Books to read in January
A new month brings a new batch of book recommendations. January is usually cold and dreary and if your luck it’s also snowy! January also brings us Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a presidential inauguration and my favorite, the start of Girl Scout Cookie Season!
You can also use these books to mark of spaces on the January reading challenge.
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by: Pat Miller and illustrations by: Kathi Ember
Squirrel knows that New Year's Day is a great day for making resolutions! But what does it mean to make a resolution, anyway? As she makes visits around the forest she learns about New Year's resolutions and helps her friends get started on theirs. If only she can think of a resolution of her very own.
The Mitten by: Jan Brett
When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing.
One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.
There Was A Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by: Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared Lee.
The old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be able to guess!
If I Were President by: Catherine Stier and illustrated by: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Imagine living in the White House, a mansion where you wouldn't have to leave home to go bowling or see a movie! Imagine a chef to cook anything you like. "Two desserts, Madam President? No problem!"
If you were president, there would be a lot of work to do too. You would be in charge of the armed forces, give important speeches, and work with Congress to create laws for the whole country!
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by: Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier
Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Growing up in the segregated South, he was inspired by his mother’s belief in equality and his father’s sermons. He found his calling as a minister too, preaching words of love over hate—words that propelled him to the forefront of the civil rights movement, and whose legacy is still felt today.
Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of Dr. King’s most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in an accessible way, while Bryan Collier's stunning collage art combines remarkable watercolor paintings with vibrant patterns and textures. A timeline and other backmatter round out this addition to the acclaimed Big Words series of biographies.
Skating Shoes by: Noel Streatfeild
It's a stroke of great luck when Harriet Johnson’s doctor prescribes skating after an illness that has left her feeling frail and listless. For on her very first day at the rink, Harriet meets orphaned Lalla Moore, who is being brought up by her wealthy aunt Claudia to be a skating champion. Although they have little in common, the girls form a fast friendship. Harriet is energized by talented, funny Lalla, and Lalla in turn blossoms under the affection of openhearted Harriet. The girls skate together more and more. But just as Lalla’s interest in skating starts to fade, Harriet’s natural talent begins to emerge. Suddenly Lalla and Harriet seem headed in two very different directions. Can their friendship survive?
Cookie Monsters by: Erika Kendrick
Twelve-year-old Brooklyn Ace is ready to take the Valentine World Scouts by storm and build her own cookie empire. She nearly won the top cookie selling spot last year and is determined to make her mom—who recently passed away—proud by coming in first this time around. With her fabulous best friends by her side, Brooklyn knows she’ll become Santa Monica’s District Cookie Queen. The crown is practically in the bag.
Then Piper Parker arrives.
Piper has a rich dad, a fancy hotel, and a goal to steal the cookie crown right off Brooklyn’s head. Before long, most of the seventh grade is under Piper’s spell. But Brooklyn is in it to win the biggest cookie war the school has ever seen. With the help of her cookie squad, her rockstar grandmother, her super cool therapist, and a lot of self-love and inner growth, maybe—just maybe—Brooklyn can end up a winner after all.
I hope you are able to find a new favorite book this month. What books would you add to the list?