Pringle,
Laurence. Ice! The Amazing History of the
Ice Business. Calkins Creek, Honesdale, PA, 2012. 74 pages. Tr. $17.95 ISBN 9781590788011
Plot
Description:
In the 21st century we take refrigeration
for granted, but it was not that long ago that people relied on iceboxes and
ice to keep their food fresh. An icebox
was a wooden cabinet insulated with porcelain and cooled with a block of
ice. Throughout most of history, ice was
a luxury only available to the wealthy and elite. It was not until the early nineteenth century
that Frederic Tudor developed a plan for transporting and selling ice that the
ice business was born. Ice was harvested
from lakes, rivers, and ponds during January and February in the Northern
states. Hundreds of mean worked to
harvest the ice, cutting it into blocks and storing it in huge ice houses. Ice houses were divided into rooms, in which
the ice blocks were layered, insulated with sawdust to prevent melting. Ice houses stored ice for the coming year,
however ice shortages due to warm winters led to the need for other forms of
refrigeration and thus the decline of the ice business.
Review:
Laurence Pringle’s Ice! Is an interesting and informative book about a short-lived,
but influential industry. While
informative, Ice! Is a succinct
history, which a fast reader could easily finish in an afternoon. Pringle’s narrative is enhanced by the
inclusion of several photographs and images illustrating the process of
harvesting the ice to the business of transporting and delivering the ice.
Genre:
Nonfiction
Reading
Level/Interest Level:
Grades 4-6
Author’s
Website:
http://www.laurencepringle.com/
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