Book Review: Frostbite Hotel by Karin Adams

Book Review:  Frostbite Hotel by Karin Adams

I am grateful that I received this ARC from Netgalley and I can't wait to share it with my sons and elementary teacher friends.  

Summary by Goodreads:

Kirby Katz has big dreams of making his fortune as an entrepreneur, just like his role model, hotel magnate William T. Williamson. But Kirby discovers that operating a snow hotel in the schoolyard comes with its own set of challenges: sourcing the best snow blocks, staff team-building, marketing, and competition from Brewster's Best Five-Star Inn run by the Bear and his gang of the meanest kids in Grade 6. Worst of all, when Brewster's gang starts stealing Kirby's best ideas, all evidence points to a mole? among his own staff.

Will Kirby's vision for the Frostbite Hotel survive the cold reality of corporate recess espionage?

Here is what made me love this story so much:

• The characters:  I could picture these students in my former 4th/5th grade classroom.  The students are creative, active, and work together to accomplish a goal.
• How the author handles the issues of bullying: Karin Adams is able to show how elementary school relationships work and how kids deal with bullying on the playground in a very realistic way.
• How the principles of business are taught to the reader:  Kirby shares these principles through everything he reads by his role model William T. Williamson. The writing is not over the reader's head and makes it easy for children to want to create their own business using this formula.  Students may not even realize that they are learning the principles as it just flows with the story.
• The Monday Magic Hour:  This reminds me a lot of "Genius Hour" which is becoming popular in classrooms all over the country.  I loved this idea!  Students need time to be creative and research topics that interest them.  That is the research process in its true form.

Overall, I loved this story!  If you are looking for a clever story that is realistic and teaches students something without even realizing it, then check out Frostbite Hotel.