January Highlights

Themes and highlights for January

Visit the Washington School Library to learn about the January themes

Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration and biographies

Biographies

Science Experiments

Winter Holiday Books

Book Highlights for December

Books about Winter

• Animals in Winter by Helen Bancroft (591.56 BAN)
• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (E WIL)
• The Mitten and The Hat 2 books by Jan Brett (E BRE)
• Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (811.008 ROG)
• Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin; illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. (ER BEN)
• Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days by Cynthia Rylant ; illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. (ER RYL)
• Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant ; illustrated by Mark Teague. (ER RYL)
• Brian's Winter by Gary Paulson (FIC PAU) Companion book to: Hatchet and The River. Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.

Books about Hannukah (Chanukah)

• The Tie Man's Miracle by Steven Schnur
• The Story of Hannukkah by Amy Ehrlich; paintings by Ori Sherman (394.268 EHR)
• The Hanukkah Story by Morrison David Bial; pictures by Stephen Kraft (394.268 BIA)
• Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (E KIM)
• Gramdma's Latkes by Malka Drucker ; illustrated by Eve Chwast. (E DRU)

Books about Hanukkah and Christmas

• Elijah's Angel: a Story for Chanukah and Christmas by Michael J. Rosen; illustrated by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. (E ROS) Based on a true story of Elijah Pierce (1892-1984), a lay minister, barber, and woodcarver from Columbus, Ohio. When Christmas and Hannukkah occur at the same time, Elijah, an African American barber, gives Michael, a Jewish boy a gift of a carved guardian angel. Michael doesn't know what to do since the Christmas angel is a "graven image," forbidden in Michael's home.
• The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco. (E POL) During a scarlet-fever epidemic one winter in Michigan, a Jewish family helps make Christmas special for their sick neighbors by making their own Hanukkah miracle.

Books about Christmas

• Brian Wildersmith's The Twelve Days of Christmas (E WIL)
• The Night Before Christmas A.K.A. A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore (811 MOO)
• Christmas in the Big House; Christmas in the Quarters by Pat McKissack; illustrated by John Thompson. ( 975.03 MCK)
• Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans (E BEM)
• Going Home by Eve Bunting (E BUN)
• Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola. (E DEP)
• A Green Christmas by Theodora Kroeber; Illustrated by John Larrecq (E KRO)
• An Ellis Island Christmas by Maxinne Rhea Leighton; illustrated by Dennis Nolan (E LEI)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. (E SEU)
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (E VAN)
• Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish; pictures by Lynn Sweat. (ER PAR)
• Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant; illustrated by Arthur Howard. (ER RYL)
• Christmas Stories (includes A Christmas Carol) by Charles Dickens (FIC DIC)
• The Coat-hanger Christmas Tree by Eleanor Estes; Illustrated by Susanne Suba (FIC EST)
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson; pictures by Judith Gwyn Brown. (FIC ROB)
• The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paola (E DEP)

Books about Kwanzaa

• African-American Holidays by Fith Winchester (394.2 WIN)
• Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney; pictures by Brian Pinkney. (394.26 PIN)
• My First Kwanzaa by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate; illustrated by Cal Massey (394.238 CHO)
• Big Bob and the Winter Holiday Potato by Daniel Manus Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater. (ER PIN)

Thanksgiving Myths

Native Americans wish to raise awareness about the myths of Thanksgiving.