12 of the very best Christmas read aloud books for you to enjoy with your family this holiday season. These festive books are perfect for slowing down and connecting with your kids even as they grow older.
There's something special and magical about the holiday season. It's a time made for traditions like enjoying Christmas read aloud books together.
Whether it's your first time sharing the story or you have that special pick you've read every year together, these are some of our favorites to add to your rotation.
Start a collection if you haven't before, and gather around the fireplace - whether that's the crackling image on your television or a traditional wood burning one where you hang your stockings.
This list includes Christmas classics and new holiday favorites perfect for all ages.
Designate a family member in charge of each book, and start your countdown to Christmas. We won't tell if you accidentally spill some hot cocoa on the pages as you make precious memories together.
And if you've got wiggly kids that struggle to just sit and listen to a read-aloud, why not pair the book with one of these fun Christmas puzzles for families? It will give them something to do with their hands while you read the book out loud.
Best Christmas Read Aloud Books
The Christmas Pig
Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens - DP is lost.
But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life - even toys. And Jack’s newest toy has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known.
How Winston Delivered Christmas
When a mouse named Winston finds a lost letter addressed to Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he sets off on an unforgettable journey to personally deliver the letter to Santa!
This book is organized in twenty-four-and-a-half chapters, to share during the countdown to Christmas. Starting on December 1, children can read a chapter a day, and each chapter is followed by a fun and festive holiday activity to complete.
THE Tumtum & Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Adventures (Tumtum & Nutmeg, 2)
It is winter at Rose cottage and Christmas is fast approaching. But for Arthur and Lucy Mildew they hold out little hope of receiving any presents.
But Tumtum and Nutmeg have other ideas. This book also comes complete with a special recipe book filled with dishes and snacks written and annotated by the characters.
Note: This book is sold as an anthology set in the States that includes this book along with two others.
Christmas Stories: Reillustrated Edition (Little House Chapter Book, 5)
This Little House on the Prairie chapter book is adapted from the classic Laura Ingalls Wilder books and includes beautiful new black-and-white artwork. This edition also has bonus material such as games, activities, and more!
For Laura Ingalls, Christmas means good things to eat, visits from friends, and special gifts to give and receive. As Laura grows up, every Christmas is better than the one before.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Book 2)
Four adventurous siblings step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change - and a great sacrifice.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series and is a stand-alone read.
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family.
So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are.
All is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
The Family Under the Bridge
Armand, an old man living on the streets of Paris, relishes his solitary life in the beautiful city. He is happy with his carefree existence, begging and doing odd jobs to keep himself warm and fed. With simple pleasures and no cares, what more could he need?
Then one day just before Christmas, Armand returns to his favorite spot beneath the bridge to find three cold and hungry children. Although he has no interest in children, Armand soon finds himself caring for the small family.
It does not take Armand very long to realize that he must do whatever it takes to get them a real home.
Astrid the Unstoppable
Astrid loves to spend her days racing down the hillside on her sled, singing loudly as she goes, and visiting Gunnvald, her grumpy, septuagenarian best friend and godfather. She just wishes there were other children to share her hair-raising adventures with.
But Astrid’s world is about to be turned upside down by two startling arrivals to the village of Glimmerdal. It turns out that Gunnvald has been keeping a big secret from his goddaughter, and Astrid is not too happy about some of these upheavals in Glimmerdal.
Nancy and Plum
Nothing is heavenly in Heavenly Valley for Nancy and Pamela (aka Plum): their parents died in a tragic accident years ago, they’re constantly punished by the cruel Mrs. Monday, and they’re all alone for the holidays.
Luckily, Nancy and Plum have each other, and though their prospects may be bleak, they’re determined to change their lot for the better. If their plan works, the spirited sisters will never spend Christmas at the cold, dark boarding school again.
But what will they find on the other side of Mrs. Monday’s gate?
Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol: A Book-to-Table Classic
Everyone knows and loves this classic Dickens tale with Scrooge and Tiny Tim. This deluxe, full-color hardback edition of the perennial Christmas classic, features a selection of recipes for your holiday table from Giada de Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Trisha Yearwood!
Plan your perfect Christmas feast with a carefully curated menu of holiday dishes, from succulent baked ham to smashed root vegetables. Celebrate the holiday with a good meal and a good book!
Letters From Father Christmas, Centenary Edition
Every December, an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.
They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Poor Mr. Popper isn't exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations.
Admiral Drake, in response to Mr. Popper's fan letter, sends him a penguin, and life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper family grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom must be fed.
More Read Aloud Books for Kids
If you're looking for more chapter books to read with your kids, don't miss the fun Christmas chapter books for tweens, great read aloud books for 9 year olds or the fun list of read alouds for 8 year olds.
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