Books to read about Winter or Christmas
Winter Wood by Steve Augarde
In this astonishing final part of Steve Augarde's captivating trilogy, past and present are connected and the interwoven threads lead to an astonishing series of revelations.
Midge's discovery of the hidden tribes is like a dream to her now, their existence all but forgotten, but then a voice calls out to her in the winter darkness. The Various have returned and their desperation has made them all the more dangerous. They must travel to Elysse or perish. The only way that Midge can help the little people is by tracing the whereabouts of her great great aunt Celandine. But Celandine must be long dead, surely?
Winterkill by Kate A Boorman
No one leaves the settlement if they want to survive.
Emmeline knows this, but the trees in the woods are whispering to her, pulling her towards the wayward path.
Inside the safety of the wall, is a marriage she does not want and a boy she cannot have. But outside? The malmaci lies in wait and the freezing Winterkill is coming. . . .
Winter Damage by Natasha Carthew
On a frozen Cornish moor, a fourteen year old girl lives in a trailer with her dad and little brother. Ennor's mother left years ago, when things started to go wrong and gradually their world has fallen apart. Now her father is gravely ill, school has closed and Ennor knows they are going to take her brother away if things do not pick up soon. Days before Christmas, when the wind is cold and her dad's health takes a turn for the worse, Ennor packs a blanket, a map, a saucepan and a gun into her rucksack, and sets off to find her mum and bring her home.
Ennor thinks she knows where she is going. But this journey becomes a battle for survival.
Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
In a post apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.
Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he is forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he has always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.
But a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they have ever known.
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A Fish in the Bathtub by Eoin Colfer *
Little Lucja’s Grandpa Feliks has seen off the German army and the Communists, and now he is looking forward to a long and peaceful retirement.
He plans to begin with a tasty Christmas Eve dinner of carp. But when the carp arrives alive and takes up residence in the bathtub and Lucja’s heart, has Grandpa Feliks finally met his match?
After the Snow by S D Crockett
Set in the haunting and barren landscape of a new ice age, AFTER THE SNOW is the story of fifteen-year-old Willo, a straggler kid who loses his family. Completely alone, Willo is immediately flung into an icy journey of survival, adventure, friendship and self-discovery, with only the dog spirit inside his head to guide him.
Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book.
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
Long ago, following a cataclysm called The Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands known as arks.
Ophelia lives on Anima, an ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, the young girl hides the ability to communicate with the souls of objects and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the powerful Dragon clan. Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancée to the floating capital on the distant Ark of the Pole. There, in the presence of her enigmatic future husband, Ophelia slowly realises that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and unpleasant man who dislikes people generally and Christmas especially.
One Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come and given a glimpse of the many homes and lives which Scrooge has touched in his wretched life to date. After their visits, will Scrooge change his ways?
The Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle
When George stumbles across Marley's Curiosity Shop, he finds a mysterious and magical snow globe.
George and his Scrooge of a dad are soon swept on an incredible adventure to Christmases past, present and future.
With help from an enthusiastic elf, a rather grumpy purple reindeer and a very mischievous Nan, can George find a way to bring the joy of Christmas home once again?
The Road of Bones by Anne Fine
Told who to cheer for, who to believe in, Yuri grows up in a country where no freedom of thought is encouraged, where even one's neighbours are encouraged to report any dissension to the authorities. But it is still a shock when a few careless words lead him to a virtual death-sentence.
Sent on a nightmare journey up north to a camp amidst the frozen wastes. What, or who, can he possibly believe in now? Can he even survive? And is escape possible . . . ?
The More the Merrier by Anne Fine
Christmas comes but once a year. Luckily the Christmas holiday is, traditionally, a time when families gather together. In Ralph's case this means ten or more relatives coming to stay, including assorted aunts and uncles, nutty Great Aunt Ida (the Home tells them to be careful not to let her out) and his ghastly cousins: Titania in her silly, sick-making frilly fairy dresses and the twins Sylvester and Sylvia.
Jammed into one small house for three days of merriment and family fun, with the tv on the blink and Mum on the verge of a breakdown, it soon becomes obvious that, in this house, more definitely does not mean merrier . . .
Olivia's Winter Wonderland by Lyn Gardner
It is winter at the Swan Academy and that means panto! While Olivia practises being the back end of a horse, everyone else is auditioning for a major new movie. Soon the school is full of rivalry and suspicion, nasty tricks and strange mysteries.
To lighten the mood, Eel organises a festive ice-skating trip. But as the skaters twirl and leap among the twinkling lights, Olivia realises that the season of goodwill is anything but.
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
An ill timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives.
Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils) and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.
The Way of the Wolf by Bear Grylls
MISSION: SURVIVAL - LOCATION: The Alaskan mountains - DANGERS: Blizzards; grizzly bears; white-water rapids
A fatal plane crash. A frozen wilderness. The world’s youngest survival expert is in trouble again.
Beck Granger must find help across the mountains, but even if he survives the deadly cold, can he escape the hungry wolf that is on his trail?
The Way Past Winter by Kiran Hargrave
Mila and her sisters live with their brother Oskar in a small forest cabin in the snow. One night, a fur-clad stranger arrives seeking shelter for himself and his men.
But by the next morning, they have gone, taking Oskar with them.
Fearful for his safety, Mila and her sisters set out to bring Oskar back, even if it means going north, crossing the frozen wild lands to find a way past an eternal winter.
A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
In 1814, three cousins, Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope discover their secret family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld. Now ghouls, hellhounds and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders because she keeps finding the bodies. Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away?
The Greek who Stole Christmas by Anthony Horowitz
Once again, Tim Diamond and his younger brother Nick are flat broke. So when they are hired to investigate an anonymous death threat made to world famous pop singer and movie actress Minerva, they jump at the chance. However, the Greek celebrity seems to have plenty of enemies, so the question is, which one actually wants her dead? Meanwhile, Tim needs to resist Minerva's amorous advances and focus on the matter in hand...
Frost by Kathryn James
There is something in the mist, as beautiful as starlight, as fierce as wolves, as heartless as ice.
The forest beyond the mist is the home of the Elven: rarely glimpsed, misunderstood. Evan belongs here, enigmatic, beautiful Evan, and Nell is captivated by him. But Evan's world is now ravaged by ice storms, and only Nell can help him save it.
Last time Nell went into the mist it was to rescue her sister. This time she will have to go farther than the forest, deep into the frozen wastes beyond, where a deadly lake of ice and an ancient adversary await her ...
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Four adventurous siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change and a great sacrifice.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over sixty years. This is a stand-alone read, but if you would like to explore more of the Narnian realm, pick up The Magicians Nephew which is the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.
Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea.
There, a boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu. But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash.
When a rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he is whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. . . . . But can they help him find his family?
White Fang by Jack London
‘Fear urged him to go back, but growth drove him on…‘
Set in the frozen forests of the Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, ‘White Fang’ tells the story of a young wolf-dog’s journey from the wild into human territory. As White Fang learns that civilisation is every bit as vicious and violent as nature, and that survival is only awarded to the fittest. We too see how instinct, sensation and emotion drive every one of us.
A Sliver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke
On the frozen island of Skane, the sky speaks. Beautiful lights appear on clear nights and their colours have meaning. Red is rare. A warning.
Seventeen years ago, the sky turned red just as Osa was born, unleashing a plague that claimed the lives of hundreds of villagers, including her own mother. This time, when the night sky once again bleeds crimson, she must discover what it means before so many lives are lost again.
An Eagle in the Snow by Michael Morpurgo
1940. The train is under attacks from German fighters. In the darkness, sheltering in a railway tunnel, the stranger in the carriage with Barney and his mother tells them a story to pass the time.
And what a story. The story of a young man, a young soldier in the trenches of World War I who, on the spur of the moment, had done what he thought was the right thing.
It turned out to have been the worst mistake he ever could have made – a mistake he must put right before it is too late.
You Better Watch Out by Sarah Naughton
Every day in December, a gift is left for Eleri in the abandoned tower block opposite her flat.
At first, she can't help but be flattered, hoping that her Secret Santa is enigmatic Ras - a boy she has history with.
But with each day that passes, the gifts get darker and more dangerous. Is this a harmless bit of festive fun? Or does this have something to do with Nina's disappearance last year? If so ... will Eleri be next?
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley
Michael Vyner recalls a terrible story, one that happened to him. One that would be unbelievable if it were not true! Michael's parents are dead and he imagines that he will stay with the kindly lawyer, executor of his parents' will ...Until he is invited to spend Christmas with his guardian in a large and desolate country house. His arrival on the first night suggests something is not quite right when he sees a woman out in the frozen mists, standing alone in the marshes. But little can prepare him for the solitude of the house itself as he is kept from his guardian and finds himself spending the Christmas holiday wandering the silent corridors of the house seeking distraction. But lonely doesn't mean alone, as Michael soon realises that the house and its grounds harbour many secrets, dead and alive, and Michael is set the task of unravelling some of the darkest secrets of all.
The Last of Spirits by Chris Priestley
Sam and Lizzie are freezing and hungry on the streets of Victorian London. When Sam asks a wealthy man for some coins, he is rudely turned away. Months of struggle suddenly find their focus, and Sam resolves to kill the man. Huddling in a graveyard for warmth, Sam and Lizzie are horrified to see the earth around one of the tombs begin to shift, shortly followed by the wraithlike figure of a ghostly man. He warns Sam about the future which awaits such a bitter heart, and so begins Sam's journey led by terrifying spirits through the past, present and future, after which Sam must decide whether to take the man, Scrooge's, life or not.
Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch
Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now the Winterians' only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter's magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.
Orphaned as an infant during Winter's defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee. Training to be a warrior and desperately in love with her best friend, Winter's future king, she would do anything to help Winter rise to power again . . . especially when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter's magic,
War Games by James Riordan
It is Christmas Eve, 1914, and there is a war on. British and German soldiers sit in the muddy trenches either side of No Man's Land, as deadly enemies.
Suddenly, a strange sound fills the air. A German voice is singing 'Silent Night'. A British sergeant joins in and so begins a most unusual evening indeed.
War Games is a historical story set during World War I.
Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell
'Midnights' is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year's Eve party every year and fall a little more in love each time
'Kindred Spirits' is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan.
The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves and to fight and to run and to be wary of humans.
When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run.
Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Set in the rich and atmospheric landscape of Russia during the revolution that sent shockwaves around the world, this is the partly true story of Arthur Ransome - a writer accused of being a spy.
Fictionalising history and blending it with one man's real life, Marcus Sedgwick expertly crafts this innovative and stimulating novel of three parts - a fairy tale full of wise and foolish kings, princesses, wishes and magic; a bleak and threatening spy thriller, and a love story.
My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick
In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter, Tomas and his son, Peter, arrive in Chust, where they settle as woodcutters. But there are many things Peter does not understand. Why does Tomas dig a channel of fast-flowing waters around their hut so they live on an isolated island and why does he carry a long battered box everywhere they go and refuse to tell Peter of its contents?
When a band of gypsies comes to the village, Peter become infatuated by the beautiful gypsy princess and her community's love of life. He even becomes drawn into their deadly quest, for these travellers are Vampire Slayers.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
It is early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war ravaged land. Four young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate their unforgettable stories.
This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the Second World War. When the German ship the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian refugees, including children, on board. Nearly all were drowned. Ruta Sepetys brilliantly imagines their story.
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Variously melancholy, lyrical, joyous and farcical,
Twelfth Night has long been a popular comedy with Shakespearian audiences. The main plot revolves around mistaken identities and unrequited love. Both Olivia and Orsino are attracted to Viola, who is disguised as a young man; and Viola’s brother, Sebastian, finds that he is loved not only by Antonio but also by Olivia.
Frost Fire by Jamie Smith
On Choosing Day, children of Adranna who reach the age of fourteen are finally eligible to undergo the tests to determine if they are worthy of bonding a Frostsliver. Only one in a hundred are destined to succeed. If chosen, they will have to climb to the top of the glacier and cut a piece off for themselves, so that they may be granted the powers they have always dreamed of. When Sabira is chosen, an entire world of possibilities opens up to her. But in order to see it through, she will have to embark on a dangerous pilgrimage to the top of the glacier. When a huge avalanche traps her on the glacier and destroys the pass, she must face up to the merciless mountain -- but there are dark and fiery secrets hiding in its depths.
Nicky Raddon - November 2024