Winter Solstice Themed Books & Lessons

The longest night of the year, also called Winter Solstice, is coming up on December 21st. While I personally look forward to the increasing amount of daylight following the longest night, I also enjoy using Winter Solstice as a lesson topic with students.

Below, please find recommended books covering winter solstice:

• The Longest Night, by Marion Dane Bauer

• Winter: A Solstice Story, by Kelsey L. Gross

• Bright Winter Night, by Alli Brydon

• The Shortest Day, by Wendy Pfeffer

Following reading, families can do extension activities about the winter solstice. Some questions to ask might be:

• What do you want to do on the longest night of the year?

• How is the Winter Solstice celebrated around the world?

• Why is there more daylight in summer and more darkness in winter?

Children can also make snow-themed crafts, learn new vocabulary, and practice their /s/ and /s blend/ sounds during reading. Here’s to brighter days ahead!

Readers: What are your favorite books about the Winter Solstice?

About the Author: Melissa Goff, M.S, CCC-SLP, is the owner of Sunflower Speech & Myo Therapy, PLLC, in Charlotte, NC.