Snow

I have several friends who’ve been complaining that this has not been much of a winter.  I don’t know why that would bother anyone.  Personally, I like 90° weather with 90% humidity.  So a December that fluctuates between 50° and 60° is okay with me.  That said, I do like the occasional snow, but only if it falls on a school day.  Our recent snow flurries and winter mix were a complete waste of winter weather, although the Christmas Eve flakes did provide a nice backdrop for my dinner party.  Now it seems were going to get more snow tomorrow, and the only result is I won’t be able to visit my niece as planned. 

However, for those of you who are fans of winter weather, I have chosen some of my favorite snow books to share this week.  The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a classic in this category.  It perfectly describes a little boy’s day in the snow, from putting on his snow suit to trying to save a snowball in his pocket.  Cynthia Rylant, P.D. Eastman, and Uri Shulevitz all have books simply titled Snow.  While Rylant’s prose is almost poetry, Eastman focuses on fun, and Shulevitz’s book is a narrative of a surprise snowfall. 

If you want non-fiction, I’d recommend The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino.  The text explains how snow is formed and the pictures are photographs of real snowflakes.  And since were talking about photographing snowflakes, we should talk about Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  This is a biography of Wilson Bentley who proved that no two snowflakes are alike.  Aside from being a good story about an interesting scientist, the themes of perseverance and hard work are important lessons.  Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner is narrative non-fiction about the animals that hibernate under the snow. 

For bigger kids, I like Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen.  It’s the sequel to Hatchet, in which Brian’s plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness.  In the second book, Paulsen imagines what would happen if Brian hadn’t been rescued at the end of the Hatchet, and tells the tale of survival through a cold, Canadian winter.  Then there’s I am the Ice Worm, the girl version of Hatchet, in which Allison’s plane crashes in Alaska. 

For something a little unorthodox try Bodies from the Ice, Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past.  It’s a non-fiction text about the discovery of the ice mummy in the Alps.  A fascinating read for most 10 year-old boys.  Enjoy the snow!

 

Books about Snow

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Snow by P.D. Eastman

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel

Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino

Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen

I am the Ice Worm by MaryAnn Easley

Bodies from the Ice, Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James Deem