Books for Curious Kids
Season-by-season reading lists about weather, wind, birds and animals, camping and the outdoors, and the night sky, sorted by age. Every book here has won or been shortlisted for a respected children’s book award, and you can look for all of them at the Lethbridge Public Library.
On this page
How we picked these books
There are a lot of children’s books out there, and we wanted to share only ones we’d be proud to hand to our own kids and grandkids. So every book on this page comes from a list put together by people who know children’s books best: librarians, award juries and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Canadian awards
The TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction (both from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre), the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Lane Anderson Award for Canadian science writing, and the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading.
The Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal and Honor Books list comes from the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. It honours the illustrators of outstanding picture books, and “Honor” books are the runners-up. Where the illustrator isn’t the author, we name both.
Title and author only
We list the title, the author and where each book was recognized. No store links: the library is the best place to find them.
Lots of these are Canadian. The age bands are our own rough guide. Picture books are wonderful at any age, and a book that’s a stretch is perfect for reading together.
Get your free library card
Our library is one of the best deals in town. The library’s own membership pages say there’s no fee for a card if you live in Lethbridge. Check lethlib.ca for this year’s details.
- Kids 12 and under sign up with a grown-up, or bring a Juvenile Membership form (you can download it from the library’s website) to any branch.
- Teens 13 to 18 can use a student ID card or driver’s licence, or have a parent verify their address.
- You’ll need one piece of ID that shows your name and your Lethbridge address.
- Renew every year so the library has your up-to-date address. You can do it in person, by phone or online.
The library has two branches, Main and Crossings, plus a Bookmobile. Besides books, you can borrow from its Toy Library and its Library of Things. A library visit is also a stop in our Junior Explorer Passport.
Can’t find a book on the shelf? Ask at the desk. Librarians can put a hold on it, or help you find something just as good.
Winter: snow, cold and cozy nights
Our winter brings snow, arctic cold snaps and then a chinook that melts it all away again. It also brings long, dark evenings, which are perfect for curling up with a book. When it’s too cold to go out, our indoor fun page has more ideas.
| Ages | Book and author | Recognized by |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats | Caldecott Medal, 1963 |
| 3 to 6 | Owl Moon, Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr | Caldecott Medal, 1988 |
| 3 to 6 | Once Upon a Northern Night, Jean E. Pendziwol | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist, 2014 |
| 7 to 9 | Snowflake Bentley, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian | Caldecott Medal, 1999 |
| 7 to 9 | Wolf in the Snow, Matthew Cordell | Caldecott Medal, 2018 |
| 10 to 12 | Weird Weather, Kate Evans | Norma Fleck Award finalist, 2008 |
After reading about snowflakes, go out on a snowy day and catch some on a piece of chilled black paper. Our hands-on weather science page shows you how to look at them up close.
Spring: wind, birds and ponds
Spring in our city means wind (lots of it!), birds coming back to the river valley, and ponds waking up. These books are all about the things you’ll notice when the snow goes.
| Ages | Book and author | Recognized by |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | The Wind and the Trees, Todd Stewart | Governor General’s Literary Award finalist, young people’s literature (illustrated books), 2021 |
| 3 to 6 | Birdsong, Julie Flett | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award winner, 2020 |
| 3 to 6 | Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know, Brittany Luby | Governor General’s Literary Award finalist, young people’s literature (illustrated books), 2021 |
| 7 to 9 | I Am Wind: An Autobiography, Rachel Poliquin | Lane Anderson Award finalist, young reader, 2025 |
| 7 to 9 | Turtle Pond, James Gladstone | Norma Fleck Award winner, 2019 |
| 7 to 9 | Loon, Susan Vande Griek | Norma Fleck Award winner, 2012 |
| 10 to 12 | Crows: Genius Birds, Kyla Vanderklugt | Norma Fleck Award finalist, 2021 |
| 10 to 12 | Bat Citizen, Rob Laidlaw | Norma Fleck Award finalist, 2019 |
| 10 to 12 | Stand on the Sky, Erin Bow | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist, 2020 |
A book about wind is the perfect excuse to build a wind vane. You’ll find one on our weather science page, and our first signs of spring bingo is a great way to go looking for birds.
Summer: camping and the great outdoors
Summer is camping season, lake season and bug season. Pack one of these in the car or the tent for a story by flashlight.
| Ages | Book and author | Recognized by |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | Bear Came Along, Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham | Caldecott Honor Book, 2020 |
| 3 to 6 | Out into the Big Wide Lake, Paul Harbridge | Governor General’s Literary Award finalist, young people’s literature (illustrated books), 2021 |
| 7 to 9 | On the Trapline, David A. Robertson | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award winner, 2022 |
| 7 to 9 | Bompa’s Insect Expedition, David Suzuki with Tanya Lloyd Kyi | Lane Anderson Award shortlist, young reader, 2024 |
| 10 to 12 | The Barren Grounds, David A. Robertson | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist, 2021 |
Getting ready for a trip? Our camping with kids page has packing and safety tips, and the kids’ garden page is full of summer bug-watching.
Fall: the Moon, stars and night sky
When the clocks fall back, it gets dark early enough for kids to see the stars before bedtime. That makes fall a great time to read about the Moon and the night sky, then head outside to look.
| Ages | Book and author | Recognized by |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | Kitten’s First Full Moon, Kevin Henkes | Caldecott Medal, 2005 |
| 3 to 6 | A Big Mooncake for Little Star, Grace Lin | Caldecott Honor Book, 2019 |
| 3 to 7 | The Darkest Dark, Chris Hadfield | Forest of Reading, Blue Spruce Award nominee (JK to Grade 2), 2018 |
| 3 to 7 | Picture the Sky, Barbara Reid | TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award finalist, 2018 |
| 7 to 9 | Starry Messenger, Peter Sís | Caldecott Honor Book, 1997 |
| 10 to 12 | A Planet Is a Poem, Amanda West Lewis | Lane Anderson Award winner, young reader, 2025 |
Take your book outside on a clear night and try the backyard night-sky checklist on our seasonal hunts page. Our dark skies page shows where the stars are brightest near the city.
What about knot books?
We looked hard for a book about tying knots on a trusted award or library list, and we couldn’t find one we were sure about, so we’ve left knot books off this page. The good news: our knots page walks you through seven useful knots, step by step. If you’d like a book too, ask a librarian to help you choose one.
Printable reading log
Print this and stick it on the fridge. Colour in a star for each book you finish.
My reading log
- ☐ I got my library card (or checked that it’s up to date)
- ☐ Winter book: ______________________ ☆☆☆
- ☐ Spring book: ______________________ ☆☆☆
- ☐ Summer book: ______________________ ☆☆☆
- ☐ Fall book: ______________________ ☆☆☆
- ☐ I read a book to someone younger (or to a pet, or a stuffed animal!)
- ☐ I tried one of the “Try this” activities after reading
- ☐ I asked a librarian for a recommendation
- ☐ My favourite book this year: ______________________
Keep exploring
Weather Detective
Read about weather, then test yourself with real readings from our weather station.
Sources
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre, TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, winners and finalists by year (Birdsong 2020 winner; On the Trapline 2022 winner; The Barren Grounds 2021, Stand on the Sky 2020, Picture the Sky 2018 and Once Upon a Northern Night 2014 finalists): bookcentre.ca
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, winners and finalists 1999–2023 (Turtle Pond 2019 and Loon 2012 winners; Crows: Genius Birds 2021, Bat Citizen 2019 and Weird Weather 2008 finalists): bookcentre.ca
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre, A Planet Is a Poem wins 2025 Lane Anderson Award (young reader winner; I Am Wind: An Autobiography a finalist): bookcentre.ca
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Shortlists announced for the 2024 Lane Anderson Award (Bompa’s Insect Expedition, young reader shortlist): bookcentre.ca
- CBC Books, The finalists for the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for young people’s literature, illustrated books (This Is How I Know; On the Trapline; Out into the Big Wide Lake; The Library Bus; The Wind and the Trees): cbc.ca
- Association for Library Service to Children, Caldecott Medal and Honor Books, 1938 to present (The Snowy Day 1963, Owl Moon 1988, Snowflake Bentley 1999, Kitten’s First Full Moon 2005 and Wolf in the Snow 2018 medals; Starry Messenger 1997, A Big Mooncake for Little Star 2019 and Bear Came Along 2020 honours), copy hosted by the City of Fargo: fargond.gov (PDF)
- CBC Books, Chris Hadfield, Gord Downie among Forest of Reading’s 108 nominees for 2018 awards (The Darkest Dark, Blue Spruce, JK to Grade 2): cbc.ca
- Quill & Quire, OLA announces 2017 Forest of Reading winners (the Forest of Reading is the Ontario Library Association’s program): quillandquire.com
- Lethbridge Public Library, Membership (no fee for Lethbridge residents; ID showing your Lethbridge address; rules for ages 12 and under and 13 to 18): lethlib.ca
- Lethbridge Public Library, Membership FAQs (no fee; annual renewal in person, by phone or online): lethlib.ca
- Lethbridge Public Library, About us (Main and Crossings branches; Bookmobile; Toy Library; Library of Things): lethlib.ca
- Bridge City News, September is Membership Month at the Lethbridge Public Library (September 4, 2025: free membership in place since 2019): bridgecitynews.ca