Are you looking for some good books to give to your kids this Christmas? Look no further. As promised, Sheila Welch, a children’s literature author herself, has scoured the book shelves for the best snow themes books.
By Sheila Welch
During the long, dark hours of winter, books can entertain restless children while sharpening their listening and reading skills. Here are five books, all with winter (think snow!) or holiday themes.
THE SNOWY DAY written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
The winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal (for its outstanding illustrations) and a classic, this is one of my favorite picture books. With its simple plot and child-friendly illustrations, this appealing story will entice many early elementary students to read it aloud. Enjoy!
SNOW MUSIC written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins
This whimsical story incorporates sounds and music with the text and illustrations, inviting children to think beyond the usual concept of a picture book. While a boy searches for his runaway dog, other creatures hop, trot, and scamper across the pages, leaving scattered prints and charming text behind. When the dog is found and brought home, the snow begins to fall again, whispering like a gentle tune.
HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
First published as a short story in Cricket Magazine, this engaging story is appropriate for children in third through fifth grades. Although many younger children will love it, the dark, atmospheric illustrations, which won a Caldecott Honor for the artist, could frighten some. In the tradition of a trickster tale, this story has Hershel outwitting three terrifying goblins who are preventing the inhabitants of a village from celebrating Hanukkah.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER by Barbara Robinson
An entertaining chapter book for fourth graders and up, this story was written and takes place nearly forty years ago. The Herdmans are a family of extremely impolite and totally non-politically correct children who wreck havoc in their small town and school. When the narrator’s little brother asserts that there are snacks at Sunday School, the Herdmans show up and soon hijack the annual Christmas Pageant with disastrous but ultimately touching results.
THAT GIRL LUCY MOON by Amy Timberlake
Lucy Moon lives in a small Minnesota town where winter comes early and stays late. This year, Lucy has started junior high where her identity as That Girl – the one who is different but in a good way – shifts. She suddenly finds herself out in the cold, in more ways than one. The plot is fairly complex and offers lots of material for discussion.
Happy reading!
Sheila Kelly Welch is a mother, grandmother and retired teacher. She’s been writing all her life and counts among her children’s fiction books Little Prince Do-It-All and A Horse for All Seasons. You can learn more about Sheila on her web site.
