Experience the joy of reading, and earn a free book!
What warms your heart in the chill of winter? Playing in the snow? How about board games with your family? Or simply snuggling under a blanket with a good book? Beginning December 15, join Winter Reading Club and share your winter joy with us!
To get started, download a reading log at the link below or pick one up at the Youth Services desk. Read 20 days, or mix and match reading with other activities such as writing a story, making a recipe, or playing a game.
All kinds of reading count, including independent reading, family reading, and listening to audiobooks.
When you have checked off 20 spaces on this log, bring it to the Youth Services desk to report. Tell our librarians what you’ve been reading and doing this winter, and pick a book from our prize cart to keep!
Reading logs must be turned in by Sunday, February 15.
Winter Reading Club is open to children of all ages. Prizes will be awarded once per person.
Winter Joy Party
Friday, January 9, 4-5pm, For the whole family, Youth Program Room
Find joy in winter-themed activities for the whole family as we celebrate the halfway point of our Winter Reading Club. Children age 8 and under must be supervised at all times.
Paper Crafts in The Studio
Between December 15 and February 15, drop by during The Studio's open hours to make a joyful paper craft using the Silhouette cutting machine. One project per person. Recommended for grades 2 and up.
Recommended Reads
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The Comeback
E. L. Shen's The Comeback is a heartfelt middle-grade debut about a young Chinese American girl trying to be a champ—in figure skating and in life.
Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen is just trying to nail that perfect landing: on the ice, in middle school, and at home, where her parents worry that competitive skating is too much pressure for a budding tween. Maxine isn’t concerned, however—she’s determined to glide to victory. But then a bully at school starts teasing Maxine for her Chinese heritage, leaving her stunned and speechless. And at the rink, she finds herself up against a stellar new skater named Hollie, whose grace and skill threaten to edge Maxine out of the competition. With everything she knows on uneven ice, will Maxine crash under the pressure? Or can she power her way to a comeback?
Set in Lake Placid, New York, this is a spunky yet stirring middle-grade story that examines racism, female rivalry and friendship, and the enduring and universal necessity of love and support. -
Moon Song
Cuddle up with this celebration of winter and explore the wonders of nature's light with Moon Song from Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade.
On an island at the edge of a silvery sea, when the moon rises and night falls, a girl spins a story for her worried cousin to help him find comfort in the wintery dark. She invites him to see moonlight glittering in the forest, bioluminescence sparkling by the shore, and northern lights blazing in the sky. In the dark of the night, the whole world sings.
Celebrated Tlingit creator Michaela Goade, who brought us a summer's celebration in the Caldecott Honor Award‑winning Berry Song, invites us to discover the wonder and comfort of a winter's night through a magnificent Moon Song. -
Ten Ways to Hear Snow
A snowy day, a trip to Grandma's, time spent cooking with one another, and space to pause and discover the world around you come together in this perfect book for reading and sharing on a cozy winter day.
One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It's the sound of snow -- the kind that looks soft and glows bright in the winter sun. But as she walks to her grandmother's house to help make the family recipe for warak enab, she continues to listen.
As Lina walks past snowmen and across icy sidewalks, she discovers ten ways to pay attention to what might have otherwise gone unnoticed. With stunning illustrations by Kenard Pak and thoughtful representation of a modern Arab American family from Cathy Camper, Ten Ways to Hear Snow is a layered exploration of mindfulness, empathy, and what we realize when the world gets quiet. -
My Winter City
A boy, his father and their dog have a perfect day in a snowy city, illustrated by Governor General's Literary Award winner Gary Clement.
A young boy wakes up in the early light of a winter morning, pulls on his boots and mittens, and steps out into the snowy city with his dad. They trudge through the snow, their dog bounding along beside them, then a slushy, steamy bus ride takes them to the tobogganing hill for some winter fun. The boy describes all the sights and sounds of the day, from the frost in Dad's beard and the snow "pillows" in the park, to the noisy clunking snow plows and the singing buskers they pass on their way home. That night, the boy lies awake under cozy covers, reflecting on the day, as snow blankets the world outside his window.
This is winter in the city.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
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A Day So Gray
Once you start to notice, colors and reasons for gratitude are everywhere, and that changes everything! Celebrate the hues and comforts of a cozy winter day as a discontented girl at first notices only dull grays and browns in a snowy landscape but is coaxed by her friend to look more closely. Soon she finds orange berries, blue water, purple shadows, and more. Warm friendship and a fresh way of seeing things transform a snow-covered landscape from bleak to beautiful!
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Poppleton in Winter
The Magyar Fuggetlensegi Mozgalom (Hungarian Independence Movement or MFM) played an important role in the history of Hungary in the latter part of World War II and the years immediately after. The bulk of this volume is based on Szent-Miklosy's personal experiences as a participant in the activities of the MFM. The author, the last survivor in the West of the MFM, describes the unsuccessful attempts of the group first to assist efforts to obtain an armistice with the Allies and to save the Jewish population of Budapest, and then to introduce a Western-style democratic political system into Hungary. He also identifies the causes of the movement's failures, causes that lay not just in the actions of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, but also in the ambivalent foreign policies of France, Great Britain, and the United States, as well as in the shortcomings of Hungarian leadership. The author concludes that despite the eventual failure of the MFM its various efforts had to be made in order to demonstrate Hungary's commitment to Western European culture, independence, Hungarians living outside its borders, the defense of the Jewish population, and a Western-style of democracy.
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Everything Goes: Henry Goes Skating
When Henry wakes up, the ground is covered with snow! That means it's a perfect day for building a snowman and going ice-skating. On the way to the ice-skating rink, Henry sees lots of winter activity: special trucks for plowing snow and special trucks that help vehicles stuck in the snow!
Henry Goes Skating uses simple, easy-to-read text and bold illustrations to bring stories to life for beginning readers. This is the second title in the Everything Goes I Can Read series, filled with vehicles that know how to move even when there's snow on the road.
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Winter According to Humphrey
It’s the HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY holidays for everyone's favorite classroom pet!
The holidays are coming and Humphrey is unsqueakably excited. He loves to hear about all the different ways his friends in Room 26 celebrate and to watch them make costumes and learn songs for the Winter Wonderland pageant. (He even squeaks along!)
But with so much to do, will the holidays go according to plan? Do-It-Now-Daniel is having trouble practicing, Helpful-Holly can’t stop worrying about making presents for her friends, and Humphrey still has to find a gift for Og! Good thing Humphrey is one smart hamster who can help them all fill the season with JOY-JOY-JOY!
Nominated for twenty-four state awards and the winner of seven, the Humphrey series is a hit across the country. And he's a One School, One Book favorite! -
The Three Little Mittens
A single mitten is excluded by a matching pair in this endearing picture book about friendship, belonging and the pressure to "match." For fans of The Day the Crayons Quit.
Dotty and Other Dotty are a matching set of mittens. When another mitten, Stripes, loses her partner and becomes a single mitten, they don't feel the need to include her. She doesn't "match" them, so she is banished to the dark, lonely pocket of the Little Girl who owns them. Before long, however, Dotty loses her partner, and now she doesn't match the reunited pair of Stripes and Other Stripes, who in turn banish her to the pocket. "YOU don't match!" they tell her.
When the Little Girl, who has been listening to their conversations, weighs in with a huge question ("Why do you have to match?"), the mittens are shocked. Then comes their realization that "matching" often means leaving someone out. This prompts the Little Girl to break a fundamental rule of fashion so that individual mittens (and maybe even socks! or shoes!) can be themselves — and everyone can belong.
A warm and fuzzy story with lots of laughs, this latest picture book from Linda Bailey explores what it feels like to be excluded and included and celebrates one-of-a-kindness! -
Mr. Putter & Tabby Hit the Slope
Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, like winter. But when the snow is deep outside and there's nothing to do inside, even a cozy winter day can be a little slow. Not for long! When Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke, pull two sleds out of the garage, the four friends head for the sledding slope for the wildest ride ever. Maybe winter is not so slow after all!
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Brian's Winter
From three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen comes a beloved follow-up to his award-winning classic Hatchet that asks: What if Brian hadn't been rescued and had to face his deadliest enemy yet--winter?
In the Newbery Honor-winning Hatchet, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. As millions of readers know, he was rescued at the end of the summer. But what if that hadn't happened? What if Brian had been left to face his deadliest enemy--winter?
Brian Paulsen raises the stakes for survival in this riveting and inspiring story as one boy confronts the ultimate adventure.
“Paulsen picks Hatchet’s story up in midstream; read together, the two books make his finest tale of survival yet.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
“Breathtaking descriptions of nature . . . Paulsen fans will not be disappointed.” —School Library Journal
Read all the Hatchet Adventures!
Brian's Winter
The River
Brian's Return
Brian's Hunt -
Go, Sled! Go!
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner James Yang hops on a speeding sled with this hilarious and helpful easy-to-read picture book, perfect for beginning readers!
Go, sled, go!
What could be more exciting than a thrilling sled ride?
Maybe when a few unexpected creatures join the adventure?
Before long, there's a bunny, a moose, a snowman, and even a baker with cakes on the sled, and more surprises are headed their way.
Repetitive words and large type make this a perfect book for beginning readers. And the laughs and surprises keep coming until the very satisfying end.
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Ty's Travels: Winter Wonderland
A Geisel Honor-winning series! Author Kelly Starling Lyons selected as the 2021 Piedmont Laureate!
Join Ty on his imaginative adventures in Ty's Travels: Winter Wonderland, a My First I Can Read book by acclaimed author and illustrator team Kelly Starling Lyons and Nina Mata. Imagination and play are highlighted in this festive Winter story, perfect for sharing with children 3 to 6.
Ty's big imagination takes him and Momma on a trip to the North Pole. Everything is wonderful! A Christmas tree sparkles, a snowman waves, and a polar bear sings. Will Ty's wish to see Santa come true? He wishes and wishes.
Ty's Travels: Winter Wonderland fills an important need for inclusive Christmas stories with diverse characters.
With simple, rhythmic text and joyful, bright art, this My First series and Guided Reading Level I is perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.
"A cozy, snowy Christmastime read." --Kirkus
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Cornbread & Poppy
An IndieBound Bestseller * An Amazon Best Book of the Year * A 2022 Kirkus Best Children's Book
★ "A rewarding choice for young readers."--Booklist, starred review
★"Cornbread and Poppy are endearing characters, poised to join the ranks of other memorable early reader sets of best friends old and new, including James Marshall's George and Martha."--Bookpage, starred review
★ "Delightful."--Kirkus, starred review
Caldecott medalist Matthew Cordell debuts his first early reader series about two best friends who are as different from each other as can be.
Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy...is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend...and an old one. Celebrating both partnership and the value of what makes us individuals, young readers will find this classic odd-couple irresistible as they encounter relatable issues with humor and heart.
Publishing simultaneously in hardcover and paperback. -
Candle Point
In the small village of Sueño Bay, famous for its mysterious crystals and legendary moon creatures, friends Kay, Ollie, Jenna and Sleeves try to help a lost moon creature at the lighthouse of Candle Point.
When a wild winter storm rolls in and all the power goes out, Kay stays with her reclusive aunt, Gayle, the lighthouse keeper of Candle Point. On the long trek through the blustery snowstorm, Kay stumbles upon an injured moon creature. Kay smuggles her new friend into her aunt's lighthouse to take shelter from the cold. While exploring the lighthouse she discovers a network of tunnels and a colony of moon creatures. Kay tries to reunite the abandoned creature with its family but she can't do it alone. She tricks her friends into coming to the lighthouse and into the tunnel to help her reunite the hurt animal, but with no success. Desperate to heal her new friend, Kay plucks a mysterious moon crystal from the moon creatures' nest, an action that sets off a dangerous chain of events. The group becomes stranded when a cliff--and the bridge that leads in and out of Candle Point--collapses into the waves below. Can Kay regain the trust of her friends and restore the balance before Candle Point completely crumbles into the ocean?
This is the fourth book in the Sueño Bay Adventures series, following Shadow Island, Otter Lagoon and Hermit Hill.
Praise for the Sueño Bay Adventures:
★"Deas's expressive artwork includes the colorful landscapes and flora...Atmospheric, wordless pages pack a huge punch in this book's emotional communication." --School Library Journal, starred review for Hermit Hill
"Underlying messages of environmentalism, friendship, and home make this magical mystery a win." --Kirkus Reviews for Shadow Lagoon
"A fun, magical romp that younger readers will enjoy." --Booklist for Shadow Island
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Top Story
The New York Times bestselling Front Desk series continues!
Mia Tang is at the top of her game!
She's spending winter break with Mom, Lupe, Jason, and Hank in San Francisco's Chinatown! Rich with history and hilarious aunties and uncles, it's the place to find a great story--one she hopes to publish while attending journalism camp at the Tribune. But this trip has as many bumps as the hills of San Francisco . . .
1. Mia's camp is full of older kids, with famous relatives, fancy laptops, and major connections! Can she compete with just her pen and passion?
2. Lupe's thinking about skipping ahead to college! Will Mia ever get a chance to just chill with her best friend?
3. Jason's crushing hard on a new girl. For the first time ever, Mia is speechless...and jealous. Can she find the courage to tell Jason--gulp--that she has a crush on him?
Even for the best writers, it's not always easy to find the right words. But if anyone can tell a top story, it's Mia Tang!
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How to Stay Invisible
My Side of the Mountain meets How to Steal a Dog in this high-stakes and heartfelt middle-grade story of a young boy and his dog surviving on their own in the woods.
Being alone is something Raymond is used to.
Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never had a place to call home. His free-wheeling parents move their family from town to town, and he’s living in a trailer in a brand-new state when one day, they just up and abandon him. All alone with nothing but a duffle bag full of clothes and his reliable pup, Rosie, he is forced to live in the woods behind his middle school.
With a fishing pole in hand and survival guide checked out from the library, Raymond scrapes by and doesn’t tell anyone his secret. This isn’t the first time he’s had to rely on himself. However, when winter days get colder and finding food becomes nearly impossible, Raymond makes new friends, including a curious coyote, in unexpected places. Soon, he learns that his fate will depend not just on his wilderness skills, but on the people and animals he chooses to trust.
In How to Stay Invisible, Maggie C. Rudd takes readers on a journey of survival that speaks to friendship, adventure, and the everyday wonders of nature. In middle school, blending in is easy but sometimes the braver thing is being seen. -
I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964 (I Survived #23)
The Great Alaska Earthquake is the largest and most powerful recorded earthquake in US history. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving this terrifying natural disaster pounds with page-turning action and heartwarming hope.
It was 1964 in the brand-new state of Alaska, a vast land of staggering beauty and heart-stopping dangers. Eleven-year-old Jack had grown up living happily with his parents in an off-the-grid cabin, miles from their closest neighbors. Grizzlies and wolves outnumbered people, and dark winter days were 30 degrees below zero. Jack had always thought of himself as strong -- "Alaska tough". But then the most powerful earthquake in American history -- the Good Friday Earthquake -- struck.
The 9.2 magnitude quake lasted nearly five minutes, destroying downtown Anchorage and sending 30-foot tsunamis into coastal cities, wiping out entire communities. Its vibrations were felt around the world. In the end, it caused billions of dollars in damage and the death of 129 people.
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tells the story of the disaster that changed our understanding of earth science -- and tested one boy in ways he never could have imagined. Includes a section of nonfiction backmatter with more facts and photos about the real-life event.
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Eagle Drums
**A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK**
A magical middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Arctic tradition. With beautifully hand-drawn full color art throughout!
As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping—the same mountain where his two older brothers died.
When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers.
What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.
Eagle Drums by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson is part cultural folklore, part origin myth about the Messenger’s Feast – which is still celebrated in times of bounty among the Iñupiaq. It’s the story of how Iñupiaq people were given the gift of music, song, dance, community, and everlasting tradition. Hopson's full-page illustrations and spot art, rendered in colored pencil, accompany this powerful story. -
The Night Raven
Mika is not your average twelve-year-old--and she's about to prove it.
It's 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets...or is he?
Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this "Dark Angel" he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.
Drawn in by Mika's unique ability to notice small details--a skill Mika has always used to survive--the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet...with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika's chance to be someone who matters.
Friends of the Wilmette Public Library
Winter Reading Club book prizes are funded by the Friends of the Wilmette Public Library.