Six for Sunday: Blue Covers
The prompt for #SixforSunday this week is six books with blue covers – I have decided to go for wintry covers, although November is one of the most beautiful months in Autumn so the colours of the trees around me at the moment are spectacularly red, orange and yellow.
Here are a few that I have read and a few that I am hoping to read:
Wintertell by Katharine Orton
A gorgeous, snowy adventure, set in the wilds of Siberia, full of magic and wonder, for junior readers.
Born in a Soviet prison camp, Lina has never seen the world outside until the night she escapes with her best friend, Bogdan. As the pair journey across a snowy wilderness, they are pursued by a vengeful sorceress and her pack of shadow wolves. The children will need every ounce of courage – and a whisper of magic – if they are to survive…
I am super-excited to read this because it sounds like I will love it! It also sounds like a chilling, perfect read for this time of year.
Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Bursting with brilliant characters, heart-stopping adventure and tons of laughs, this magical tale is perfect for fans of Nevermoor, Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon!
Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea.
There, a little boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them… and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu.
But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash.
When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he’s whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . . ?
This sounds like such a lovely, warm-hearted adventure, plus the fact that it has been the Waterstones Book of the Month for two months in a row suggests that this really is one I should read.
Winter Magic by various authors
A beautiful and classic anthology of frosty, magical short stories from acclaimed children’s writers such as Michelle Magorian, Berlie Doherty, Lauren St John and Katherine Woodfine, and edited by author Abi Elphinstone.
Dreamsnatcher’s Abi Elphinstone heads up this gorgeous collection of wintery stories, featuring snow queens, frost fairs, snow dragons and pied pipers… from classic children’s writers such as Michelle Magorian, Geraldine McCaughrean, Jamila Gavin, Berlie Doherty, Katherine Woodfine, Piers Torday, Lauren St John, Amy Alward and Emma Carroll, among others.
An unmissable, enchanting treat of a collection that will be enjoyed for years to come, by readers of all ages.
I have read this already and loved it, even though anthologies can be very hit-or-miss for me. There is such a wide variety of story that you are sure to find a new favourite!
Winter’s Tales by Lari Don
A selection of folk tales about winter from all around the world. Find out how spiders invented tinsel, what happened when the spring girl beat the hag of winter, why snow is eagles’ feathers, and how a hero with hairy trousers used ice to kill a dragon.Stories from the Americas, Asia, Scandinavia and Europe make this a wonderfully inclusive anthology of the chilliest of tales, stunningly illustrated in papercut style.
This is one that I picked up in the library recently but have yet to read. I love how Lari Don uses folklore and fairy tales as the basis for her stories and I am excited to read more folktales and traditional tales from around the world.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders… but her father isn’t a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife’s dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers’ pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed–and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.
But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it’s worth–especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.
This is the perfect story for this time of year and is sure to appeal to fans of The Bear and the Nightingale or anyone who is interested in fairy tales, or Russian folklore. See my full review here.
A Girl Called Owl by Amy Wilson
It’s bad enough having a mum dippy enough to name you Owl, but when you’ve got a dad you’ve never met, a best friend who needs you more than ever, and a new boy at school giving you weird looks, there’s not a lot of room for much else.
So when Owl starts seeing strange frost patterns on her skin, she’s tempted to just burrow down under the duvet and forget all about it. Could her strange new powers be linked to her mysterious father?And what will happen when she enters the magical world of winter for the first time?
This book is one of my firm favourites and was the first I read by Amy Wilson, one of my ‘must-read’ authors now. It has the perfect blend of reality and magic that I find so difficult to get right in a magical realism story. Atmospheric, with beautiful descriptions and lots of friendship and family – I always recommend this one to my pupils!
Which books have you read with blue covers?
Do you tend to have more books with a certain colour cover?
Let me know in the comments!
While you’re here, why not check out my 5 Autumn essentials, how to say Autumn Leaves in ten languages, a tutorial to make adorable Autumn peg doll animals or my book reviews of A Different Pond, A Treason of Thorns, The Light Between Worlds or To Kill a Kingdom?
#SixforSunday is created by Steph from A Little But a Lot.
Check out some of my previous weeks of #SixforSunday here:
Books I would like to see as movies
Book characters I would like to stuck in a lift with
Animal companions in children’s books
Book characters I would like to be friends with
Favourite books of 2018 so far
Favourite snacks to eat while reading
Favourite books that nobody has heard of
Books that have made me want to shout
Books people are always telling me to read
Books that have been on the TBR pile forever
Authors who should collaborate
Characters I want to see together
2018 books everyone needs to read
Characters who deserve their own book
Baddies who deserve their own book
Fictional characters I want to befriend
Top Fictional Holiday Destinations
Books to take on an Autumn Walk
Ice and Snow
If you like, link your #SixforSunday posts below and I will check them out!
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Thanks for reading!
Chrikaru Reads 
So looking forward to reading Nevertell and Frostheart (especially the former!!). A Girl Called Owl is great, and Winter Magic is definitely one of my fave anthologies 😊. I really want to try Naomi Novik but I’ve only really read adult contemporary so far so I’m a bit nervous! I will one day though, I’m sure.
Amy x
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Great choices! I’m really looking forward to Nevertell too, and Winter Tales sounds really good, going to try and get that.
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