NORTH FOR THE WINTER

Searching for a lost reindeer sends two new friends on an adventure they’ll never forget.

Grieving Virginia Kay spots a reindeer out her car window during a move from Arizona to Colorado just three days before Christmas in 1955. She tries to tell her dad what she saw, but he gets distracted and almost crashes the car. When they arrive at Aunt Frances’ apartment, Virginia meets her friendly new neighbor, the chatty Benny Alvarez, who’s always up for snacking. After they spend the day together, Virginia decides she can let Benny in on her secret. Benny declares “We’re in this together,” and the magical twists and turns begin as they team up to search for the reindeer. The Continental Air Defense Command Center is tracking it, too, trying to identify the suspicious flying object. Meanwhile, another plotline following a separate reindeer tracker unnecessarily complicates matters. Still grappling with her mother’s loss, Virginia hopes she can reunite the lost reindeer with Santa. Will she and Benny find it in time to save Christmas? The fast-paced story comes to life on the page through Podesta’s artwork, which features expressive facial expressions, vividly rendered action scenes, and the effective use of color. Virginia and her family present white, and Benny and his family are cued Latine.

Family, friendship, and shenanigan-filled bravery take flight in this Christmas tale.