IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Reading
Written By Joann Howeth

The holidays are approaching, decorations are on display, merchants are preparing for crowds of shoppers, pumpkin spice lattes are happening, and the Salvation Army’s bell ringers are out in full force. This is when I start to get in the mood unlike some people who start their holiday shopping in July and are all done by Thanksgiving with nothing left to do but the wrapping.  I am not one of these individuals; it’s not that I drag my feet, but I find a nudge from my surroundings helpful. Books are lovely gifts if you have readers on your list, and here are some great ones created by Montana kid-lit authors and illustrators. All of these books are available at local bookstores as well as Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.  Check ‘em out!

For the Picture Book audience:

Sneed Collard https://www.sneedbcollardiii.com/

  • Beaver and Otter Sort of Get Along

  • Border Crossings

  • Woodpeckers Drilling Holes and Bagging Bugs

Jen Ard (illustrator) https://www.jenniferard.com/

  • Nest

  • Into the Blue A Counting Adventure

Sue Lawrence

  • Montana’s Memory Day

Jeanne Bowman (illustrator) https://www.jeannebowmanillustrates.com/

  • Bob Marshall Defender of the Wilderness

  • Badger Clark Poetry Wrangler

  • Georgia Jipp: Blizzard Pilot

Gary Robson https://garydrobson.com/books/

  • Who Pooped in the Park series

Kelly Ann Dalton (illustrator) https://www.daltonabbey.com/

  • Addie Ant

  • Beatrix Butterfly

Jean Petersen https://www.jeanpetersen.com/

  • Kind Soup

Connie Van Hoven https://www.constancevanhoven.com/

  • Rare and Blue

Janet Fox https://janetsfox.com/

  • Wintergarden

Joann Howeth https://www.joannhoweth.com/

  • The Mollys B.

Jensen Collins (illustrator) https://jensencollins.com/

  • Mischief With Grandma

  • Annie and Khalil

Precious McKenzie https://www.preciousmckenzie.com/

  • Nest

Michelle Weltz

  • Miraculous Sky

Julie Schnieders

  • A Hunt for Bugs

Michele Corriel https://www.michelecorriel.com/

  • Weird Rocks

Sharon Glick (illustrator) https://www.sharon-glick.com/

  • We Match!

  • Olivia the Mischievous Cat

Santral Lusin (author/illustrator) https://www.evaroe.com/books

  • Cloud Your Burps Are Loud

 

Chapter Books for those brand-new solo readers:

Bruce Smith https://www.brucesmithwildlife.com/

  • The Legend Keepers series

Betty Vanderwielen

  • Racoon Summer

Jean Petersen https://www.jeanpetersen.com/

  • Life on the Ranch with Banjo

Sheila Ruble https://www.sheilaruble.com/

  • Don’t Park on a Pig

 

Intriguing reading for Middle Graders:

Robin Kolb https://sites.google.com/view/robinkolbauthor/home

  • Galloping Away

LuAnn Rod https://www.luannmrod.com/

  • Maddie McDowell and the Rodeo Robbery

Sheila Ruble https://www.sheilaruble.com/

  • Cricket’s Choice

  • Fire Pony

Janet Fox https://janetsfox.com/

  • The Mystery of Mystic Mountain

  • The Artifact Hunters

  • Carry Me Home

Precious McKenzie https://preciousmckenzie.com/

  • Selkie

  • Ruffian

Susan Adrian https://www.susanadrian.net/

  • Nutcracked

  • Forever Neverland

Kiri Jorgensen http://www.kirijorgensen.com/

  • Perfect

 

And for those discriminating Young Adults:

Susan Adrian https://www.susanadrian.net/

  • Tunnel Vision

  • The Dark At The End

Michele Corriel https://www.michelecorriel.com/

  • Membrane

Theresa Nichols Schuster https://www.tnschuster.com/

  • Brittle Silver: A Novel

Joann Howeth
Next

Lions and Tigers and . . . BEARS!!!