Love Polar? Readers share 100 books like Polar...

By Dan Kainen, Carol Kaufmann,

Here are 100 books that Polar fans have personally recommended if you like Polar. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Ice! Poems About Polar Life

Alicia Klepeis Author Of Penguins & Polar Bears: A Pretty Cool Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic

From my list on the polar regions for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a geographer and the author of more than 170 (mostly nonfiction) books for kids. I began my career at the National Geographic Society and have worked on a variety of projects for them over the last three decades. I also taught middle-school geography for years. In addition to my featured book, I have written numerous magazine articles on topics related to polar regionsā€”from Siberiaā€™s Eveny people to climate change in the Arctic. I am the author of Living in the Arctic and several books on countries in the polar regions. I was recently interviewed by PBS Books for my book on Benjamin Franklinā€™s scientific work.

Alicia's book list on the polar regions for children

Alicia Klepeis Why did Alicia love this book?

ā€œFish and penguins, squids and seals,

All find krill make splendid meals.ā€

So begins Douglas Florianā€™s poem about krill. Writing nonfiction poetry is no small feat and this book is a masterpiece of that artform. Each two-page spread focuses on an area or a creature related to the polar regions and features a poem, illustration, and short chunk of expository writing to give the reader more information on the subject. It covers subjects including ptarmigans, narwhals, musk ox, and many more. This book is funny, clever, and a joy to read aloud. Readers will love this one!

By Douglas Florian,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ice! Poems About Polar Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Funny poems paired with intriguing facts introduce young readers to the fascinating creatures that live in Earth's polar regions.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year!

The remote North and South Poles-- which poet Douglas Florian calls our "Earth refrigerator"-- are home to a wide variety of unusual, rarely-seen creatures including caribou, penguins, ptarmigans, narwhals, and many more! Young readers will love learning about these polar denizens and the ways they've adapted to their cold, windy, frozen environments.

Whimsical, colorful art and humorous poems introduce more than a dozen polar animals, and touch on the unique characteristics of theā€¦


Book cover of Arctic & Antarctic

Alicia Klepeis Author Of Penguins & Polar Bears: A Pretty Cool Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic

From my list on the polar regions for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a geographer and the author of more than 170 (mostly nonfiction) books for kids. I began my career at the National Geographic Society and have worked on a variety of projects for them over the last three decades. I also taught middle-school geography for years. In addition to my featured book, I have written numerous magazine articles on topics related to polar regionsā€”from Siberiaā€™s Eveny people to climate change in the Arctic. I am the author of Living in the Arctic and several books on countries in the polar regions. I was recently interviewed by PBS Books for my book on Benjamin Franklinā€™s scientific work.

Alicia's book list on the polar regions for children

Alicia Klepeis Why did Alicia love this book?

I have always found the Eyewitness series of books to be very appealing and this one is no exception. Because every two-page spread can stand alone, readers can read the book from cover to cover or just dive into whatever sections or topics are most appealing to them. I find myself captivated by the high-quality photographs throughout, whether of colorful sea stars living in the cold waters around Antarctica or a fuzzy moose calf living in the Arctic. As a geographer, I find this book to stand out because it covers animals and plants of the polar regions, as well as what life in these harsh regions is like for both native peoples of the Arctic and explorers in both polar zones.

By Barbara Taylor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Arctic & Antarctic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Enter the faraway world of the Earth's frozen poles and learn about amazing human and animal life that thrives at subzero temperatures--from a 4,000-year-old Eskimo tribe to king penguins, who dive deep into frigid seas filled with icebergs the size of Massachusetts.


Book cover of Penguins and Antarctica

Alicia Klepeis Author Of Penguins & Polar Bears: A Pretty Cool Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic

From my list on the polar regions for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a geographer and the author of more than 170 (mostly nonfiction) books for kids. I began my career at the National Geographic Society and have worked on a variety of projects for them over the last three decades. I also taught middle-school geography for years. In addition to my featured book, I have written numerous magazine articles on topics related to polar regionsā€”from Siberiaā€™s Eveny people to climate change in the Arctic. I am the author of Living in the Arctic and several books on countries in the polar regions. I was recently interviewed by PBS Books for my book on Benjamin Franklinā€™s scientific work.

Alicia's book list on the polar regions for children

Alicia Klepeis Why did Alicia love this book?

As a fan of the Magic Tree House series, I love the way that this nonfiction book weaves great information with illustrations and photographs in a fun-to-read format. This title will be a hit with animal lovers, whether they are curious about the daily lives of penguins in Antarctica or why krill are so important to the food web here. Adventure seekers will revel in the daring exploits of explorers from the past. Theyā€™ll also learn about what itā€™s like to visit Antarctica today. The additional resources in the back of the book looked terrific and made me want to explore more of this frozen continent.

By Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce, Sal Murdocca (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Penguins and Antarctica as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Getting the facts behind the fiction has never looked better. Track the facts with Jack and Annie!!
 
When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #12: Eve of the Emperor Penguin, they had lots of questions. What do penguins eat? Why do they huddle together in groups? Who won the race to the South Pole? What happens at a research station in Antarctica? Find out the answers to these questions and moreā€¦


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorā€”and only womanā€”on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route upā€¦

Book cover of The Poles: Explore the natural world of both the Antarctic and Arctic Polar Regions

Alicia Klepeis Author Of Penguins & Polar Bears: A Pretty Cool Introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic

From my list on the polar regions for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a geographer and the author of more than 170 (mostly nonfiction) books for kids. I began my career at the National Geographic Society and have worked on a variety of projects for them over the last three decades. I also taught middle-school geography for years. In addition to my featured book, I have written numerous magazine articles on topics related to polar regionsā€”from Siberiaā€™s Eveny people to climate change in the Arctic. I am the author of Living in the Arctic and several books on countries in the polar regions. I was recently interviewed by PBS Books for my book on Benjamin Franklinā€™s scientific work.

Alicia's book list on the polar regions for children

Alicia Klepeis Why did Alicia love this book?

As soon as I picked up this book, I was blown away by its spectacular illustrations. There are two special foldouts where the book expands to have four-page wide illustrations of the Antarctic and Arctic regions. Most kidsā€™ books that cover the Antarctic donā€™t get into as much detail about the different environments thereā€”from pack ice to the islands around the continent. But this book does a beautiful job of showing that the Antarctic is more than just ice and snow and that the wildlife is diverse and fascinating. I also loved the section on the Arcticā€™s polar desert with its beautiful dwarf lupin and moss balls. Readers might be surprised to discover the butterflies and bearberries of the tundra regions as well. 

By Bernard Stonehouse, Richard Orr (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Poles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Children will be fascinated by the wealth of animal and plant life in Nature Unfolds The Poles, a richly illustrated new book that takes readers on a journey from the Antarctic and its islands to the polar desert and tundra of the Arctic. Amazing information and two spectacular fold-out illustrations help children identify the wildlife and plants that live: - on the Antarctic continent - around the pack ice - on and around the Antarctic and oceanic islands - in the Arctic polar desert - in the tundra - on and around the coastlands - in the Arctic oceans andā€¦


Book cover of The Voyage of the Narwhal

Cynthia Reeves Author Of The Last Whaler

From my list on survival in extreme polar environments.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve had a lifelong passion for all things Arctic that began in childhood as I devoured many tragic tales of doomed Arctic explorers. This fascination later merged with concern for human impacts on this fragile ecosystem. Though I hate the cold and suffer from vertigo, I participated in the 2017 Arctic Circle Summer Solstice Expedition that sailed Svalbardā€™s western shores. Among other experiences, I witnessed a massive glacier calving and walked on an ice floe. Determined to fully absorb Svalbardā€™s setting for my creative work, I spent two subsequent residencies in Longyearbyenā€”one in the dark season and one as the light returnedā€”and I signed on for another expedition to circumnavigate the archipelago.

Cynthia's book list on survival in extreme polar environments

Cynthia Reeves Why did Cynthia love this book?

Like Brockmeierā€™s book, this book is in my top-five all-time novels. I can fall in love with a novel purely for its language, and Barrettā€™s ability to describe the settings her characters encounter is unparalleled. It, too, has a rare polar setting, this time aboard the ship the Narwhal bound for the Arctic in 1855 to find the remains of a previous, lost expedition. So visceral are her descriptions that they put me right back in the Arctic.

Sheā€™s also masterful at interleaving science and history with her charactersā€™ desires without becoming didactic. One of her protagonists, the scholar-naturalist Erasmus Darwin Wells, screens the world and his philosophical musings through the lens of his scientific inclinations. I admire novels that manage to teach me something while not feeling as if the author is desperate to cram all the research s/he has acquired into the book. Barrett succeeds in avoiding thisā€¦

By Andrea Barrett,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Voyage of the Narwhal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Capturing a crucial moment in the history of exploration-the mid-nineteenth century romance with the Arctic-Andrea Barrett's compelling novel tells the story of a fateful expedition. Through the eyes of the ship's scholar-naturalist, Erasmus Darwin Wells, we encounter the Narwhal's crew, its commander, and the far-north culture of the Esquimaux. In counterpoint, we meet the women left behind in Philadelphia, explorers only in imagination. Together, those who travel and those who stay weave a web of myth and mystery, finally discovering what they had not sought, the secrets of their own hearts.


Book cover of All the White Spaces

Amy Goldsmith Author Of Those We Drown

From my list on spooky ships.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always lived by the coast and have a healthy respect for the sea and a mortal fear of everything within it. Itā€™s truly terrifying to me that around 80% of the ocean is unexplored ā€“ what is down there? This fear partly inspired me to write Those We Drown, my YA horror debut set aboard a cruise ship and featuring a splash of oceanic horror.

Amy's book list on spooky ships

Amy Goldsmith Why did Amy love this book?

In All the White Spaces, WWI has just ended and we follow stowaway Jonathan Morgan to Antarctica, where he hopes to fulful his older brotherā€™s dreams of adventure and exploration.

When the ship gets stuck in the frozen Weddell Sea, the crew is forced into the icy wilderness of the South Pole. As they prepare to spend the winter there, they find something terrible waiting for them in the frozen wasteland.

A chilling ghost story exploring themes of identity, If you loved Dan Simmonā€™s The Terror, you will love this. 

By Ally Wilkes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the White Spaces as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Bram Stoker Award nominee

ā€œSome of the best survival horror weā€™ve read in years, with a uniquely menacing adversary at its heart.ā€ ā€”Vulture,The Best Horror Novels of 2022
ā€œEpic.ā€ ā€”Esquire,The 22 Best Horror Books of 2022

Something deadly and mysterious stalks the members of an isolated polar expedition in this haunting and spellbinding historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Dan Simmonsā€™s The Terror and Alma Katsuā€™s The Hunger.

In the wake of the First World War, Jonathan Morgan stows away on an Antarctic expedition, determined to find his rightful place in the world of men. Aboard the expeditionaryā€¦


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Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier,

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. BrenƩ Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher,ā€¦

Book cover of Lots More Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing.

Nicole Audet Author Of Are You Eating My Lunch?

From my list on bedtime stories turning kids into book lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

My journey as a writer began in correlation with my career as a family doctor. After reading Dr. Jacques Ferronā€™s, books, I knew I wanted to be an author as well as a doctor. While pursuing my medical career, I wrote medical articles and books. My husband and I have also been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul of Quebecers with the story Witness of the Last Breath. This is the story of the last night of my daughter-in-law dying of lung cancer. Before she died, I promised Marie-NoĆ«lle that I would pursue my writing career to change the world one young reader at a time. And I did.

Nicole's book list on bedtime stories turning kids into book lovers

Nicole Audet Why did Nicole love this book?

If you are looking for a book to make children laugh without any other intention, this picture book will fulfill your needs.

The author and illustrator combine text with irresistible illustrations. While making children laugh, this book helps them improve their reading skills by using large letters. Be prepared to read this book again and again at bedtime. You may write to the author to write another one like this because your children will love it.

By Judi Barrett, Ron Barrett (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lots More Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing. as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

From the bestselling duo behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs comes the long-awaited sequel to Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, which shows us a hilarious new group of animals that shouldn't, ever ever ever, dress like humans.

Everyone knows that snakes and billy goats and walruses should definitely not wear clothing, but there are actually lots more animals that should definitely not wear clothing...

Because a frog might jump out of it,
Because a crab might tear it up,
And because a penguin is already formally dressed!

Judi and Ron Barrett, the team behind the Cloudy with aā€¦


Book cover of Animals and Where They Live

Laura Hulbert Author Of Who Has These Feet?

From my list on animal adaptations for young readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a child, I saw a grasshopper doing the sidestroke in the ocean and it sparked my interest in animal behavior. Though I still donā€™t know if all grasshoppers do the sidestroke, Iā€™ve learned a lot about animal adaptations since then. And Iā€™ve learned a lot about what motivates young readers from my years as a reading specialist and a classroom teacher. Iā€™ve put that knowledge to work in my two popular books: Who Has These Feet? and Who Has This Tail?

Laura's book list on animal adaptations for young readers

Laura Hulbert Why did Laura love this book?

There are lots of animal encyclopedias out there, but none compares to this Dorling Kindersly book. Each double-page spread focuses on a particular biome. The illustration takes up most of the page and depicts the inhabitants assembled in naturalistic poses. Along the borders of the page are labels and short paragraphs about each of the animals. Topics related to a particular biome are included: Surviving the Cold, The Burrowers, etc. The Life in the Mountains and The Ocean Depths sections show the different levels in which animals live. This is a book to be gazed at long and luxuriously, preferably on a lap.

By John Feltwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Animals and Where They Live as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

so cool HB children's book


Book cover of In the Wild

Matt Forrest Esenwine Author Of Once Upon Another Time

From my list on childrenā€™s poetry collections about animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since my parents gave me a copy of Dorothy Aldisā€™ The Secret Place and Other Poems, I have enjoyed a lifelong love of poetry. Now, as a traditionally-published childrenā€™s author, I have had numerous books and poems published over the years, including books that began as poems, like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) and Once Upon Another Time (Beaming Books, 2021). My poems can be found in various anthologies including The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (N.G. Childrenā€™s Books, 2015) and Construction People (Wordsong, 2020) as well as Highlights for Children magazine.

Matt's book list on childrenā€™s poetry collections about animals

Matt Forrest Esenwine Why did Matt love this book?

This book proves that poetry is thoughtful, succinct, and beautiful to read ā€“ and most importantly, accessible to all. From elephants and cheetahs to American bison and polar bears, David distills the essence of each animal into short poems that are brimming with insight and wit. While all of Davidā€™s books in this series are wonderful, In the Wild was one of the first and remains one of the best.

By David Elliott, Holly Meade (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In the Wild as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

ā€œA stunning combination of poems and illustrations celebrating some of Earthā€™s wildest and most beautiful creatures.ā€ ā€” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The stellar team who brought us On the Farm presents a companion book evoking creatures of the wild in simple, clever poems and vibrant woodcuts. From the lion standing alone on the African savannah to the panda in a bamboo forest, from the rhinoceros with its boot-like face to the Arctic polar bear disappearing in the snow, David Elliottā€™s pithy verse and Holly Meadeā€™s stunning woodcut and watercolor illustrations reveal a world of remarkable beauty and wonder.


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Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

What Walks This Way by Sharman Apt Russell,

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlifeā€”mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket miceā€”near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marksā€¦

Book cover of On the Night You Were Born

Beth Cox Author Of All Bodies Are Wonderful: An Inclusive Guide to talking about you!

From my list on embracing who you are.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m an inclusion consultant working with publishers to help ensure all children are included in books. Itā€™s easy to forget how important embracing all types of bodies is when thinking about diversity and inclusion. But inclusion is essentially about welcoming and appreciating all different types of bodies. The best way to promote this is to build a sense of awe about how bodies are created, understand the science behind why differences occur, and see that bodies come in many shapes and forms, and are all beautiful. There are so many books that can help with this, but alongside my book, the books on this list are a great place to start.

Beth's book list on embracing who you are

Beth Cox Why did Beth love this book?

I read this book to my son when he was a baby every single night for over a key, and it still gives me goosebumps.

Personally, the road to becoming a parent hadnā€™t been straightforward, and this celebration of a new life in the world put my feelings about the wonder of this into words. A key part of building self-worth and self-esteem in children is creating a sense of awe and wonder, and this book does that alongside helping each child to see how special and unique they are.

Itā€™s relevant for any of us at any age to remind us that we all have immense value.

By Nancy Tillman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked On the Night You Were Born as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 1, 2, 3, and 4.

What is this book about?

On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered.
"Life will never be the same."
On the night you were born, the whole world came alive with thanksgiving. The moon stayed up till morning. The geese flew home to celebrate. Polar bears danced.
On the night you were born you brought wonder and magic to the world. Here is a book that celebrates you. It is meant to be carried wherever life takes you, over all the roads, through all the years.
This debutā€¦


Book cover of Ice! Poems About Polar Life
Book cover of Arctic & Antarctic
Book cover of Penguins and Antarctica

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