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25 Beloved Christmas Books You Must Read With Kids This Holiday Season

Updated: Oct 21


The holiday season is just around the corner, and there's no better way to embrace the Christmas spirit than with a cozy book in hand. Whether you're revisiting old favorites or discovering new tales, this curated list of 25 beloved children’s Christmas books is sure to bring warmth, joy, and a touch of magic to your home. Perfect for sharing with loved ones, these heartwarming stories will make your holiday season even more memorable






This is a touching story about loss and healing with beautiful illustrations that convey the message of Christmas in a wonderful way. It is about a Woodcarver Jonathan Toomey who lost his wife and child many years ago and has been sad in his life ever since until one day a widower and her son come to ask him to carve them a nativity scene in time for Christmas. Get your copy and an extra box of tissues.







It is a lovely story about a family who lives in a remote village in the Appalachian mountains.

With her father off fighting in WW1, will Ruthie and her mother be able to get the Christmas tree for their church as it is her family’s turn?








For an old fashioned Christmas feeling, spend Christmas at the turn of the 20th century; this is a cute book about Swedish children's lives during the holidays. It is written by Astrid Lindgreen, the author of Pippi Longstocking. Great story. Colourful, vibrant pictures.







A beautifully illustrated story about kindness and how the stocking came to be a symbol of Christmas








This book is about a little girl's first Christmas in the prairie.






It is a book with Beautiful photography of wintry scenes and a Scandinavian girl Anja on her journey to the north pole to become one of Santa’s elves.








It is the story of a boy who doesn’t have a lot of money and wants to give his dad a gift. It is a beautifully written story of love and service and the true meaning of Christmas by Pulitzer prize recipient and noble prize in literature recipient Pearl Buck.









Heartwarming British tradition Christmas book by Shirley Hughes








It is the story of a young girl, Lucy, in a small town and the candy cane's meaning.








A moving story of wonderful coincidences and a family as they move to a new state to start a new Church.







It is a story of a boy and his father selling Christmas trees in downtown New York during the Great Depression. It is A beautifully illustrated book and a great message. One being: “To those who give without looking back and those who receive without forgetting.” Plus, the back of the book has an interesting historical note how the first Christmas tree was erected at Rockefeller Center and how the tradition has continued.






It has nice illustrations with a message appropriate for all ages during this holiday season that reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.

"In your hurry to keep Christmas, you have forgotten Christmas. The truest gift of Christmas is the gift of self. The flame of Christmas must first burn from within." ~The Light of Christmas by Richard Paul Evans






It is a book that introduces St.Nicholas to kids and how he was moved by the plight of the poor. It also explained the connection with Santa Claus. There are also fun Father Christmas traditions from other places at the end of the book.






This is a fun read picture book on the popular Christmas song Jingle Bells. Who doesn’t love this classic sing-along song?








This story is set during the great depression. It is about a family who is barely scraping by and with a father unable to return home for the holidays because he has gone away to find work to provide for his family. The story is center on a boy and his mom making cookies for the needy at church. It is a story about sharing with those less fortunate than ourselves.







This true story is based on the Christmas truce of 1914 during world war 1. German and allied soldiers stopped fighting and came together to embrace the holiday and acknowledge each other's humanity.







The story is set in pioneer times, and it is about a little girl Laura, her family, and how they celebrate the holidays by being together.








The story takes place in the early 1900s. It is about a boy named Frankie, the youngest in a family of 9 kids, and their Christmas family tradition of receiving oranges. In their family tradition, usually, their father would travel to another city to get oranges for their mantel for Christmas eve, but this Christmas, he isn’t home due to a winter storm. Get your copy to know how it ends.






It is a Scandinavian holiday tale about a mischievous troll named Rollo and how he learns the importance of being kind to others after he runs away from home and encounters many animal families with whom he plays and lives.









A delightful story on how the German-born Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III, created England’s royal Christmas tree tradition by bringing the first Christmas tree to England from Germany. The book also highlights her commitment to helping expectant mothers and orphans and a historical afterword about her legacy. If you didn’t know, Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it.







A heartwarming story about the Rouse Simmons' sinking in November 1912. The Rouse Simmons was a ship that transported Christmas trees across lake Michigan to kids in Chicago every year, but tragedy struck that year in 1912. It is a true story of captain Schueneman told through the eyes of a young boy.



22. Dasher





It is an adorable story about Dasher, a female reindeer, and her family. It also tells the story of how Santa came to have eight reindeer to pull his sleigh.







It is Christmas Eve, Santa is ready to deliver gifts. However, the reindeer are missing, busy with other things. What will happen to Christmas? What will Santa do? Get your copy to find out.







From an author that needs no introduction, the book is a collection of letters written to his four children in the guise of Father Christmas every Christmas in the 1920s and 30s. In the letters, he tells his children the stories and events of that year and what he has done. He introduces the children to North Polar Bear and his helpful role as Father Christmas’s assistant, with many fantasy characters surrounding Father Christmas preparing for the great Christmas delivery. These letters written by J.R.R Tolkien are so sweet and heartfelt, and it also reaffirms how he was a man with a great imagination.






The Christmas classic book. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore is arguably one of the most popular Christmas poems ever written. It was originally published anonymously in Sentinel on December 23, 1823. it's always been part of our Christmas traditions. After all, it captures the magic of Christmas, and it is the book responsible for what Santa looks like today and the first book that named the eight reindeer.

I don't think many people out there aren't familiar with this poem that portrayed St. Nicholas in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer visiting houses and distributing toys for children on Christmas Eve.










Want to explore more diverse books about the holidays? Check it out here

Did your favorite Christmas book make the list? Share your must-read holiday stories in the comments below! If you discovered some new titles to add to your festive reading list, we’d love to hear about them too. Don’t forget to bookmark this list for the holiday season and spread the cheer by sharing it with friends and family. Wishing you a cozy holiday filled with heartwarming stories and joyful moments!

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