12 Winter Books for Children in Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade

Now that the Lil Divas are both reading (yay!) and we have moved beyond just picture books to leveled readers and chapter books.  It's important to me to keep things interesting and at their reading level. We still enjoy reading great picture books together but each Lil Diva has books that they read daily geared towards their individual reading levels and ability. Here are some fun winter themed books that we have enjoyed for readers in K thru 2nd grade.

Kindergarten (Beginning Readers) -

Magic School Bus Lost in the Snow - Join Ms. Frizzle's class in this beginning reader book as they learn how snow is made. Simple sentences make this book great for beginning readers.


Young Cam Jansen and the Ice Skate Mystery - This series is great for transitioning readers who are reading well and nearly ready to make the move to more advanced chapter books. In this book, Cam and her friend Eric go ice skating. Eric loses the key to the locker and Cam must use her photogenic memory to help find it.


Snow -  A great book about snow for the beginning reader. Follow two kids as they play in the snow and discover all the fun that can be had. Children will delight in the rhyme and being able to read this one on their own will be a lovely confidence builder.


Curious George: A Winter's Nap - This is a level 1 reader but has some big words like hibernation that may require some help to read. Kids love to read about George's antics and this book is short and helps to teach about hibernation in a basic way that will appeal to younger readers.


Eloise and the Snowman - Little girls love Eloise's spunk and antics so these books are always a favorite. They are fun and easy to read for beginning readers. In this book, it snows in New York City and Eloise enjoys it in typical Eloise fashion. It's a fun and easy read that young Eloise fans will enjoy.



1st & 2nd Grade Readers -

Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail - These simple mysteries are fun for kids to read and try to figure out along with Nate. In this story, Rosamond loses Nate's birthday present and he and Sludge must find it in the snow. This series is full of sight words, longer sentences, color photos, fun characters and plots making them great for readers who are transitioning from easy readers into chapter books. There's lots of fun extras at the end of the book from how to make ugly cat cupcakes to funny cat jokes that kids will enjoy.


Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #5: Case of the Sneaky Snowman - Nancy and her friends build a snowman only to have it disappear. Can you figure out the mystery with the Clue Crew? These books are great early chapter books because they have a certain level of difficulty without being too hard or discouraging. They are also great for practicing problem-solving skills. The Oldest Diva devours them.


Magic Tree House #12: Polar Bears Past Bedtime -  Jack and Annie travel to the frozen Arctic and get stuck on cracking ice. How does the giant polar bear help them? You have to read to find out. These early Magic Tree House books are perfect for children who have transitioned into chapter books because they still have lots of illustrations and the chapters are just the right length - not too long and not too short.


Magic Tree House #32: Winter of the Ice Wizard - The Ice Wizard has captured Morgan and Merlin and it's up to Jack and Annie to find the Ice Wizards eye to save them. Lots of mystery and danger in this one for Tree House fans.


Cam Jansen Case #24: The Snowy Day Mystery Cam Jansen finds that computers are missing from the computer lab and the only clues are footprints in the snow and a locked window. Cam must put her photographic memory to use to help catch the thieves.


Magic School Bus #13: Polar Bear Patrol -  Ms. Frizzle takes her class on an adventure through the North Pole where they come face to face with all kinds of arctic animals, ride a dog sled and even spend time in an igloo. This book offers some fun facts and information about the polar region.


Katie Kazoo Switcheroo #22: It's Snow Joke - This series is for 2nd grade and up or more advanced younger readers. Katie goes skiing during winter break for the first time and in true Katie Kazoo fashion, mishap ensues when she turns into the ski instructor. She must save the ski instructor's job before switching back. These books are fun to read because Katie switches characters with someone new in each book.

Happy Reading,

Bern