Winter Wonders: Sora’s Festive Reads for All

The windchill rises, the boughs of great trees bend, bearing the weight of recent snows, and the smokestacks around the neighborhood suggest roaring fires inside. You can break out that cozy sweater you’ve stashed in the back of the closet. Sip on something warm. It’s the time of year for wintry wonders, and we invite everyone of all creeds to enjoy a few Sora reads with your family to ring in the new year listed in Sora’s Blog Post at Overdrive.

Find their list below, open your Sora Apps to start reading, or find their article list here.

Christmas

Elementary school

Happy Narwhalidays (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #5) (Ben Clanton)

Narwhal and Jelly spread some holiday cheer (and warm waffle pudding) in the fifth book of this blockbuster graphic novel series. It’s the festive season in the worldwide waters, and Narwhal is looking forward to cozying up with a good book, singing, partying with pod pals, and enjoying some warm waffle pudding. But most of all, Narwhal is excited about the arrival of the Merry Mermicorn!

I Got the Christmas Spirit (Connie Schofield-Morrison, Frank Morrison)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and a mother and daughter enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. The little girl hears sleigh bells ringing and carolers singing. She spreads the spirit of giving wherever she goes. And when she reaches Santa, she tells him her Christmas wish—for peace and love everywhere, all the days of the year.

Middle school

The Girl Who Saved Christmas (Matt Haig, Chris Mould)

Amelia Wishart was the first child ever to receive a Christmas present, and her Christmas spirit gave Santa the extra boost of magic he needed to make his first trip around the world. But now Amelia is in trouble. When her mother falls ill, she is sent to the workhouse to toil under the cruel Mr. Creeper. Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, magic levels dip dangerously low as Christmas approaches, and Santa knows something is wrong. With the help of his trusty reindeer, a curious cat, and Charles Dickens, he sets out to find Amelia, the only girl who might be able to save Christmas.

Kwanzaa

Elementary school

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story (Angela Shelf Medearis, Daniel Minter)

Seven brothers live in an African village, and they make family life miserable with their constant fighting. When their father dies, he leaves an unusual will: by sundown, the brothers must make gold out of seven spools of thread. If they fail, they will be turned out as beggars. Using the Nguzo Saba, or “seven principles” of Kwanzaa, the author has created an unforgettable story that shows how family members can pull together for their own good and the good of the entire community.

Together for Kwanzaa (Juwanda G. Ford)

Kwanzaa is Kayla’s favorite time of year. But this year, a heavy snowstorm will prevent her big brother, Khari, from getting home in time for the festivities! Will Khari miss the celebration completely? Or will Kayla and her brother somehow find a way to be together for Kwanzaa?

Middle school

Kwanzaa (Joanna Ponto)

First observed in 1966, Kwanzaa is the weeklong celebration of African traditions in American culture. This informative resource includes colorful photographs, an easy-to-follow recipe for Botswanan stew, and instructions on how to make and play the mancala counting game. Readers learn about the black power movement of the last century and discover that the holiday was created to connect African Americans with their heritage. 

Winter Candle (Jeron Ashford, Stacey Schuett)

When each family at the diverse Juniper Court apartment complex needs something to light up the dark of winter, the stumpy, lumpy candle provides a glow brighter than the fanciest taper, revealing the true spirit of each holiday it illuminates.

Hanukkah

Elementary school

Hanukkah Bear (Eric A. Kimmel, Mike Wohnoutka)

A bear wakes to a wonderful smell that leads him to the house of Bubba Brayna, who makes the best latkes in the village. But at ninety-seven, she doesn’t hear or see well. When the bear arrives at her door, she believes he is her rabbi. Bubba Brayna and the bear light the menorah, play the dreidel game and eat all the latkes. The mix-up is revealed, Bubba Brayna laughs about it, and everyone works together to make more latkes.

Happy Llamakkah! (Laura Gehl, Lydia Nichols)

Follow along with the Llama family’s Hanukkah traditions as they light their menorah, spin the dreidel, fry latkes, and more. Laura Gehl’s lively rhyming text and Lydia Nichols’s vibrant illustrations make for a festive read. The book also features kid-friendly matter, with expanded information on the holiday’s history and traditions.

Middle school

A Dreidel in Time: A New Spin on an Old Tale (Marcia Berneger, Beatriz Castro)

Devorah and Benjamin are excited to open their Hanukkah present from Bubbe and Zayde, which turns out to be an ugly old dreidel. It’s a big disappointment—until the dreidel transports them out of modern Los Angeles to join the ancient Maccabees! Once they convince a suspicious Judah Maccabee and their new friends that they’ve arrived to help, they use what they know about the Hanukkah story from Hebrew school to aid the Maccabees in their battle against Antiochus. The kids know that the miracle of Hanukkah relies on finding the special oil for the Temple menorah, but where can it be?

The Golden Dreydl (Ellen Kushner, Ilene Winn-Lederer)

Sara finds Chanukah celebrations boring. Everything changes when her Tante Miriam arrives and gives her a Golden Dreydl. The dreydl, an enchanted princess in disguise, takes Sara on a journey to a magical world. When the princess is taken by the Demon King, who possesses the power of the Tree of Life, it is Sara who must use her wit to save the princess and return her to her parents—King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

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