Christmas

My children, even the teenagers, re-read these books every year.  We put them away at the beginning of Epiphany and only pull them out at the beginning of Advent, and the family is always overjoyed to see them again.  On St. Nicholas' Day every year, I give them a new Christmas book. For those of you in the United States, you should be able to find these at your local libraries.  For those overseas, it may be hard to access as easily.  I would be glad to give you my top recommendations based on your ages of children if you can only purchase a couple. 

HAPPY READING!

A

  • Alexander, Lloyd

    • The Pyrdain Chronicles Box Set
      Several books
      Gender: B
      Level: 3, 4
  • Alsburg, Chris Van

    • The Wretched Stone
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

B

  • Bernadette

    • Varenka
      a Russian story of a delayed answer to prayer and the miracle that results
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4
  • Birdsall, Jeanne

    • The Penderwicks
      And sequels
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Brooks, Walter
    • Freddy series

      • Freddy goes to Florida
        Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
        Gender: Both
        Level: 2, 3, 4

      • The Clockwork Twin
        Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
        Gender: Both
        Level: 2, 3, 4

      • Freddy Goes to the North Pole
        Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
        Gender: Both
        Level: 2, 3, 4

      • Freddy, the Detective
        Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
        Gender: Both
        Level: 2, 3, 4

      • Freddy and Mr. Camphor
        Approx. 20 in the series; written in the 1920’s—about a poet detective pig--humurous and clever) some of our favorites:
        Gender: Both
        Level: 2, 3, 4

C

  • Celenza, Anna Harwell

    • Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
      C.D. incl.
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Collington, Peter

    • A Small Miracle
      Wordless Christmas story—a family favorite
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

D

  • Dalgliesh, Alice

    • The Silver Pencil
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Dicamillo, Kate

    • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

E

  • Enright, Elizabeth
    • The Melendy Quartet

      • The Saturdays
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

      • The Four-Story Mistake
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

      • Then There Were Five
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

      • Spiderweb for Two
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

    • Return to Gone Away Lake
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • Gone Away Lake
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

F

  • French, Allen
     Excellent boy stories!

    • The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
      Gender: B
      Level: 3, 4

    • The Red Keep
      Gender: B
      Level: 3, 4

G

  • George, Jean Craighead

    • My Side of the Mountain Trilogy
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Gipson, Fred

    • Old Yeller
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Goscinny, R.

    • Asterix and Obelix
      These comic books are translated from the French and are clever stories set in the ancient world.
      Gender: B
      Level: 4
  • Goudge, Elizabeth

    • Gentian Hill
      Gender: G
      Level: 4

    • Linnets and Valerians
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • The Little White Horse
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Green, Roger Lancelyn
     One of the Inklings; wrote great versions of these and many other classics

    • The Adventures of Robin Hood
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

H

  • Henty, G.A.
     The books are dense; we prefer Jim Weiss’ edited & audio versions

    • The Reign of Terror
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Resign of Terror (Audio)
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Lion of the North
      Gender: B
      Level: 4

    • The Lion of the North (Audio)
      Gender: B
      Level: 4

    • The Young Carthaginian
      Gender: B
      Level: 4

    • The Young Carthaginian (Audio)
      Gender: B
      Level: 4
  • Herge

    • The Complete Adventures of Tintin
      These comic books, first written in 1929, are translated from the French.
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Herriot, James

    • A Treasury for Children
      Great retellings from his veterinarian books
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

J

  • Jacques, Brian

    • Redwall
      21 books, all in the series. Great boy books!
      Gender: B
      Level: 3, 4
  • Jewett, Eleanore M.

    • The Hidden Treasure of Glaston
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

L

  • Larson, Kirby

    • Hattie Big Sky
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Lawhead, Stephen
     Though the writing is not completely even, these are solid page-turners

    • King Ravel Trilogy
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Pendragon Cycle Set
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Lewis, C.S.
     All of his books as soon as children can read them, esp. The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce (L4)

    • The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

M

  • MacDonald, George

    • The Princess and the Goblin
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • The Princess and Curdie
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • The Light Princess
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • The Fisherman's Lady
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Wise Woman
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Marquis’ Secret
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • MacLachlan, Patricia
     I find her books painfully beautiful

    • Edward's Eyes
      beautiful, but very heavy subject matter—a child dies
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • Sarah, Plain and Tall
      and all the sequels—painfully beautifully
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Mains, David and Karen
     Christian fantasy for older children

    • Tales of the Resistance
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • Tales of the Kingdom
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • McGraw, Eloise Jarvis
     Books have an Egyptian belief system—easy to discuss with older children

    • The Golden Goblet
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Mara, Daughter of the Nile
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • McSwigan, Marie

    • Snow Treasure
      WWII
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Milne, A.A.

    • Pooh's Library: Winnie-The-Pooh
      Certainly this is one of the best children’s books of all time. Make sure to read the real version, not just all the picture book selections. The whole family can enjoy the different levels of humor.
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Montgomery, Lucy M.

    • Anne of Green Gables series
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • Emily of New Moon
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Moody, Ralph
    • Little Britches Series

      • Father and I Were Ranchers
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • Man of the Family
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • The Home Ranch
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • Mary Emma & Company
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • The Fields of Home
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • Shaking the Nickel Bush
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • The Dry Divide
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

      • Horse of a Different Color: Reminiscences of a Kansas Drover
        Great boy books, though not exclusively so
        Gender: B
        Level: 4

N

  • Nesbit, E.

    • The Phoenix and the Carpet
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • Five Children and It
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • The Railway Children
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • The Enchanted Castle
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

P

  • Park, Linda Sue

    • A Single Shard
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Pearl S. Buck

    • Christmas Day in the Morning
      A boy gives his father a gift of service--beautiful
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Peck, Richard

    • Way Down Yonder
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • A Long Way From Chicago
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Philbrick, Margaret

    • Back to the Manger
      Lovely Christmas story with great local (Chicago) references & illus.
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

R

  • Ransome, Arthur

    • Swallow and Amazons
      And all in series, 12 books total
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Rawling, Wilson

    • Where the Red Fern Grows
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Ray, Mary

    • The Ides of April
      Historical fiction
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Reilly-Giff, Patricia
    • Nory Ryan's Song Series

      • Nory Ryan's Song
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

      • Maggie's Door
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

      • Water Street
        Gender: Both
        Level: 3, 4

    • Eleven
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • "R" My Name is Rachel
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Rylant, Cynthia

    • The Relatives Came
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

S

  • Speare, Elizabeth George

    • The Sign of the Beaver
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Witch of Blackbird Pond
      Set in medieval times in which people assumed anyone strange was a witch; this woman was a Quaker.
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Calico Captive
      A story of a woman captured by American Indians
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Bronze Bow
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Spyri, Johanna

    • Heidi
      Not all sequels are written by Spyri, but are good
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • St. John, Patricia

    • Patricia St John Series
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4
  • Stratton-Porter, Gene

    • Laddie
      One of my all time favorites
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Freckles
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • Keeper of the Bees
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • A Girl of the Limberlost
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Magic Garden
      Gender: G
      Level: 4
  • Sutcliff, Rosemary
     Retells a lot of ancient classics very well

    • Black Ships Before Troy
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • Eagles of the Ninth
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • The Wanderings of Odysseus
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

T

  • Tolkien, J.R.R.

    • The Hobbit
      PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
      Gender: Both
      Level: 3, 4

    • The Lord of the Rings
      Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • The Lord of the Rings (Audio)
      Try the audio version read by Rob Inglis!! PLEASE do not let your children watch these movies until they have read the books!
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Tudor, Tasha
     Mostly known for her lovely illustrations

    • Pumpkin Moonshine
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

    • Wings from the Wind
      An anthology of poems
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

    • A Doll's Christmas
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

    • A Time to Keep
      Gender: Both
      Level: 1, 2, 3, 4

V

  • von Stockhum, Hilda

    • The Winged Watchmen
      WWII
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

W

  • Wangerin, Walter, Jr.

    • Mary’s First Christmas
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • Peter’s First Easter
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4
  • White, E.B.

    • Charlotte’s Web
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4

    • The Trumpet of the Swan
      Gender: Both
      Level: 2, 3, 4
  • Wiggin, Kate Douglas, ed.

    • The Arabian Nights
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Williamson, Joanne
     writes amazing historical fiction; slowly being republished by Bethlehem Books—check their website

    • Hittite Warrior
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4

    • God King
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4
  • Wright, Harold Bell

    • Shepherd of the Hills
      A generational family favorite
      Gender: Both
      Level: 4