Below: Trumpet flower-like icicles hanging under a rock mid-stream
in Smoky Mountain National Park (Alum Cave Trail)
It has been a very cold January in parts of the United States. Around this house we've been trying to embrace it and savor the good parts of it, hopefully wooing it to stay around long enough that it will give in and grant us a snow day. Here's what we've been up to lately...
Borax Snowflake Ornaments
Decent Hot Chocolate and Homemade Marshmallows
Exploring Frozen Puddles
Freezing Soap Bubbles
Ice Ornaments
Rice Krispie Treats Snowmen and Snowballs
Sledding at Stone Mountain
Trip to Snowy Mountains
Winter Walks
But sometimes the best way to appreciate a cold winter's night is to curl up on a warm sofa (preferably near a fire) and read about somebody else's winter adventures. Here are five chapter book favorites (which are still perfect for adults)...
1. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)
This book (and its accompanying series) has been popular so long that it is hard to imagine anybody who loves children's literature (or fantasy novels) who hasn't read it already. But it is such a magical adventure in a wintry world that I can't resist adding it to this list if only just to remind myself that it is well worth a re-read. Staying in a huge old country house during World War II, Lucy ducks into a wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek with her siblings only to discover a doorway to another realm. High adventures and battles for Good over Evil soon follow.
2. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)
Blizzards, white-outs, and daring rescues! But also sledding parties and family gathered around the fire on long, dark evenings. This is one of those books that makes you appreciate the bravery and tenacity of the American pioneers.
I didn't discover Laura Ingalls Wilder until late in life. Because the television series during my childhood, I think I thought I knew the stories and characters well enough. In reality, the books are oh-so-much better. The Long Winter is a fictionalized account of the 1880-1881 winter that thirteen year-old Laura and her family spent in DeSmet, South Dakota. Another great winter one by Laura is Little House in the Big Woods. (Click HERE for links to blog entries about our visit to DeSmet and other Laura Ingalls Wilder locations. There are many photos including an image of the type of prairie grass "log" that Laura twisted all winter long as fireplace fuel to keep her family from freezing.)
3. Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson (1957)
I recently wrote about this charming book on the blog, but I'm happy to do so again. I often reach for this little volume when winter comes, enjoying it anew each time. Finland's Tove Jansson was a painter and writer who found there were things she could only properly say through children's literature and imaginary creatures with very human souls. I deeply love the Moomin series with its funny, warm characters and wry truths about life. When I first discovered these books as a child, I was astounded to find characters that thought about the same things I did. Moominland Midwinter is an adept exploration of the bleakest season, finding bravery and warmth in the process. Suddenly awake when the rest of his family is hibernating as usual, Moomintroll sets out to discover snow, ice, and all the creatures that hide away during warmer months. (Click HERE for the previous post about this book.)
4. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan (1942)
During World War II, the Nazis invaded Norway and soon took over its resources. Supposedly based on a true story, this is the tale of how schoolchildren helped their elders smuggle gold out of the country, gliding past the invading soldiers with ingots hidden on their sleds. My mom had this book as a child and later read it to my brother and me. We both found the story memorable and inspiring. I look forward to reading it to Eli someday.
5. Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome (1933)
A group of children from three families enjoy the Christmas break from school, trying to make the most of snowy days and the winter landscape while they have their freedom. Just when boarding school is looming, the nearby lake begins to miraculously freeze over and they agonize that they are going to miss all the fun it will bring -- until one member gets sick and the rest are quarantined from school. The joy of stolen days! From wind-powered ice sleds to nighttime ice skating parties to make believe polar expeditions, the book opens a world full of old-fashioned North England winter fun. (Click HERE for a previous post about Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series.)
Anybody have favorites they'd like to share? I got a cup of tea and a fire at the ready...
Comments