Reading recommendations from Dr. Alice Mar of our sister practice, Farrell Pediatrics
As I write this, I’m looking out at the snow falling outside my window. And if weather predictions are correct, we are in for more snowy days this winter. To me, nothing is better on a snow day than curling up with a good book. Here are a selection of chapter books great for kids to read on their own or to enjoy together as a family read-aloud.
Mr Poppers Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater is a silly classic about a house painter living in Minnesota who dreams of faraway places. One day an Admiral who he has sent fan mail to sends him a penguin. As time goes on he ends up with a whole family of penguins and absurd adventures follow. After reading the book, you can also enjoy the modern movie adaptation.
Mary Pope Osborne’s Polar Bears Past Bedtime is the 12th book in her incredibly popular Magic Treehouse series. I have to admit, these are not my personal favorite books to read out loud but all three of my kids when through a phase where they adored Jack and Annie and their adventures and these are great books for new readers to tackle on their own. This one takes the siblings to the Arctic.
Skating Shoes by Noel Streatfeild is the perfect book for kids who love ice skating. One of a series of “shoe” books it tells the story of a two friends who meet at an ice skating rink.
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed is an unusual book that makes for a great read aloud. Structured in twenty short chapters, and based on the author’s childhood, it follows one family through the winter through the different kinds of ice they encounter. For example, the first ice is a skim so thin it breaks when touched. And then later there is the ice of the backyard hockey rink they make for the neighborhood kids to skate on. This one was particularly fascinating to my kids as it is set in a much colder climate than Virginia and the idea of skating all winter in one’s own backyard seemed both relatable and exotic.
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman tells the story of a young Viking boy in ancient Norway who encounters a bar, eagle and fox one day in the woods. It turns out the animals are actually Norse gods who have been trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has taken over Asgard. Odd must help outwit the frost giants and save the gods from the spell.
Whenever I think of winter books I think of C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the four children who discover the world of Narnia that is trapped in winter by the White Witch.
Something about the winter makes the perfect setting for magical fantasy tales. Another wonderful one is The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, which follows a young boy who becomes aware of his magical abilities during a snowy December. This was part of my favorite book series as a child and weaves Arthurian legends into a modern good vs. evil fantasy story.
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu is a beautiful retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen. It’s best for older elementary or middle schoolers as it deals with the complexities of growing up. Hazel and Jack are best friends but one day Jacks stops talking to and playing with Hazel. She feels she has lost him and then she loses him for real when he is taken by the Snow Queen and she must set out to try and save him.
Greenglass House by Kate Milford is set in wintertime in an old smuggler’s inn. Milo, the innkeeper’s twelve year old son, is startled one icy night over Christmas break when guests start arriving one by one. Things start disappearing and everyone is a suspect. Milo decides to find out who is behind the thefts, aided by Meddy, the cook’s daughter. If you have a kid who loves mysteries, this is a great one.
