by Missy Bell

Created on: December 20, 2010

Snow is falling.  School is out.  The excitement of the lack of school has all but worn off and now you're looking for something to cure your boredom.  The winter blahs have set in.  You've had enough sledding and cocoa and cookies and you're ready to settle some imagination stimulation.  Here are some of the best possible reads for to send the blahs packing:

The Teenage Liberation Handbook:  How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace Llewellyn

Sick of school?  Not really interested in going back once break is over?  This book is for you.  Based upon the theory of "unschooling" by John Holt - this book can open your eyes to the world beyond traditional schooling and give you an inside look at the lives of teens who choose NOT to attend school. 

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

With motifs of ice, snow, and winter, no book is more appropriate for the cold season.  Following the trial of a Japanese man after a mysterious murder and fishing boat accident in the 1950's, this book has everything:  intrigue, mystery, love, death, and a serious look at the Japanese interment camps imposed on Japanese Americans during the Second World War.

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

A chilling and though-provoking tale of the brain activity of a boy in a perpetual vegetative state, this book will give you a new outlook on life, and a stunning realization about things that are not always as they seem.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

You've seen the movie, now dive to whole new depths with the novel from whence came the film.  The novel, written from a first-person perspective, follows murder victim, fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon into the after-life and back into "real-time" as she follows her family and her killer through the twists and turns that eventually link the right person to her murder. 

Winter Dreams, Christmas Love by Mary Francis Shura

For the romantic, this book carries Ellen through her intense romance with Michael, following their story through two years of turmoil, with a happy ending.  The season of their love is fitting, as the author focuses on each year's winter. 

A Christmas Carol by Charlies Dickens

Zero in on this classic tale as you curl up by the fireplace and gnosh on those leftover chocolate chip cookies.  If you've never read the original, you're in for a serious treat, and if you have, it's the perfect time of year to re-visit this fantastical tale of Mr. Scrooge and his three ghostly visitors.

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

One of the finest tales ever told, Potok's book speaks of a young Jewish boy who dreams of becoming an artist.  After a lengthy apprenticeship with a master painter, Asher must take a hard look at what he is willing to sacrifice for his art.  Note:  this book is for the serious reader who is not afraid of a challenge.

Learn more about this author, Missy Bell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.