First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

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Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to another Friday and that means it’s time to do one of my favorite bookish memes: First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a book that I just started yesterday and I’m already completely hooked. It’s a middle grade fantasy that is the July pick for Middle Grade Marvels and I think it’s gonna be a wild ride! But before I give everything away, let’s see if you can guess what the book is from the first few lines and a couple of hints.

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The Line(s):

“I remember the bear who raised me. Nuzzling my face into her warm belly. Huge furry limbs shielding me from the biting snow. I remember the deep rumbles of her snores through the silent winter, and clouds of steamy breath smelling of berries and pine nuts.”

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The Hints:

This book is based on Slavic folklore.

It’s a great book to read if you’re looking for winter vibes.

There’s an animal companion!

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The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“The newest heart-expanding, magical adventure from Sophie Anderson, author of the critically acclaimed House with Chicken Legs.
“They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found. Only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.”


Discovered in a bear cave as a baby, 12-year-old Yanka dreams of knowing who she really is. Although Yanka is happy at home with her loving foster mother, she feels out of place in the village where the other children mock her for her unusual size and strength.

So when Yanka wakes up one morning to find her legs have become bear legs, she knows she has no choice but to leave her village. She has to find somewhere she truly belongs, so she ventures into the Snow Forest with her pet weasel, Mousetrap, in search of the truth about her past.

But deep in the forest there are many dangers and Yanka discovers that even the most fantastic stories she grew up hearing are true. And just as she draws close to discovering who she really is, something terrifying happens that could trap her in the forest . . . forever.”

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Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!