Winter Reads for Kids and Teens

Cozy up with a good book this Winter season. The books on this list are available through the Sussex County Library System.

Updated January 5, 2026
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Alice in a winter wonderland
Brett, Jan
Paper Book
A striking rendition of Alice in Wonderland transported to a shimmering Alaskan tundra, in Jan Brett's rich signature style. When Alice spies a white rabbit checking his pocket watch before hippity-hopping down a crevasse in an Alaskan glacier, she knows she must follow...
All you need for a snowman
Schertle, Alice.
Paper Book
One small snowflake fluttering down-- That's all you need for a snowman. Or is it? In these pages, an exuberant crew is summoned to create a snowman of heroic proportions. Starting with the very first flake, Alice Schertle's clever and energetic rhyming text...
Bear snores on
Wilson, Karma.
Paper Book
One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on! See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited...
A bed for the winter
Musgrave, Ruth A.
Help your child power up their reading skills and learn all about animals that hibernate with this fun-filled nonfiction reader, carefully leveled to help children progress. DK Super Readers Pre-Level: A Bed For The Winter will introduce kids to the animals that hibernate...
The coldest winter I ever spent
Jacobus, Ann
Paper Book
Eighteen-year-old Del is in a healthier place than she was a year and a half ago: She's sober, getting treatment for her depression and anxiety, and volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline. Her own suicide attempt is in the past, and living in San Francisco with her beloved aunt has helped...
Counting winter
Carlstrom, Nancy White
Paper Book
Inspired by the author's years in Alaska, this lyrical, beautifully illustrated counting book celebrates the rhythms of the tundra and its inhabitants.  ​One red fox walks across the white snow--quietly stalking winter. Two ravens croak and gurgle--raucously...
A cozy winter day
Wheeler, Eliza
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Eliza Wheeler welcomes readers to Acorn Village, where a community of adorable forest animals celebrates all the wonder that winter offers. The busy animals of Acorn Village love to spend winter days doing all sorts of...
Flopping in a winter wonderland
Jason June
Paper Book
Sparks are flying in Winter Wonderland this Christmas in this LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue, Jay's Gay Agenda, and Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball! All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his...
Fox and Owl's Winter Adventure
Lui, Jackie
Discover the magic of winter with Fox and Owl's Winter Adventure, a heartwarming picture book which blends storytelling, learning, and creative play. In a gentle tale set against a snowy woodland backdrop, Ember the fox and her friend Flint the owl explore the excitement and...
Good morning, snowplow!
Bruss, Deborah
Paper Book
For fans of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site!As the rest of the town settles in to bed, one man, his dog, and a trusty snowplow get ready for a night's work. Follow them through slick roads and swirling drifts in this sweet, rhyming book by Deborah Bruss and New York Times...
Hello Kitty, hello winter!
Hirashima, Jean
Paper Book
Hello Kitty, hello seasonal fun! Join Hello Kitty and her lovable friends as they delight in all that fall and winter have to offer: pumpkin picking, the school bus, hot cocoa, ice fishing, and more. With sparse text and cheerful original scenic art, these two titles, along with their spring and...
How to catch a snowman
Wallace, Adam
Paper Book
A USA Today Bestseller! From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series comes a new winter adventure! Our heroes' entry for the snowman contest has magically come to life--and ran away! Can YOU help catch it? Get ready for snow much fun as you travel through a winter...
In the winter woods
Kulot, Daniela
Paper Book
Will stubborn Squirrel share his secret stash of food with his fellow forest animals? A winter season tale about community and being compassionate to others. Winter has left Fox, Mouse, and Raven hungry as they search for food to fill their stomachs. After overhearing Squirrel...
Is this...winter?
Yoon, Helen
Paper Book
What's with all the blinking lights? With her trademark visual humor and comic timing, Helen Yoon takes a look at some odd winter traditions. High five! It's winter! For one spirited little puppy, winter means romping in the snow, birds to chase, fragrant evergreen trees, and joy...
Julie of the wolves
George, Jean Craighead
Paper Book
The thrilling Newbery Medal-winning classic about a girl lost on the Alaskan tundra and how she survives with the help of a wolf pack. Julie of the Wolves is a staple in the canon of children's literature and the first in the Julie trilogy. The survival theme makes it a good pick for...
A loud winter's nap
Hudson, Katy
Paper Book
Every year Tortoise sleeps through winter. He assumes he isn't missing much. However, his friends are determined to prove otherwise! Will Tortoise sleep through another winter, or will his friends convince him to stay awake and experience the frosty fun of winter? Best-selling author Katy Hudson's...
Love in winter Wonderland
Bello, Abiola
Paper Book
The Sun Is Also a Star meets You've Got Mail in this YA Christmas love story set in a London Black-owned bookshop. Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family's beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.
The magical snowflake
Ford, Bernette G.
Paper Book
Experience the enchanting and timeless tale of expectation, anticipation, and wonder crafted by renowned children's book author Bernette Ford. The Magical Snowflake captures the heartwarming essence of a young girl amid the frosty snow, making it more than just a children's Christmas book; it's an...
The most beautiful winter
Sitja Rubio, Cristina
Paper Book
"In a sea of hibernation titles, this one's worth staying awake for." -- Kirkus Reviews A cozy tale about a restless sleeper, his hibernating friends, and how he creates his best winter yet. When snow begins to blanket the trees, naptime is here for...
Mr. Popper's penguins
Atwater, Richard.
Paper Book
The classic Newbery Honor book that inspired the hilarious Jim Carrey movie--and a childhood favorite book for generations. Mr. Popper's Penguins is one of the handful of American books for children that has attained the status of a classic. A humble house painter is...
North for the winter
Podesta, Bobby
A fun, heartwarming holiday adventure about a girl, a flying reindeer, and the biggest Christmas mission ever! When Virginia (yes, Virginia) spots a real flying reindeer in the sky, she can hardly believe her eyes. She's just moved to a new city, she misses her mom, and...
Olive and Snowflake
Lyon, Tammie.
Paper Book
Olive and her dog Snowflake are the best of friends. They do everything together including...getting into trouble! Olive's parents decide to send Snowflake to obedience school. Maybe if Snowflake learns to behave, they won't have to give him away. Olive worries that her parents might give her...
Owl moon
Yolen, Jane.
Paper Book
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER * A soothing, poetic picture book that lovingly depicts the relationship of a young child and her father alongside humankind's relationship to the natural world. A verbal and visual treasure for the whole family! I had been waiting to go...
Pax
Pennypacker, Sara
Audiobook
National Book Award Longlist * New York Times Bestseller * An Amazon Best Book of the Year From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the powerful relationship between a boy and his fox....
Snow
Rylant, Cynthia.
Paper Book
Cynthia Rylant's lyrical descriptions of the sights and feelings evoked by falling snow blend gorgeously with the rich and beautiful world created by Lauren Stringer's illustrations, in which a young girl, her friend, and her grandmother enjoy the many things a snowy day...
Snow
Shulevitz, Uri
Paper Book
This Caldecott Honor Book from celebrated storyteller Uri Shuvelitz is a playful and poetic ode to snowy days. No one in the city thinks much of a few snowflakes. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one...
Snow
Thompson, Carol
Paper Book
Let's play out in the snow! There's a wealth of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures to discover and enjoy! In this series of richly illustrated books, Carol Thompson celebrates the immediate and sensory response of children to the natural world - whatever the weather!
Snow
Trehan, Meera
Paper Book
In this beautiful and haunting fantasy, an imprisoned princess needs the help of a girl from the modern world to undo a wish gone wrong and save her snowy kingdom. Every day, a lonely princess digs through the snow in search of a way to undo the terrible wish she made--one that...
Snow
Bauer, Marion Dane.
Paper Book
Level 1: Starting to Read * Simple stories* Increased vocabulary* Longer sentencesEveryone loves snow! It's fun to play in and makes wonderful snowmen. But where does snow come from? The answer is at your fingertips. Just open this book and read about the wonders of snow....
Snow /
McKie, Roy
Paper Book
Just in time for the holidays, enjoy this wintry classic about the joys of playing in the snow. the perfect read aloud for a snow day--or any day this winter! This classic Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss is a delightful ode to winter. Brrrrr--it snowed! From snowball...
The snowflake :
Waldman, Neil
Paper Book
With a double-page spread for each month, this book describes the journey of a single drop of water throughout the year.
Snowflake Bentley
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs.
Paper Book
In this Caldecott Medal-winning picture book, the true story of Wilson Bentley and his singular fascination with snowflakes is rendered in rich prose and gorgeous artwork, perfect for the holidays, snow days, and everyday. Wilson Bentley was always fascinated by snow. In childhood and...
The snowman /
Briggs, Raymond
Paper Book
Illus. in full color. A wordless story. The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night. The experience is one that neither he nor young 'readers' will ever regret or forget."--(starred)...
The snowy day
Keats, Ezra Jack.
Paper Book
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER * #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The magic and wonder of winter's first snowfall is perfectly captured in this classic seasonal board book celebrated by generations of readers--a beautiful gift for the holiday season! New York Public Library's #1 book on the...
This winter : a Heartstopper novella
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
A very special Heartstopper story set over a challenging holiday season... Reuniting Tori Spring, her little brother Charlie, and Charlie's boyfriend Nick, this novella sees the Spring siblings brave a particularly difficult festive season.
The very hungry caterpillar's first winter
Carle, Eric
Paper Book
Celebrate winter with The Very Hungry Caterpillar in this cheerfully written board book-the perfect way to introduce little ones to the changing seasons and identify all that makes winter wonderful! There are so many ways To spend a chilly snow day- ...
White Winter
Lukesova, Milena
Whispers of Winter Magic! Journey with a Little Boy Named James into a Snowy Dreamland of Wonder and Friendship!  In White Winter, little James drifts off to sleep as a gentle snowstorm blankets the world, dreaming of a majestic white horse carrying each delicate snowflake. When...
Winter : a solstice story
Gross, Kelsey Ebben
Paper Book
From debut author Kelsey Gross and New York Times bestselling artist Renata Liwska comes a gentle and lulling picture book celebrating the magic of the Winter Solstice with a group of animal friends in a quiet forest. Tonight is the longest night of the year--solstice is...
Winter magic
Burleigh, Robert
Paper Book
A heartwarming, rhyming picture book that rejoices in the seasonal beauty of winter by the award-winning creative team behind The Great Zombie Pumpkin Parade. "Rhyming lines and descriptive phrases celebrate Winter, while the accompanying illustrations bring the...
The winter of the dollhouse
Schlitz, Laura Amy
"In the small-scale world of Laura Amy Schlitz's novel The Winter of the Dollhouse, the emotional stakes are both intimate and enormous. . . . [She] is a masterly storyteller." --The New York Times Book Review This captivating coming-of-age story is touching,...
The Winter Soldier : cold front
Lee, Mackenzi
Paper Book
1954: The Winter Soldier is the Soviet Union's greatest weapon. Assigned the most dangerous covert missions from the USSR's secret military branch, and guided by a handler who knows him better than he knows himself, he has only one purpose: to obey orders. But he wasn't always the Winter...
Winter solstice wish
Fox, Kate Allen
Paper Book
On the shortest day of the year, people reach out for light--and one another--in this luminous, lyrical winter solstice story. Today we stretch the daylight as much as we can, trying to make it last. On the shortest day of the year, when daylight slips by like sand through one's...
Winter wonderland
Lyons, Kelly Starling
Paper Book
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....

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