Best Reads of Winter 2026

Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads.

Picture Books

Your Forest by Jon Klassen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

LOVE. Although will some kids be scared of the ghost? Too bad. Wondering if there is one in the farm and island books as well, which I just ordered.

 

Your Farm by Jon Klassen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a bit unsettled that the hay had eyes. And was going to be eaten.

 

The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would have loved to use this for Mock Caldecott, but alas, Timmers is Belgian. Could spark good discussions about rumors, judgements, and the fact that 95% of our oceans are unexplored ... who KNOWS what "monsters" we have yet to find!

 

The Future Book by Mac Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I believe we have our first Mock Caldecott 2027 contender here.

And the kids can make up their own phrases to use in the now.

Forgive me, Susan!

Making Art by Diana Ejaita
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The art teacher needs this in her collection!

Chapter Books / Graphic Novels
 

Johnny Boo and the Silly Blizzard by James Kochalka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How have I never heard of this series before? Discovered it while searching for blizzard-related books on Sora to have my kids look up information during distance learning due to a blizzard. So cute. I want all of the books for our collection!

 

Busted by Dan Gemeinhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ludicrous situations, but I laughed and I cried. What a ride! Would definitely buy if I taught at the middle school level.

Nonfiction

 

Jim!: Six True Stories about One Great Artist: James Marshall by Jerrold Connors
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored the format ... oh, how I loved George and Martha. Maybe I need to get new editions of them. We do have some of his fairy tales. Oldies but goodies.

 

Extreme Places: The Most Remote Homes on Earth: A stunning cut-paper picture book touring Siberia, the Sahara, Socotra & more―for young explorers ages 4-8 by Giles Laroche
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The amount of research and paper-cutting that went into this is staggering. Now I need to look up photos of all of these places. And be glad I don't live there.


Look and Cook Sweet: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures by Valorie Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I kind of want to make jiggle jar ice cream, but I don't know that I can shake it for an entire 10 minutes. I mean, I'm working on lifting heavier weights for longer, but that's a LONG time. Anyways, the kids are always asking for dessert cookbooks, and I'm wondering if they'll be more likely to actually make the recipes when they are in this format.

The Big Empty: A Sagebrush Survival Story by Kirbi Fagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lovely, but I don't think my 2nd graders will appreciate it. They have already voted down "Zero" and "This Book Bubbles Over."

For Grownups  

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wheeeeeee! Absolute page-turner. A friend and I read it over two days, texting each other constantly and then listening to the last few chapters via Spotify together. And now we want to reread it, knowing what we know. Such fun!

 

Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun/poignant twist on a road trip plot. I want to see Tom's movie.

 

Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would love for Mary Roach to write books for the elementary set so I could read them to my students! Learned a ton, laughed often.