Books for Winter

Well, we've finally had our first snow and Winter is here! Read these books to help prepare yourself for the season.

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
The oceans stopped working before Willo was born so the world of ice and snow is all he's ever known. He lives with his family deep in the wilderness, far from the government's controlling grasp. But, suddenly, Willo's survival skills are put to the test when he arrives home one day to find his family missing. It could be the government; it could be scavengers - all Willo knows is he has to find refuge and find his family. It is a journey that will take him into the city he's always avoided, with a girl who needs his help more than he knows.

Winter Town by Stephen Emond
Every winter, Evan looks forward to a visit from Lucy, a childhood pal who moved away after her parent's divorce. But when Lucy arrives this year, she's changed. The 'girl next door' has chopped, dyed-black hair, a nose stud and a scowl. But even though Lucy's changed, Evan and Lucy connect again. And this time, Evan falls in love. Lucy has secrets. She doesn't tell Evan about her mother's abusive boyfriend, her own violent boyfriend and the fights that got her kicked out of her house. She feels guilty and starts to resent Evan's picture perfect (boring) life. Lucy knows she must break his heart and move on.The next winter, after transferring to an art college against his father's wishes, Evan sees Lucy again. And this time, they know the timing is right.

Snow-Walker by Catherine Fisher
From the frozen mists beyond the edge of the world comes Gudrun to rule the people through fear and sorcery. But the enchantress has one weakness -- her son, Kari, banished as a child to Thrasirshall, the forbidding fortress in the desolate, snowbound north. No one has ever set eyes on Kari, but in secret everyone wonders: Are the rumors true? Was he born a monster? Now, two will discover the truth. Because of their fathers' treachery, Gudrun has exiled Jessa and Thorkil . . . to Thrasirshall. The cousins wonder if they can survive the impossible trek to the ruined castle. And if they do, what will they find at the end of their journey? A beast? Or the means to stop Gudrun?

The Devouring by Simon Holt
The Vours: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice. When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life. To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Milena, Bartolomeo, Helen, and Milos have left their prison-like boarding schools far behind, but their futures remain in peril. Fleeing across icy mountains from a terrifying pack of dog-men sent to hunt them down, they are determined to take up the fight against the despotic government that murdered their parents years before. Only three will make it safely to the secret headquarters of the resistance movement. The fourth is captured and forced to participate in a barbaric game for the amusement of the masses -- further proof of the government's horrible brutality. Will the power of one voice be enough to rouse a people against a generation of cruelty?

Trapped by Michael Northrop
The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. For those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, until the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .

Just Like That by Marsha Qualey
Things change so suddenly. One day Hanna has a long-term boyfriend; then she realizes she doesn't have strong feelings for him and breaks things off. One day Hanna trusts her two best friends completely; the next, all of that trust is toppled. And then Hanna finds herself the bearer of a major secret: she was the last to see two teenagers before they died in an accident on the icy lake. She can't tell anyone, so when she finds herself drawn to Will, the kind of boy who'd increase any girl's pulse, she doesn't hold back. What she learns about him will astonish her. What she learns about herself--her friendships, her family, her life--will affect her more.

The Survivors by Will Weaver
Two years ago, the ash started falling like gray snow. The volcanoes had erupted. For Miles and his sister, Sarah, the real disaster started in the violent aftermath--when they were forced to leave their cushy suburban home and flee to the north woods for safety. Miles got them to a cabin, but now winter is setting in. All they have to get them through is the milk from Sarah's goat and Miles's memory of wilderness survival skills. When Sarah tries to regain some normalcy by attending the local school, she realizes she is no longer quite the person she used to be. Now she is Goat Girl, a Traveler, and it's hard to pretend she isn't. And when a horrific twist of fate robs Miles of his memory, he discovers the heart of his true identity. They knew the volcanoes would change the world. Now, in order to survive, they must change with it.

Kimberly