Do you enjoy a good family read aloud book during the Christmas season? These Christmas chapter books may be just the thing to bring everybody together with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies. This book list meant as a complementary list to my winter themed chapter books. Please do take a look at that list if you want further reading suggestions that will evoke snowy scenes, but not necessarily Christmas fun.
I’ve purposely chosen a mix of classic and contemporary books that are set during the Christmas season, rather than famous books with Christmas scenes, such as Little Women. These are also books I feel will appeal as family read alouds. A lot of chapter book series (like Magic Tree House, for example) have a Christmas themed installment, but they don’t tend to be books the grown-ups in the family will enjoy listening to with the same enthusiasm as the kids! (Note: book covers and titles are affiliate links.)
MORE: For more holiday book suggestions visit the index of all our book lists.
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UPDATE: Supplement this list with our list of Holiday Chapter Books to Read Aloud
Christmas Read Alouds for the Whole Family to Enjoy
The Boy Named Christmas by Matt Haig, illustrated by Chris Mould. My son adored this book, very funny and charming with just the right amount of Dahl-esque humor. When Nikolas’ father doesn’t return from a journey at the expected time, Nikolas leaves his neglectful aunt and goes off in search of him. Along the way he meets a village of elves and his future is forever changed.
When Santa Fell To Earth is a fun story by stellar author Cornelia Funke (of Inkheart fame). We listened to the audiobook of this quirky story about what happens when Niklas Goodfellow, the last real Santa, crash-lands after one of his reindeer gets freaked by a storm. Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, the leader of the Great Christmas Council is determined to put a stop to the Christmas fun. Niklas, with the help of a few children tries to outwit Goblynch and save the magic of the holiday. Although this book is not nearly as good as Inkheart, I love Funke’s ability to write evocative descriptive detail. Great fun.
When I was a kid, a copy of Letters From Father Christmas
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a modern American classic! The misbehaving Herdman kids – they smoke, steal, play pranks and swear! — decide to take over the church’s Christmas pageant. Hilarious hijinks ensue and the Herdman kids reimagine a story they’ve never heard before (the birth of Jesus), but in the end it is the Herdmans’ interpretation of the Christmas story that teaches the community the true meaning of the holiday. Hilarious and touching.
The Box of Delights is a British classic but is not well known on this side of the pond, which is a shame. I first shared the book on my classics from the 1940s book list and found it to be… well, a delight. Kay Harkin meets a strange man on a train. The man gives him a mysterious, magical box which has the ability to shrink people, allow them to time travel and even make them fly. Kay and his friends must protect the box from the villains who also want to do away with Christmas. Some people have complained about abridged versions floating around out there, but this NYCB version is not abridged. A delightful adventure.
My almost 6 year old has listened to The Last Holiday Concert on audiobook several times in the past two weeks. Personally I think it may be better for 7 and up, since the protagonists are all sixth graders, but there is certainly nothing worrisome in the content. Clements (author of the very popular Frindle) has an uncanny ability to capture the school environment. In this story, Nicolas and his music teacher have a small run in which leads to the teacher handing over the reigns of the holiday concert to the students. Nicolas must learn how to be a leader, while the teacher (who has recently found out that budget cuts will terminate his job next year) learns a bit of flexibility. A great story that highlights relationship dynamics and cooperation.
MORE: See our favorite audiobooks for kids.
Nancy and Plum
The Family Under the Bridge. At Christmas time in Paris, Armand, a self-proclaimed hobo who loves his responsibility-free life, takes a homeless family under his protection. The children wish for a home for Christmas. Armand makes their wish come true, and in doing so he decides it might not be so bad to have permanent ties after all.
In The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Read Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol with kids who will no longer be frightened by the idea of ghosts. I was always a little freaked by this book until I was a teenager, but your children may be different, especially if you are one of the thousands of families who go to see a stage production of the tale during the holiday season. A holiday classic.
Do have any read aloud traditions or Christmas chapter books to recommend? Don’t forget our list of winter chapter books and Christmas picture books, too!
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thebookmommy says
Thank you for sharing these great recs! I am dying to get my hands on “The Box of Delights.” We just finished reading Dodie Smith’s original “101 Dalmations,” which is set in London in the days leading up to Christmas and culminates on Christmas Day. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I didn’t realize there WAS an original story before the Disney movie. It’s absolutely brilliant! Gorgeous writing, on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure, an intriguing villain who throws perhaps the oddest dinner party in literary history…and, of course, a wonderful message of community, companionship, and perseverance. We then listened to the Martin Jarvis’ audio recording which is equally fantastic–his voices are priceless (and who doesn’t love a good British accent…).
Erica MomandKiddo says
I love that book. It would be a great addition to this list! I’m going to look for the audiobook, too!
annabelle says
🙂 We just finished 101 Dalmatians last night also. The kids and I loved it!
I will have to find the audio for next Christmas season because I do love a good British accent, thank you.
Stacey Loscalzo says
Love this! We have a ton of Christmas picture books but I don’t think we have a single Christmas chapter book.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yay! I’m glad I helped another book lover! I hope you find one to enjoy this month.
Julie says
Great list. I love Cornelia Funke’s work. I would recommend Kringle by Tony Abbott. I read it aloud to my fourth grade class a few years ago and it was wonderful. Particularly because I found I had some children who still believed and some who didn’t believe in Santa.
Erica MomandKiddo says
I’m not familiar with Kringle. Thanks for the recommendation!
Natalie PlanetSmartyPants says
I was seriously grasping for Christmas chapter books (my recommendation in Holiday Books series for kdis 6+ was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever). I have to look for some of these titles!
Catherine @ Story Snug says
I’m just reading Tolkien’s Letters From Father Christmas, it’s beautifully written 🙂
Ann says
Christmas chapter books, what a great idea! I didn’t realize The Family Under the Bridge was a Chistmas story and I happen to have an old copy of that 🙂
ChristineMcElhenny says
Yes. E.T.A. Hoffman’s, Illustrations by Maurice Sendak, Nutcracker. Thanks for you list as well.
Erica MomandKiddo says
The Nutcracker would make a great addition to the list!
karen says
Another not so well known longer Christmas read is Cole Family Christmas by Jennifer Liu Bryan.
Great story.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you for the recommendation!
Susanna says
I’ve used your lists for years and now I finally have something to contribute: London Snow by Paul Theroux. It’s on its 2nd generation as a beloved Christmas read-aloud in our family. He also wrote another one called A Christmas Card. And Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising (the 2nd book, not the whole series) is set during the Christmas holidays, with English carols and holiday traditions sprinkled throughout, although it may be a bit much for younger listeners.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Wonderful! Thanks for the recommendations and I’m so pleased you enjoy the lists. 🙂
Jan C says
My 4th grade teacher (57 yrs ago) read the class a story about a little boy who was told not to open the hall closet.
He did and tumbled into the North Pole.
Would love to find this book if anyone is familiar with the story.
Definitely planning on getting Tolkens book for grands this year.
Jill says
As a fourth grader in the 1970s, my mother gave me a copy of Rumer Godden’s Holly and Ivy. I must have read it a thousand times! It’s about an orphaned girl who wants a home for Christmas, a doll who wants a little girl for Christmas, and a married couple who want a child for Christmas. It’s a beautifully written book about yearning and love.
Marion says
This is a great list. We enjoy reading Have fun Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, and The True Gift by Patricia MacLachlan, and have Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden and also Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant to read for the first time this year. Thanks for the suggestions. Off to order The family under the bridge and Cole Family Christmas.
Erica says
Thanks for the recommendations!
Katrina Leathers says
Thank you for the list! I have just ordered two of them I look forward to sharing with my children.
Erica says
Happy reading!
Jennifer Jones says
Thanks for this list! I am excited to read some of these to my kids!
Erica says
Happy reading!
Jenny says
Thank you so much for the wonderful list! We love the Shiloh series by Phylis Reynolds Naylor, in particular A Shiloh Christmas during the holiday season.
Rebecca says
Wonderful list! Which would you recommend as best for a younger audience? My son just turned 4 so I wasn’t sure which of these would be best.
Erica says
Probably Letters from Father Christmas, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or The Family Under the Bridge. If you are only reading to a very young 4 year old, I do suggest you peek through the book first, especially if he is not an experienced chapter book listener. You could start with an early chapter book like Dragon’s First Christmas, Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas or the Flat Stanley Christmas book in that series.
Denyse says
I also heartily recommend Rumor Godden’s “The Story of Holly and Ivy” which was a Christmas tradition when my children were smaller.
Also Jenny Overton’s “The Thirteen Days of Christmas” is an hilarious story set in Stuart England where Annaple’s brothers and sisters help Francis De Vere court their sister with daily gifts. Knowing the ‘Twelve days of Christmas’ song helps the reader anticipate some of the comedy.
Christine @Buckling Bookshelves says
Looking at some of your past Christmas lists — I didn’t realize Family Under the Bridge takes place at Christmas! I have a copy I just pulled down from my shelves to add to my December stack — thanks 🙂 🙂