Finch's Frosty Festive Fifty! A seasonal booklist by Dawn Finch

 

Well, here we are again - Christmas and time for my 8th annual frosty and festive children's book list.

This is a list of books for young independent readers that are set in winter or the festive season. I always hope to have a list comprised of some newer titles that you can add to your future classics list and I hope you approve. There may be some big name classics that I've left out but it's probably because they don't need a plug so I'm giving more space to books you might not yet have discovered.

Books make such wonderful gifts but so does sharing a story. There is something truly magical about gathering in for a fine story and I think that this is such a great tradition to have (or start) at Christmas. A book shared aloud with loved ones is an experience that costs so little and carries such a great reward.

I like to pick a book to focus on as a Christmas special and this year I would like to pick A Ukrainian Christmas by Yaroslav Hrytsak and Nadiyka Gerbish - translated by Marta Gosovska and Anastasiya Feher. The authors say "Christmas brings the indestructibility of hope in times of the greatest hopelessness. As long as we celebrate this holiday, we can neither be defeated nor destroyed. This is the message that Ukraine is trying to convey to the world. And this is what our book is about."

This beautiful book has illustrations by Olena Staranchuk and it has been republished with an introduction allowing context with the war in Ukraine and the Publisher is making a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

I haven't posted reviews in the list below because that would take up more space (and time!) than I have, but these are all books I've personally enjoyed. As always please do remember to buy from independent booksellers where possible and support the incomes and further careers of creatives. I'm sure I've missed out a few more so please do add those in the comments - and do please share your own titles that fit the frosty & festive requirements

Happy Christmas, and happy reading!

1. Arden, Katherine – The Bear and the Nightingale
2. Bell, Alex and Tomic, Tomislav – Polar Bear Explorers’ Club
3. Bello, Abiola et al - The Very Merry Murder Club (short story collection)
4. Butterworth, Jess – Running on the Roof of the World
5. Carroll, Emma – Frost Hollow Hall
6. Casey, Dawn - Winter Tales
7. Clive, Mary - Christmas with the Savages
8. Crossley-Holland, Kevin – Between Worlds (illustrated by Frances Castle)
9. Doherty, Berlie – Children of Winter
10. Doyle, Catherine - Miracle on Ebenezer Street
11. Esiri, Ali (editor) - A Poem for Every Winter Day (poetry)
12. Elphinstone, Abi (editor) - Winter Magic (anthology)
13. Farr, David - Book of Stolen Dreams
14. Fisher, Catherine – Snow Walker
15. Fisher, Catherine – The Clockwork Crow
16. Foxlee, Karen – Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy
17. Gaarder, Jostein – The Christmas Mystery
18. Gardner, Sally and David Roberts – Tinder
19. Gayton, Sam – the Snow Merchant
20. Gold, Hannah (illustrations by Levi Pinfold) - The Last Bear
21. Goodfellow, Matt - Let's Chase Stars Together (poetry)
22. Gordon, John – The Giant Under The Snow
23. Hargrave, Kiran Millwood – Leila and the Blue Fox
24. Hitchcock, Fleur – Murder at Snowfall
25. Horwood, William – The Willows in Winter
26. Ivey, Eowyn – Snow Child
27. Landman, Tanya - Midwinter Burning
28. Lauren, Ruth – Prisoner of Ice and Snow
29. Lean, Sarah - The Good Bear
30. Leonard, M G - The Arctic Railway Assassin
31. Matthews, Caitlin and Helen Cann – Fireside Stories, Tales for a Winter’s Eve
32. Montgomery, Ross - The Midnight Guardians
33. Morris, Jackie – East of the Sun, West of the Moon
34. Nicholls, Sally - The Silent Stars Go By
35. Nimmo, Jenny – The Snow Spider
36. Penfold, Nicola - Beyond the Frozen Horizon
37. Pratchett, Terry – Wintersmith
38. Preussler, Otfried – Krabat
39. Priestley, Chris – The Last of the Spirits
40. Riddell, Chris (poems chosen by) - We Wish You A Merry Christmas and other festive poems
41. Rundell, Katherine – Wolf Wilder 
42. Smith, Alex T - The Grumpus and his Dastardly Deadly Christmas Plan
43. Stevens, Robin - Mistletoe and Murder
44. St John, Lauren – The Snow Angel
45. Streatfeild, Noel – White Boots
46. Thebo, Mimi - Dreaming the Bear
47. Torday, Piers – There May Be A Castle
48. Webb, Holly - Luna
49. Wilson, Amy – Snowglobe
50. Woodfine, Katherine – The Midnight Peacock

As always - please add your own additions in the comments. I would love to see someone do a list of poetry for the season too! Apologies for missing anyone out but I only ever list books that I've actually read. If you'd like me to read yours, drop me a line.

As this is a list for older and independent readers, here's some links to pages listing great picture books and festive books for younger children.

https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/christmasgifts/best-christmas-books-kids-children-b1769835.html

https://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/shopping/24-of-the-best-childrens-books-to-get-you-in-the-christmas-spirit/

https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/blog/our-christmas-book-recommendations-for-children-6297

Dawn Finch is an author and former children's librarian and former chair of the Society of Author's Children's Writers and Illustrators Group (CWIG) 

This may well be the last Finch's Frosty Festive Fifty as I no longer write under the name Finch! My married name is McLachlan and from 2023 I will be exclusively using that. I shall have to think of a decent festive rhyme - "McLachlans a' cracklin list" maybe? Maybe not!

www.dawnmclachlan.com

@dawnafinch

My Top Ten

Northern Ireland isn’t a big place and I’m articulate/ opinionated/gobby, so I’m often wheeled out when they want someone to talk about children’s books/reading/libraries on the radio.

This time it was to comment on a poll commissioned by the BBC Love To Read campaign, which asked 1,000 parents which books children should read. The list has courted some controversy, with Booktrust suggesting that it’s too focused on classics. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/10/bbc-childrens-book-list-too-focused-on-daunting-classics-booktru/ ) 

What children’s books had meant most to me growing up? the producer asked during our briefing. I mentioned a few. Hmm, she said. She obviously hadn’t heard of any of them.

Which is fine. My favourites are my favourites. Your favourites are yours. Of the ‘top ten’ in the BBC poll, none has particular resonance for me. That doesn’t mean they won’t for you. The list includes nothing published this century, and I wouldn’t describe either To Kill A Mockingbird or The Bible as children’s books, but, in the words of Miss Jean Brodie, ‘For those who like that kind of thing, that is the kind of thing they like.’

Just in case you care, here is the list: 

The BBC’s top ten recommended books:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling

The BFG by Roald Dahl

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

The Bible

Last week I was at Charney with 22 other children’s writers, and as an introduction, we all talked about a favourite childhood book. 23 eulogies to 23 different books. Some of them sparked smiles and nostalgia throughout the group; many were met with polite blank stares. Of course. Because such things are totally personal and subjective.

So when I was asked, in the studio this morning, what my childhood favourites had been, I resisted the chance for a nostalgia fest. Nor had I much to say about the BBC list: I stressed that it was much more important that children were given the resources to find their own favourites. I talked about the importance of local and school libraries (of course).

But I do have my own favourites, so just for fun, and in the hope that it might encourage some ABBA readers to think of their own special books, here is my Top Ten from My Childhood.  My rules were: I had to have read them as a child, and I was only allowed one book from each author. Otherwise, Antonia Forest and K.M Peyton would have dominated.

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

The Chalet School In Exile – Elinor M. Brent-Dyer 

 I Wrote A Pony Book – Joanna Cannan

Harriet The Spy – Louise Fitzhugh

End Of Term – Antonia Forest

The Abbey Girls In Town – Elsie Oxenham

Flambards – K.M. Peyton

The Last Ditch – K.M. Peyton

Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfeild

Little Town On The Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Oh, yeah: and I cheated: I couldn’t just have one KMP. Well, it’s my list!

What's on yours?