By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 28, 2010
Winter. A very fun season: Ice skating, skiing, sledding, building snowmen—or snow-ladies—and the perfect excuse for some good-old hibernation. Definition of hibernation: staying inside watching movies, playing board games, and reading books.
From picture books to a young adult novel, check out this uber-cool list …
Picture Books
Bedtime for Bear
by Brett Helquist
Reading level: Ages 2-7
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (December 21, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Wintertime is here, and that means it is bedtime for Bear. But Bear’s friends don’t think so. They want Bear to come and play outside in the snow. Bear can hear his friends calling. He hears them laughing and playing. Bear can’t sleep. But it’s bedtime! What is a bear to do?
Add this book to your collection: Bedtime for Bear
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee
by Chris Van Dusen
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 27, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: One winter morning, Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee, head out bright and early to learn how to ski. But what begins as a pleasant day in the snow quickly goes downhill when a run-in with a curious moose sends them flying through the air and hanging above an abyss! How will Dee and Magee find their way out of this snowy situation? Chris Van Dusen, the creator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee and A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee, has crafted yet another fun-filled adventure for Magee fans old and new.
Add this book to your collection: Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee
Ten on the Sled
by Kim Norman (Author), Liza Woodruff (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Sterling (October 5, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Author Kim Norman (Crocodaddy) and illustrator Liza Woodruff have whipped up a rollicking, jolly, snow-filled adventure!
n the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribou’s sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off…until just Caribou’s left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer likes flying-but never alone, so…one through ten, all leap on again!
An ideal picture book for reading-and singing along with-over and over.
Add this book to your collection: Ten on the Sled
Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox
by Susan Blackaby (Author), Carmen Segovia (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Sterling (January 4, 2011)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Happy Groundhog Day! But when Brownie steps outside, there’s not even the slightest sign of spring-just her shadow, a frosty field, and a hungry fox who wants to munch her for lunch. Determined not to become a meal, Brownie finds a clever and tasty way to melt the ice and turn Fox into a friend…and make the wait for winter’s end a little warmer.
Susan Blackaby’s deliciously witty writing and Carmen Segovia’s adorable animals and stunning landscapes combine to create a picture book filled with springtime joy. Just right for reading with a cup of cocoa and cinnamon toast…Brownie’s favorite meal!
Add this book to your collection: Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox
Let It Snow
by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Original edition (October 1, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: From building snowmen to drinking hot chocolate by the fire’s warm glow, LET IT SNOW celebrates wonders of winter!
With softly-colored art, adorable children, and festive outdoor scenes, LET IT SNOW is the perfect wintry follow-up to LET IT FALL.
Add this book to your collection: Let It Snow
The Greatest Snowman in the World!
by Peter Hannan
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (October 19, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Charles Chinchilla looked out his window and couldn’t believe his eyes. . . .
It’s a winter wonderland, and Charles Chinchilla knows just what to do . . . he and his friends will make the greatest snowman in the world! But it’s not as easy as they think, and it’s time to get creative! It’s a good thing Charles always has a plan.
Get ready for a snowman like no other as author and illustrator Peter Hannan tells the hilarious story of a chinchilla determined to create a true snow masterpiece!
Add this book to your collection: The Greatest Snowman in the World
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons
by Il Sung Na
Reading level: 1-5
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2011)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: What do the animals do when the snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare? Some fly long distances, while some swim to warmer waters. Some take a long, warm sleep where they live, while others have a thick, cozy coat and can stay in the snow!
As with Il Sung Na’s previous books, Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit is filled with rich illustrations, charming animals, and a simple, lyrical text—all wrapped up in a gorgeous package. It’s a gentle introduction to the ideas of adaptation, hibernation, and migration, and an exhuberant celebration of changing seasons.
Add this book to your collection: Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons
Middle Grade
Because of Mr. Terupt
by Rob Buyea
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.
Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.
Add this book to your collection: Because of Mr. Terupt
Teens
Ice Claw (Danger Zone)
by David Gilman
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
Source: Publisher
Publisher’s synopsis: Max Gordon: Wanted for Murder
High in the freezing French Pyrenees, Max Gordon’s race to win an X-treme sports challenge has become a race to survive. He witnesses the last moments of a mysterious Basque monk, who screams a cryptic clue before plummeting to his death. The clue? A prophecy that foretells a cataclysmic ecological event that will kill millions of people across Europe. Max is desperate to find a solution, but instead he’s accused of causing the monk’s death, and the hunt is on to find him. How can Max prove his innocence when nobody will trust him . . . and he can trust no one?
Add this book to your collection: Ice Claw (Danger Zone)
For even more winter book selections, visit: Kids Winter Books: Snow, mittens, polar bears and other arctic animals
3 Comments
these books all sound good. A lot of these seem to be about animals, which I think is great, but I also write children’s books (not published yet) and a lot of the publisher’s guidelines say not to submit a manuscript about talking animals. But, there are so many of these type of books published every year, so they must like them.
It’s probably because they receive so many more submissions about anthropomorphic characters … editors are always looking for something original and something that could be the next bestseller … I think if writers write from the heart, that’s the best bet. Check out this link: http://www.writingforchildrenandteens.com/2006/06/07/82/anthropomorphic-characters-aka-talking-animals/
You forgot classic Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian! Outstandingly fun poetry for grade school kids, all about winter.