and can't wait to add this one to my daughters future bookshelves.

Maisie is on a midwinter trip with her family to the PNW coast near the Makah community where her mom is from. The time away from her community gives Maisie the space she needs to begin processing the grief and trauma of her leg injury that has ended her ballet career. ⁣
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⁣This novel is quiet, painful, and in the end, hopeful. Readers are immersed in Maisie’s confusing and dark thoughts, her shifted identity, and her struggles to relate to her family and friends while she’s in a dark place. Her mother and step-father begin to help her heal as they open up their own grief and experiences from their younger lives. Another absolute stunner from the Heartdrum Press.

This is a well written story for middle school kids that covers a wide range of relevant issues from depression to life goals to blended families to Native American heritage. Moving and well done. Recommended.

Maisie Cannon, 12, has been taking ballet since she was four-years-old, but now she is on a long recovery road after injuring her ACL trying to do an en pointe routine she just wasn't ready for. Now, with the support of her family - mom, stepdad, and younger brother Connor - and lots of physical therapy, Maisie's knee has mended enough that she is permitted to take a family hike along the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. And Maisie is hoping that she will be able to return to ballet in time to audition for a summer dance program. She is so consumed with when she can return to the dance studio, that her grades in school are suffering.

On top of all that, best friend Eva is convinced she will be accepted into her first choice summer program, but seems totally oblivious to what is going on with Maisie, unlike their friend Hattie. Hattie is concerned that she hasn't heard from Maisie, who is avoiding her text messages. Hattie is also the best dancer of the three friends. At the same time, Maisie has been unaccountably irritated at her parents and Connor, and she is beginning to feel oddly disconnected from herself and those around her. And she's in denial about how serious the pain in her knee is.

As her family heads out for their road trip during midwinter break, Maisie's dark moods don't improve, nor does the pain in her knee. During the tip, Maisie learns the history of her Native American ancestors. She is Makah on her mother's side, who grew up on northwestern part of Washington State. Maisie's dad was Piscataway, growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. Her stepdad, Jack Leith, is an enrolled citizen of the Lower Elwah Klallam Tribe, and know everything about Klallam and Pacific Northwest history.

While the family digs for clams, and hikes through the area, Maisie's mother talks to her about how she was able to deal with the sudden death of her husband, finding strength in her Makah heritage. Jack also shares his personal history as part of the Klallam community and what a difference it made in his life, which was at one time heading in the wrong direction.

Despite being careful, Maisie trips and falls, seriously re-injuring her knee, undoing all the hard work she put into healing it. Will she be able to recover and dance again, or will she have to find a new course? And can she mend the friendships she has sabotaged?

When I began reading The Sea in Winter, I expected it to be about a younger girl than Maisie because of the cover and it took me a few pages to readjust my thinking. Once I did that, I was completely hooked on Maisie's story. It is narrated in the first person by her and gives the reader a lot of insight into her thinking and feelings, as well as her struggles. Maisie is heading down a dark path, but luckily she has parents who love her and recognize what is happening. I have to admit that at first I thought Maisie was a bit selfish, but as her emotional state became clearer, I began to feel much more empathic towards her.

I really liked that Day gave her an intact family that is supportive, warm and loving, and a stepdad who really cares for her as though she were is own child without trying to replace her biological dad. Little brother Connor is a bundle of energy and can be a bit annoying, but it is clear he adores Maisie and the feeling is mutual. Family goes a long way in helping Maisie's recovery and I think the Native histories her parents tell her about also help her to finally begin to have the strength to really heal.

Day's description of the people and places in Maisie's life are so realistic, including the road trip the family took from their home in Seattle to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. I could almost feel the cold and taste the razor clams the family digs up and cooks.

The Sea in Winter is a compelling, heartwarming story about facing the loss of a dream and finding your life again after a traumatic injury. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley

“The Sea in Winter” by Christine Day follows Maisie’s journey while trying to adjust to a new life without her favorite activity, ballet. Her injury results in a deep depression but the story is uplifted with Maisie’s road trip during which she learns to move forward.

** spoiler alert ** Honest review in exchange for NetGalley ARC.

This book embodies the modern day Native American. Real-life humans who are going through the same struggles as all of us, while also grappling with generational trauma. Christine Day tells this story in such a way that weaves the background of a few tribes into the relevant plot of Maisie and her family.

Maisie is a ballet dancer who gets injured. Her life is now up in the air. How can she relate to her friends? What does she do with her time? Maisie deals with grief and anger. Her parents help her by reflecting on times they experienced loss, like when her birth father died in Afghanistan when she was a baby.

I can't like or recommend this book enough to any middle grade reader. Authentic indigenous people dealing with contemporary experiences while still connecting to their culture. It's about time.

The first book I read by Christina Day was I Can Make This Promise, this book instantly became a favorite of mine, and I have recommended it many times. The Sea in Winter is now my new favorite of hers! I just love her writing and excited to read whatever she writes next. Hand this book to someone who likes The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise or looking to diversify their reading.

Super enjoyed this little middle grade book about an aspiring ballerina who is facing a life-changing injury and the depression that comes with such a traumatic shift. I loved the Indigenous rep in this story, loved the blended family, and the way they handle how the family as a whole deals with both the physical injury and the mental aftermath. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to know a little more about Pacific Northwest tribes and who may need a lead in when talking to a younger audience about depression, therapy, friendships, and adjusting life goals at an early age.

What a delightful book! I loved it!
I loved the relationship between Maisie and Conner. It was such a tender relationship and it was nice to see a sibling relationship that didn't involve tons of fighting and hating each other.
I loved the connection to Maisie's familial culture and learning about a different culture. In addition, I loved the rich, descriptive language of scenery, emotions, etc.
Maisie is a great main character and I rooted for her through the whole book. I was glad therapy was treated in a positive light and that Maisie was beginning to get the help she needed. I hope there is going to be a sequel!
Can't wait to add this to my elementary libraries!

I appreciate books that explore grief not for the loss of a person or a pet but as it relates to a dream. It's unusual, though, to explore that theme for a middle grade audience. That degree of devotion and introspection is probably going to be difficult for a young audience to fully grasp. We have some interesting side elements with race and blended families, the loss of cultural identity as a parallel to the loss of personal identity. I'm concerned though that the messaging may be too subtle for the target audience.

This was a lovely middle grade book featuring an indigenous main character. Maisie is having a rough time due to a devastating injury that is preventing her from continuing her beloved ballet. Struggling to cope with her loss, pain, and medical appointments, a winter vacation to the Olympic Peninsula with her family is a great way to take her mind off of things. But when things take an unexpected turn, Maisie will have to make some big decisions.

There are so few middle grade books about indigenous characters that are simply everyday-life stories, and this one is so lovely! Maisie is such a relatable character, and the history of her parents' families is so interesting and unacknowledged in mainstream history that it made me want to do more research. Excellent book, highly recommended!

This book was about family and bouncing back after hard times. I really enjoyed following Masie's journey through her days after she tore her ACL. It's really interesting and a great read for those ages 9-12.

A gentle story of resilience, when a young ballerina must fight her way back from an injury, even though there is the chance that she can never dance again.

Maisie is angrier than most middle grade protagonists and I like this about her. I also loved how the author explored the themes of nature and tenacity and love.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for access to this arc.

I enjoyed the writing style which took me into the heart of Maisie and of her family. Her struggles are something that anyone who’s ever deeply wanted something only to see it at risk will understand. Maisie isn’t perfect – at times she’s mulish, angry, and willing to lash out. Her stepfather tells of how, after he had a bad childhood, his grandfather – his See-yah – became Jack’s guardian because “hurt people hurt [others].” When Maisie hurts physically and emotionally, she can act out.

Maisie also felt real. She thinks she knows exactly what she wants in life – ballet – and sees no need to keep studying “Classic” books by dead guys or what on earth algebra will ever do for her. Now that this might not happen and isolated from what she loves doing and from her friends, suddenly she’s unbalanced and flailing.

She does have some strong support on her side in her mother and stepfather plus a younger – and at times exuberant – brother who all care deeply for her. Deeply enough that they won’t take any guff or bad manners from her when her emotions get the better of her. The loving family is a true strength of the book. It’s also good to see Maisie’s mom talking about how therapy helped her over the death of Maisie’s dad and urging her daughter to go to some sessions.

In the end, Maisie has to be willing to face her battle and matures because of it. Maybe her dream is still within reach but she becomes flexible and open to trying some new things and perhaps changing direction. The end is a little bit rushed with a “four months later” chapter but Maisie appears to be headed in a better direction and finding her feet in life. B+

I first heard about this book in a webinar earlier this fall. One of the presenters was introducing the new Heartdrum imprint from HarperCollins and she shared details about several of the upcoming titles. The idea of an imprint specifically focused on books written and illustrated by Native American creators sounded very promising.

The Sea in Winter is the first book from Heartdrum that I have had the chance to read. There are so many things about the story that readers will enjoy. Maisie is a very believable middle school kid with a dream. Her blended family is warm and loving, but can still have moments of tension. The inevitable drifting apart of friends who no longer share a common interest or activity is very true to life, as is the depression and anger over losing a beloved dream.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the book was the way that a Native American family was portrayed. The history that Maisie’s parents share with the children is important to them, but is not the main focus of the story. The details about where her parents grew up and their current jobs and activities will help readers understand that Native Americans are still part of communities around the U.S. - and not just a group that appears in a few chapters of a social studies book about the distant past.

This is a great book to share with anyone who would appreciate a story about dealing with middle school, overcoming an injury that makes a favorite sport out of reach, and navigating the stress of those changes without alienating the family members that want to help. The fact that it also portrays a Native American family in a contemporary setting just makes it an even better read.

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.

Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.

When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.

Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myself swept up in the setting and the stories it evoked. Maisie's mom is Makah and her stepdad is Piscataway. Their memories as well as historically accurate details concerning Indigenous culture and the environmental impact of the cultural oppression enacted by the U.S. government inspired me to learn more. Day's author's note is helpful in providing further background on topics addressed.

I am looking forward to sharing this one with my sixth graders. It is reassurance that we can endure, that it is okay to feel lonely, that we can start over.

In this middle grade novel, Maisie Cannon is a middle schooler who loves nothing more than ballet. Dance is her entire life, until she injures her leg and can no longer perform. Maisie is Indigenous (her mom is Makah and her father was Piscataway), and we learn about the struggles of the Native people, especially in the Pacific Northwest. This novel, which deals with grief and loss in a beautiful way, is perfect to hand to students who are struggling with the loss of hopes and dreams caused by the pandemic. This was my first novel by Christine Day and I can’t wait to add it to my collection (we already have I Can Make This Promise). Recommended for fans of Dan Gemeinhart and Kate Allen.