Very sweet. This graphic novel is good for all ages in a classic Christmas movie kind of way. The story is very readable and paced well. The healing aspects of the story are sweet and not too forced. The 1950s setting is really charming and cool. The reindeer is so cute - I do wish there'd been more time with the reindeer. The sense of humor is fun. I think it's a great Christmas selection to display in the store or gift.

This was a really sweet, holiday graphic novel by Bobby Podesta. Virginia's story is adorable and filled with very "real" feelings of friendship, hope, found family, and believing that there's good in the world. Donner, the reindeer was a very expressive friend too. Thanks for the ARC! I look forward to purchasing a copy for my library for this coming holiday season.

North for the Winter is a holiday graphic novel that feels right at home with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and The Grinch as a new holiday classic. It has a fresh, new vibe while still capturing the feel of holiday nostalgia.

North for the Winter follows Virginia, as she attempts to reunite one of the reindeer with Santa's sleigh and make all of his Christmas deliveries possible. Set in the 1950s, the period suits the feel of the story without getting too outdated and inaccessible to a modern reader.

Thank you First Second Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: In North for the Winter, a grieving girl teams up with her neighbor to return a lost reindeer to the North Pole before Christmas, facing hunters, mysterious elves, and the Continental Air Defense along the way.

My review: North for the Winter is a heartwarming, feel-good graphic novel set in the 1950s, capturing the magic of the holiday season. With its stunning, nostalgic artwork, the story transports readers to a charming era as Virginia and her neighbor Benny embark on a daring mission to save Christmas. This beautifully illustrated tale is perfect for anyone seeking a holiday story filled with adventure, wonder, and warmth.

Genres/Themes: Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels - Fantasy / Holidays & Celebrations - Christmas & Advent

North for the Winter is scheduled for publication on September 2, 2025, by First Second Books.

This was a heartwarming, feel-good, 1950s era holiday graphic novel that sees a young girl who has recently lost her mother stumbling upon a lost reindeer and trying to help him find his way back to Santa in time to save Christmas. The art is gorgeous in this book that's perfectly nostalgic and HIGHLY recommended for fans of the 1980s movie, Prancer! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely LOVED this one!

I loved this graphic novel set in Colorado in 1955, maybe because of my own childhood memories of driving around to see Christmas lights while listening to NORAD track Santa's path around the world. While the focus is on helping get Donner back to Santa in time for Christmas eve, Podesta incorporates the true story of how the NORAD tradition began. At the same time, this is a story of family and friends, all the ingredients to become a Christmas classic. I would love to see this turned into a Christmas TV special!

This was so cute and wholesome! I loved the adventure of it, the characters’ complex backgrounds, and everyone working together to save Christmas. Honestly, I hope it gets turned into a holiday movie someday.

Sweet and simple Christmas graphic novel that seems like it should be an animated movie rather than a book. Virginia and her father move to Denver shortly before Christmas and following the death of her mother, whose loss has been extremely hard for both father and child. On the way there, Virginia unexpectedly meets one of Santa's flying reindeer (Donner, specifically) and accidentally ends up in possession of the compass that the reindeer needs to find and join Santa for the Christmas Eve run. Virginia's father of course does not believe her story, but the boy who lives next door does as does, eventually, his 16 yer old sister. All three end up having to repeatedly save Donner as they try to both reunite the reindeer with his compass and evade an obsessed hunter who wants to capture Donner for his own reasons. Hijinks and tender moments ensue. It's a sweet story but the MG marketing seems like a mistake. I don't know many MG readers who are going to be interested in a santa story and the characters themselves seem to be drawn as elementary school kids. Why is this not being marketed as grades 3-5?

This was such a fun cute graphic novel! I loved the characters and the story. The illustrations were amazing! It had a lot of heartfelt moments! I think this would make a really cute Pixar movie as well. I highly recommend this if you want an adorable Christmas story. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

I loved the art work for this story. It grabs your attention. The story is cute and fun. It was longer than expected but kids will love this book!