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Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
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Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Pull on your mittens and head outside with Lois Ehlert for a snowball day! Find out how, with a few found objects, like buttons and fabric and seeds, and a little imagination, you can create a whole family out of snow.
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When the Snow Comes by Jonathan Allen
Little Yak lives high up in the mountains with his mom. The cold weather is coming, and he is excited about seeing snow for the very first time. All of Little Yak's friends are busy preparing for winter - Pika gathers grass to feed him through the cold months, Blue Thrush flies away to a warmer home and Brown Bear has a long winter sleep. But what do little yaks do when the snow comes? This delightful picture book from Jonathan Allen is the perfect winter read.
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Bedtime for Bear by Brett Helquist
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?
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Picture Books (Pre K-K)
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The Mitten by Jan Brett
When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny moment. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the boarders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on.
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Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow exists a secret kingdom of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals that live through the winter safe and warm, awake and busy, under the snow. Discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter's snowy landscape in this magical book.
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Utterly Otterly Night by Mary Casanova
Little Otter is ready for some action! Rustling leaves call to him. Sweet, spicy air beckons. The moon is as huge and golden as Owl's eyes. So Little Otter sets off for some fun. But with wolves on the prowl, Little Otter's adventures are a series of dizzying close calls. When he finally returns to his den, Little Otter's family is all played out and ready for bed!
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Early Readers (Grades 1-3)
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Once Upon Ice and Other Frozen Poems selected by Jane Yolen
Photos of ice in its natural settings form the backdrop for this imaginative collection of poetry selected by renowned poet and author Jane Yolen. Lee Bennett Hopkins, X.J. Kennedy, Mary Ann Hoberman, and others dramatically describe this frozen phenomenon in ways that children will find funny, thoughtful and thought provoking.
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Olivia and the Snow Day adapted by Farrah McDoogle
Yay for snow days! Olivia has the day off and she couldn't be more excited. There is so much to do: build a fort, have a snowball fight with Julian, and, best of all, use her new video camera. She is hoping to get the scoop on a big story-an interview with the Abominable Snowman! Based on an episode of the TV series, “Olivia.”
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Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days by Cynthia Rylant
In the winter Henry and his big dog Mudge play in the snow, share a family Christmas dinner, and gather around a crackling winter fireplace.
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Children's Fiction (Grades 4-6)
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Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.
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Wolf Storm by Dee Garretson
Three young actors shooting a movie in the snow-covered Carpathian Mountains are separated from base camp by a terrible blizzard and come face-to-face with a pack of hungry wolves. This is an exciting new thriller for tweens.
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Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
It's the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There's . . . Jessica, the new girl; Alexia, a bully; Peter, class prankster; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna; 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.
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Teen Fiction (Ages 12 & Up)
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After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
The oceans stopped working before Willo was born, so the world of ice and snow is all he's ever known. He lives with his family deep in the wilderness, far from the government's controlling grasp. Willo's survival skills are put to the test when he arrives home one day to find his family gone. It could be the government; it could be scavengers - all Willo knows is he has to find refuge and his family. It is a journey that will take him into the city he's always avoided, with a girl who needs his help more than he knows.
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How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Jill just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends, everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one. Mandy understands what it's like to grow up unwanted, to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.
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Fracture by Megan Miranda
Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine, despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?
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HCPL's Book Bites [2] column appears monthly in Houston Family Magazine [3]. Each column features suggested books for toddlers through teens. Get the new list every month in the magazine, available at all of our branches. Previous columns [4].
