88 Books Like The Snow Bear

I was lucky enough to be given an advance copy of this book written by debut author, Skye Mackenna and I instantly fell in love with the characters and the story. Perfect reading for middle-grade readers who like longer, more challenging magic books. It is set in a world similar to ours which also has witches, scary fairies, goblins, and talking animals. Cassie, the heroine, sets out to discover why her mother disappeared seven years ago and in the process starts a new life, makes new friends (not least the wonderful talking cat, Montague), learns more about her witch-family heritage, and encounters terrifying faeries. This is the first book in the Hedgewitch series and is due to be published in 2022 - I can’t wait to read the rest!

I wanted to choose a book about unicorns (given they’re one of my favorite things to write about!) and this is the second book in a great magical series perfect for middle-grade readers who prefer shorter chapter books. Ava and her friends live in Arramia along with many magical creatures such as unicorns, dragons, firebirds, and star wolves. In this book, Ava sets out on a daring adventure to rescue a gorgeous baby unicorn who has been stolen from his herd by an evil villain. Paula Harrison is a brilliant writer for readers who like reading about magic and animals. She creates wonderful worlds and her books are hard to put down. The Royal Rescues is another great series too. 

Chloe Ryder is one of the (many) alter-egos of my writing partner, Julie Sykes (we write the Unicorn Academy and Forever Homes series together). Julie wrote this series years before we started collaborating and I have always loved it (as did my pony-crazy daughter when she was eight). It’s a perfect series for younger middle-grade readers who like their magic to be very sparkly. If they get hooked on the first one there are plenty more to read! When Pippa gets whisked away to the island of Chevalia, she quickly makes friends with Princess Stardust, a talking pony, and discovers that the magic horseshoes that give the ponies their magic have gone missing. Can Pippa help the ponies find their horseshoes and save their wonderful island before it’s too late?

And last but definitely not least, one of my favorite books from when I was growing up. Carbonel tells the story of Rosie, a young girl who thinks she is going to have a very boring summer until she buys a cat (Carbonel) from a retiring witch and gets drawn into an amazing adventure trying to free him from the witch’s binding spell and helping him to reclaim his royal throne. I read this book so many times when I was a child that the copy I owned fell to bits. I adored the bond between Rosie and Carbonel and the way the author effortlessly weaved magic into everyday life. She made magic seem so possible and so real – a feeling I have tried to capture in my own writing ever since!

A longer story that is illustrated with great skill and feeling by PJ Lynch. (And it’s another one that brings tears to my eyes most times I read it!) Jonathan Toomey is a wood carver who has moved to a village far from where his wife and baby died. So this is not a typical picture book dad. He is solitary and grieving.

The widow McDowell and her son, Thomas, are newcomers to the village. In their move, they have lost a precious nativity set. So they ask Jonathan Toomey if he will carve them a new one. The carpenter reluctantly agrees. His heart warms to both Thomas and Thomas’s mother. He carves a beautiful replacement nativity set. In the making, he faces his terrible loss. And the final, beautiful image is of the three of them walking side by side on Christmas day with laughter in their eyes.

No list of Nordic-inspired picture books is complete without at least one book by Jan Brett!

While not specifically set in a Scandinavian country, the Nordic-sweatered elf, the Dala horse displayed prominently in a workroom, and the delightfully detailed borders place the book in this category for me and my Swedish-American family. 

When the children were small, we read this together many, many times. It follows the story of an elf charged with getting Santa’s reindeer ready for the big night. Teeka, the elf, is new to the job, and the reindeer are reluctant to follow her orders.

Each time I read it, I legitimately worry when the reindeer’s antlers become hopelessly tangled!

In my teen years, I deemed Great Expectations by Charles Dickens as my favorite novel. In his day, the word “Dickensian” referred to the author’s unwieldy, verbose writing style. Now, the expanded meaning of a “Dickensian world” fills my mind with gloom, foreboding disaster, and eccentric characters that appear either heroic, naïve, or inherently evil.

Recently, I acted in a recording of A Christmas Carol and played all the female roles. The recording airs annually on EWTN Global Radio, so I’m not surprised that a friend gifted me with Samantha Silva’s audio book. But, to my surprise, I’m enchanted by the fictional account of how the novel evolved from its inception. It’s as if the author time-traveled to Dickens’ world and witnessed every scene firsthand! 

I could not think of a more suspenseful tale involving flight than this story. I wanted the pilot to make it home to England and read with my heart in my mouth how everything began to go wrong for him until the mysterious World War II bomber appeared–as either friend or enemy.

His characterizations are vividly drawn, as are the descriptions of the aircraft. This is one of Forsyth’s best books, in my opinion, and I like them all.

To say I enjoyed this is an understatement to the highest degree. From the first paragraph, Doyles' prose grabbed me, slapped me, and demanded to be appreciated. I laughed out loud, and I loved it. Doyles' ability to turn a phrase had me in love with his prose so much that I immediately ordered it in paperback for my shelf since I had originally purchased it as an eBook.

Speaking of "in love," that’s what happened as I got to know Dean and Ben. Two very different boys with two very similar problems – both liked boys, and neither was ready for that to be known.

Coming out stories aren’t new, but Simon Doyle makes it feel new for me with expertly drawn characters, tightly plotted storylines, and strong dialogue. I really loved getting to know Ben, Dean, and even the prick Alex in Snow Boys!

I am a huge Harry Potter fan and of the whole Harry Potter universe so I had to grab a copy of this book. Always having loved the parts of each book that mentioned the holidays at Hogwarts, this book is that amplified. Another quick read and perfect for a night by the fire and Christmas tree with a cup of hot cocoa.