The Perfect Middle-Grade Reads for Winter!!

Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh, o’er the fields we go, dashing all the way…..

Yes, yes, I do indeed have Jingle Bells stuck in my head on repeat, as is always the case during the holiday season — and, speaking of which, happy holidays, you all!!! ^^ *leaps up and tosses confetti onto you*

The holidays are simply one of my favorite times of year! The joy of Christmas, the presents, and just all the laughter and joy and family warmth that comes with it…. *sighs dreamily* It’s the best time of year, truly.

Now, seeing as it’s winter and I adore middle-grade, I thought I would pop in here and bombard you all with some more middle-grade recommendations! This time with middle-grade reads for winter/the holiday season!

So I would suggest you get comfy with a warm blanket and a mug of tea, and let us begin with the book recommendations! ^^

The Lost Frost Girl by Amy Wilson

Also known as A Girl Called Owl, in some other countries, I believe. This middle-grade book is such a perfect book to read for winter!! It is so heartwarming, and the way it weaves together stories from the past, as well as the present, and the worldbuilding… It’s all just so magical!!

The blurb reads: From debut author Amy Wilson comes a story brimming with heart about a normal girl who discovers that she is really Jack Frost’s daughter—with winter powers of her very own. The Lost Frost Girl is an enchanting modern-day fairy tale about family, friendship, and the magic of embracing who you are meant to be.

Owl has the kind of mom who would name her Owl, a dad she’s never met, and a boy who gives her strange looks at school—but Owl has come to accept that this is as normal as her life is going to get.

Until Owl finds out that she is Jack Frost’s daughter. Determined to meet him, Owl delves into Jack’s wonderful world of winter and magic—the kind of place she thought only existed in fairy tales. And as she notices frost patterns appearing on her skin and her tears turning to ice, Owl starts to wonder if being Jack Frost’s daughter means that she has winter powers of her very own.

Amy Wilson’s books really are just so full of magic and whimsy The Lost Frost Girl is no exception, and I actually interviewed Amy Wilson earlier this year about her other middle-grade book, Lightning Falls!

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

I do indeed feel like Winterhouse is one of those books that is pretty much on everyone’s winter middle-grade reading list — and for good reason!!! It takes place in winter, during the holiday season, at this magical, mysterious, wonderful hotel called Winterhouse, and it is so heartwarming while also mixing in a lot of mystery and plot twists!!

The blurb reads: An enchanting urban fantasy middle-grade debut―the first book in a trilogy―set in a magical hotel full of secrets.

Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms―most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?

Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets.

I simply adore this book, and it has been one of my favorite reads ever that I hardly ever get bored of re-reading!

The Winter King by Christine Cohen

I love Christine Cohen’s books!! They’re so full of dark myths and twisted tales (but also with light humor and heart!!!), and The Winter King is such a perfect middle-grade winter read! It had me hooked from page one, all the way to page three-hundred-sixty!!!

The blurb reads: A village trapped in winter, a tyrannical god, and a girl who will do anything to keep her family alive… Ever since Cora’s father disappeared through the ice, whispers about her family’s “curse” have grown increasingly louder. Desperate to help her mother and siblings survive another bleak season in the Winter King’s frozen grasp, Cora begins to bend (and even break) the rules she has kept since she was a little girl. But when she discovers a secret that’s much bigger than herself, she realizes too late that she has put herself–and those she loves–in even greater peril.

A bit darker than the previous two recommendations, but still a wonderfully wintry middle-grade book that I highly recommend!!!

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

I still remember reading this book at the bookstore back home in China, and oh my gosh, it was such a sweet, heartwarming book!! I shed tears at the end… It is rather rare that I read a book only once yet still remember everything two years later, but I certainly remembered everything in The Christmas Pig. The way J.K Rowling managed to weave together such adventure and magic, and the bond that Jack has with Dur Pig…. It brought me to tears at the end.

The blurb reads: A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child’s love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers.

One boy and his toy are about to change everything…

Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens — DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life… even toys. And Jack’s newest toy — the Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement) — has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known…

The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous as well! (And, being a stuffed panda, Izzy has also given The Christmas Pig her stamp of approval!)

East by Edith Pattou

I believe this book is more YA than middle-grade? I don’t remember the exact age range this book is meant to be for, but this is such a wonderful book that had me hooked from start to finish!!! It had such an interesting premise (especially with the mother’s superstitions and such), and it is just such a wonderful wintry read!!!

The blurb reads: Rose has always longed for adventure, so when an enormous white bear appears one evening and makes her a mysterious offer, she accepts. In exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family, she must live with the white bear in a distant castle. But Rose soon realizes that all isn’t as it seems. As she tries to settle into her new life, she makes a devastating mistake. Now she must return to her safe and loving family or go on a dangerous quest to fix what she has broken—and perhaps lose her heart along the way. A sweeping romantic epic as timeless as any fairy tale and thrilling as only the best fantasy novels can be.

Re-reading the blurb, I now realize this is probably definitely young adult instead of middle-grade…. However, I read this when I was 11, and so I do think this story is fine for upper middle-graders to read!! This was such an intriguing tale, especially since it was a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was how closely it stuck to the fairytale? I would’ve liked to see more twists/different takes, and some parts didn’t come as a huge surprise to me, since I knew the original fairytale very very well. But still a wonderful read for winter!!!

The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

I…. I hardly have any words for this book.

It’s beautiful. It is gorgeous.

The way Brittney Ryan added so much to Santa Claus and the world he might live in…

All the characters…

The magic of the world… Holly’s character… It’s just all so so wonderful!!!

The blurb reads: Santa Claus’s daughter sets out to break a curse and free a magical kingdom–in this beloved New York Times bestseller.

Though few mortals know his secret, Nicholas is more than a jolly red-suited man who visits children all over the world on Christmas Eve–he is also the king of Forever, Land of the Immortals. Each year he gets letters from millions of boys and girls, and helps make their Christmas wishes come true. But one year, a special little boy from New York City asks something Nicholas has never been asked before: “What do you wish for Christmas, Santa?” With that simple question, a magical story unfolds. Nicholas answers that his only wish is for a child. And soon the immortal people of the kingdom celebrate the arrival of Holly Claus, the princess of Forever and the first child to grace its ground. But their happiness is dashed when an evil sorcerer places a spell on the infant, turning her heart to ice and freezing her kingdom in time. Many years later, just in time for Christmas Eve, Holly travels to New York, intent upon saving Christmas and freeing the land of Forever. Holly will make this the most magical–and memorable–Christmas the world has ever seen.

I absolutely loved this book!!! The land of Forever was such a magical place, and all the joy and hope Holly brought to the people she met in New York was just so wonderful… I loved it!!! Five stars out of five! A most fantastic, wintery, Christmas-y read indeed!

Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S Lewis

Look, I kind of had to put this book here, okay?? I adore Narnia!! It was one of the first fantasy movies I watched and one of the first fantasy books I read, and it is just so magical and such a wonderful fantasy adventure!!! And much of the book takes place in Narnia, which has basically been frozen over by White Witch, and there’s a whole lot of winter!!! And a battle between Good vs. Evil. Therefore it must go on this list.

The blurb reads: Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set free

Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

Again, one of my favorite fantasy books of all time!! And perfect to read in winter! (Though, really, perfect to read anytime!)

Pages and Co. Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James

This is actually book two in the Pages and Co series, so you may need to read book one before reading this one. But it is so magical!!! (And I do wish I had my copy of it with me in Thailand… Alas, I could only take two books with me, and I was unable to take this book.) It is so whimsical and magical, and Tilly and Oskar have a lovely wintry visit to Paris!!

The blurb reads: A magical adventure to delight the imagination. The curl-up-on-the-sofa snuggle of a series from a uniquely talented author.

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . . 

On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?

The second enthralling tale in the bestselling Pages and Co. series.

Pages and Co is one of my favorite book series ever. And yes, book two does indeed end on a cliffhanger, so I recommend having book three on hand when you finish it.

Christmas Stories | An Anthology

Christmas Stories is a sweet, Christmas anthology that I was lucky enough to be able to publish last year!! It has several short stories of various genres from several different authors (including me, Journey Bloomfield, Hallie Kropf, and Agnes Crisler), and I just had such a wonderful time writing and publishing this!!

The blurb reads: A collection of short stories for kids, teens, and adults during the Christmas season.

Middle grade fantasy author Isabelle Knight comes together with seven other authors to create a beautiful anthology of short stories for kids and teens for the Christmas season! With over ten short stories from authors of various genres, this is the perfect gift for the holiday season! So grab some blankets, hot cocoa, and cozy up for some Christmas cheer! Merry Christmas to all and goodnight!

It is full of short stories perfect for anyone ages eight all the way to eighteen, and all the stories are just so heartwarming and magical and sweet!!! (Shout-out to Hallie Kropf, whose short story, The Red Scarf, actually brought me to tears!!) And seeing as it is the Christmas season, perhaps thou wouldst like to snag a copy on Amazon? 🙂

happy holidays, everyone!

And that just about wraps up all my winter middle-grade book recommendations!! ^^ I was actually about to put Lord of the Rings on this list till I remembered that the post says middle-grade reads… which Lord of the Rings really isn’t. Alas, alack. But do let me know down in the comments your thoughts and if you’ve read some of these books before! Or if you have any of your own recommendations you’d like to add to this list! I love hearing from y’all!

To me, Christmas is just such a magical time — full of magic and hope and warmth and peace, and just… I honestly have trouble describing it. Tis really a time for peace and warmth and food and family. And presents. We do love the presents. XD Especially the bookish presents. (And daggers. One truly cannot leave out daggers. Someday. Someday I shall get my grubby little hands on a fantasy dagger.)

Till next time and may you all have a wonderful holiday season,

-Isabelle