As the months grow colder, the best way to warm up is with a good story. No matter the group, these books spark joy and meaningful conversations year after year.
In this post, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite winter-themed mentor texts for upper elementary students. These books provide rich opportunities to reinforce reading and writing skills. Plus, I’ll share tips for using them with specific ELA standards to help you make the most of your lessons.
Literary Elements: Illustrations as Text, Sequence of Events
Themes to Explore: Friendship, Problem-Solving
In this classic tale, a young boy loses his mitten in the snow, and one by one, various animals crawl inside it to seek warmth. The book’s illustrations help convey important details about the animals and their actions. This makes it a great resource for teaching students sequencing and how illustrations help tell a story.
There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed the Snow By: Lucille Colandro
Literary Skills: Sequence of Events, Rhyming, Cause and Effect
Themes to explore: Humor, Imagination
The "cold" lady is at it again as she swallows a series of winter-themed objects. Students can explore the sequence of events and cause-and-effect relationships as they discuss each new item she swallows. Use this book to teach the importance of sequencing events in stories and recognizing rhythm patterns in literature.
Literary Elements: Imagery, Mood, Character Analysis
Themes to Explore: Familial Relationships, Nature
This beautiful, lyrical story follows a father and daughter on a nighttime search for an owl. The book's imagery and mood allow students to explore descriptive language and discuss familial bonds. Use it to analyze how the setting influences the mood of a story and help students practice identifying figurative language and sensory details.
Literary Elements: Predicting, Problem-Solving, Setting
Themes to Explore: Winter, Patience, Expectations
In this story, a boy eagerly anticipates the first snow of winter. Through a series of observations and reflections, he learns the importance of patience. Students can practice making predictions about the story and explore how setting influences the characters’ emotions and actions.
Literary Elements: Character Development, Conflict Resolution
Themes to Explore: Self-Acceptance, Confidence, Friendship
This heartwarming story follows the journey of a yak who feels overlooked and underestimated by the other animals due to his size. As the littlest yak discovers his own unique abilities, students can explore themes of self-acceptance and personal growth. The book allows your class to discuss character development and motivation.
Literary Elements: Retelling Fairy Tales, Point of View, Cause and Effect
Themes to Explore: Fairytale Tropes
This twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears is set in the Arctic with polar bears. Students can explore how changing the setting impacts the story and discuss the different points of view between the characters. You can also explore cause and effect as Goldilocks interacts with the bears.
Literary Elements: Inference, Dialogue
Themes to Explore: Friendship, Imagination, Humor
"One Cool Friend" follows a young boy who brings home an unusual pet—a penguin! The book’s dialogue and illustrations provide opportunities for students to infer character traits and motivations. Students can also explore how dialogue and humor is used to drive the plot forward.
Literary Elements: Setting, Prediction
Themes to Explore: Change, Anticipation
A family of bears moves into their winter "home" as soon as a human family leaves for the season. This book is perfect for discussing setting and how it influences characters' actions. Students can predict what might happen next and explore how that can create suspense in a narrative.
Literary Elements: Figurative Language, Problem-Solving
Themes to Explore: Community, Teamwork
This story imagines snowmen at work, as they perform various tasks around the neighborhood. The imaginative illustrations allow you to teach figurative language and personification. Students can also practice problem-solving as they discuss how the snowmen work together to complete their “jobs”.
Literary Elements: Humor, Sequence, Cause and Effect
Themes to Explore: Problem-Solving, Friendship
Little Critter and his friends attempt to make the best snowball soup ever, but things don’t go as planned. This gives you the perfect opportunity to teach problem-solving and cause/effect. Students can also explore how humor is used to develop the plot.
Have I missed any of your favorites? I’d love for you to share them with me over on my instagram @fifthintheforest!
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