A CHRISTMAS FLOOD OF BOOKS In last month’s issue, we wrote about the delightful Icelandic holiday, Jolabokaflod, which translates to “Christmas flood of books.” Basically, everyone exchanges books or book-themed gifts on Christmas Eve, and then we all set up with some cocoa, or something along those lines, and enjoy our gifts.

This month, the librarians at Mt. Lebanon Public Library have put together a shopping list for all who observe Jolabokaflod.

Picture books for reading together

Santa’s First Christmas

by Mac Barnett (author), Sydney Smith (illustrator)

Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith team up for an unforgettable celebration of Christmas. We all know that Santa makes everyone’s dreams come true every Christmas, but it turns out that he needs a little help getting into the holiday spirit himself. Instead of letting Santa get right back to work after he returns home to the North Pole on Christmas morning, his loyal elves want to make sure he experiences the same Christmas cheer he provides for others. With the perfect tree, lots of delicious treats, and, of course, presents, Santa experiences the magic of Christmas for the very first time.

I’m Going to Build a Snowman

by Jashar Awan (author/illustrator)

When a little boy wakes up to see a blanket of snow covering the world outside, there’s only one thing to do: make a snowman, and not just any snowman — he wants the best snowman ever. But when his perfectly packed and powdery dreams clash with cold, slushy reality, he realizes the best snowman ever may be out of reach — but he can make his best snowman yet.

The Day Leap Soared

by Blair Braverman (author), Olivia When (illustrator)

Based on bestselling author and award-winning dogsledder Blair Braverman’s real-life team of sled dogs, an adorable sled dog discovers the power of teamwork, self-acceptance, and never giving up in this debut picture book.

Leap is a sweet, snow-loving sled dog puppy who can’t wait until she’s big enough to join the team. Each of the other sled dogs is special in their own way. Boo is fast. Donut is brave. Jenga is smart. And Leap wonders: Is she special, too?

This empowering story reminds us that anything is possible when teamwork, individuality and friendship grow in leaps
and bounds.

The Polar Bear and the Ballerina

by Eric Velasquez (illustrator)

When dancers have a photo shoot at the Central Park Zoo, a young African-American ballerina and a polar bear form a special friendship. When his new friend leaves her scarf behind, the polar bear must venture through Central Park and out into Manhattan to return it before her performance at the Lincoln Center.

However, the theatergoers eye the strange bear with suspicion. When the ushers won’t let him inside, the ballerina comes to his rescue and welcomes him in. The polar bear has dreamed of seeing the ballet, and now he gets to be a part of it in the most surprising way.

The wordless narrative is told through expressive and detailed oil paintings. On the endpapers, readers learn more about these loveable characters with illustrations of zoo signage about polar bears and a magazine article about the young ballerina.

Winter: A Solstice Story 

by Kelsey E. Gross (author), Renata Liwska (illustrator)

Tonight is the longest night of the year — solstice is here! Deep in the forest, the dark, cold, and quiet of winter is all around. Owl, Mouse, and Deer all watch the light fades and dark surrounds them, but they have a gift of hope to share with their neighbors. The moon and stars shine down on a lone tree in the forest, and the animals gather around to bask in its light. Winter Solstice arrives as the winter sky brings magic for all to share.

Chapter books to read over holiday break

The Winter of the Dollhouse

by Laura Amy Schlitz

On a gloomy November night, 11-year-old Tiphany Stokes saves an old lady from collapsing in the street. An antique doll named Gretel watches them, longing for Tiph to rescue her from life in a shop window. Though none of these three characters realizes it, their worlds are about to change: Gretel will no longer be a precious prisoner. The old lady — is she a witch? — will discover the secret hidden in her long-neglected dollhouse. And Tiph — whose parents rejoice that she is “never any trouble”—will become a thief, a dog walker, an actor and best of all, a friend.

The Lost Library

by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, 11-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.

Evan and his best friend, Rafe, quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It’s about owning your truth, choosing the life you want and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you).

Teen books to get lost in over the break

Snow Globe

by Soyoung Park

In a world plunged into eternal winter, only a chosen few get to live in the artificial climate of Snowglobe. Chobahm’s dream is to be a director in Snowglobe, creating reality TV for those outside, but she’s given a different chance. She’s asked to replace everyone’s favorite star.

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, Volume 1)

by Philip Pullman

Malcolm Polstead is the kind of boy who notices everything, and the things he sees trouble him deeply. Enforcement agents from the Magisterium appear in his family’s inn. The explorer Lord Asriel has a precious secret to hide. A Gyptian named Coram warns him of a coming flood. A criminal and a beautiful woman ask about the same thing — a baby named Lyra.

Lyra draws people in like magnets. Malcolm sees that she is at the center of a great and powerful storm. And he will brave any danger, and make shocking sacrifices, to see her safely home.

The Young Elites

by Marie Lu

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever that swept through her nation. Some of the fever’s survivors are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. His job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

Heir 

by Sabaa Tahir

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, Sirsha is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she’s willing to give up.

Quil is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives — and their hearts. Literally.

The Paladin Prophecy Book 1 and Alliance (The Paladin Prophecy Book 2)

by Mark Frost

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents’ insistence, he’s made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school, and followed by men driving black sedans. When he suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he’s capable of – physical and mental feats that should be impossible – and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

Adult “get you through the holidays” reading

The Magical Christmas Cookbook: Create the sparkle of European Christmas markets at home with 75 festive recipes

by Murdoch Books

Whether you’re expecting lots of guests, or you just want to create a special meal for two, The Magical Christmas Cookbook will provide all the inspiration you need – along with festive poems and songs to accompany this most enchanting time of year. Recipes for complete meals and everyone’s favorite baked treats that will fill the house with the smell of spices.

Eat Jewish: Over 100 Recipes That Blend Jewish Heritage, Modern Flavors, and Family Tradition

by Melinda Strauss

When we share food, we’re also sharing our culture and history. In Eat Jewish, Jewish social media influencer Melinda Strauss embraces this connection by pairing kosher recipes with key stories and insights into Jewish life, history
and heritage.

Addressing commonly asked questions about Jewish customs along the way, Strauss identifies and celebrates regional flavors drawn from thousands of years of Jewish wandering across the globe.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife

by Martin Edwards

Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.

Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snowstorm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people’s minds.

The game is set — but playing fair isn’t on everyone’s Christmas list.

A Case of Life and Limb: The Trials of Gabriel Ward 

by Sally Smith

Christmas Eve, 1901. Gabriel Ward is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London’s most famous music hall star, Topsy Tillotson, and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, The Nation’s Voice, but the Inner Temple remains as quiet and calm as ever. Quiet, that is, until a severed hand arrives in the post.

While the hand’s recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive-one with fatal consequences-Gabriel realizes that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.

The Land in Winter

by Andrew Miller

December 1962: In a village deep in the English countryside, two neighboring couples begin the day. Local doctor Eric Parry commences his rounds in the village while his pregnant wife, Irene, wanders the rooms of their old house, mulling over the space that has grown between the two of them. On the farm nearby lives Irene’s mirror image: witty but troubled Rita Simmons is also expecting. She spends her days trying on the idea of being a farmer’s wife, but her head still swims with images of a raucous past that her husband, Bill, prefers to forget.When Rita and Irene meet across the bare field between their houses, a clock starts. There is still affection in both their homes; neither marriage has yet to be abandoned. But when the ordinary cold of December gives way — ushering in violent blizzards of the harshest winter in living memory — so do the secret resentments harbored in all four lives.

An exquisite, page-turning examination of relationships, The Land in Winter is a masterclass in storytelling—proof yet again that Andrew Miller is one of the most dazzling chroniclers of the human heart.

Hamnet 

by Maggie O’Farrell

England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike. The end of days is near, but life always goes on.

A young Latin tutor — penniless and bullied by a violent father — falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family’s land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever. The book was made into a film that was released in the U.S. in November.