A review by triscuit807
Winterbound by Margery Williams Bianco

4.0

This a pleasantly charming young adult novel by the author of the classic children's book "The Velveteen Rabbit". Set mostly during a Connecticut winter in the 1930s it's a tale of the Ellis family, city folk, who have moved to the country to save money while the father is off on an expedition (archaeological it turns out). Before Thanksgiving the mother heads to Arizona to care for a sick relative leaving the children on their own. As others have pointed out there's not much excitement outside of small daily adventures - which are beautifully told: setting up a huge iron stove for winter, exploring a nearby empty house, hiking in the woods, hunting foxes by moonlight, and dealing with cold and flu, as well as the day by day management of the family finances. It's important to note that these events are handled by children, a thing that wouldn't be permitted today. I read this for my 2017 Reading Challenge "a book with a one word title" (Read World 52) and for my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book 1937)