Christmas Books to Read Every Year!

1. Holly and Ivy
2. Christmas Farm
3. Christmas Oranges
4. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
5. The Spirit of Christmas
6. Red and Lulu
7. The Family Under the Bridge
8. When Santa was a Baby
9. Pick a Pine Tree
10. How Murray Saved Christmas
11. The Nutcracker
12. The Little Match Girl
13. Silver Packages
14. Room for a Little One
15. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
16. The Polar Express
17. The Legend of the Candy Cane
18. The Smallest Gift of Christmas
19. A Christmas Bell for Anya
20. The Polar Bear Son
21. The Gift of the Magi

An Argument for Reading Christmas Books as a Christmas Tradition

Reading together is a wonderful way to make memories. We read a story every night before Christmas. I know many who open a Christmas book each day before Christmas instead of a or with a treat. Truly, to create a tradition of learning, laughing and sometimes crying together is the best. We have had wonderful discussions during and after reading stories and my children understand Christmas and its traditions much better because they read stories with us.

In an article “Why Reading Aloud to Kids Helps Them Thrive” by Deborah Farmer Kris, she says, “Despite the inevitable ups and downs of family life, we end the day connected.” She is referring to her time reading to her children in the evening before bed. I suggest that everyone follow her example at Christmastime and all year.

During Christmas time, feeling connected only adds to the magic of the lights, anticipation of giving and receiving and hearing the most famous story of all, the story of Christ’s birth.

In Kris’s article she continues to make a great argument for reading aloud to kids. It is good for their brains, their moral, social and emotional wellbeing and can help them make important connections to the world around them. There are many studies that she cites as she proves the importance of reading aloud. See the full article here.

“Reading aloud to kids has clear cognitive benefits. For example, brain scans show that hearing stories strengthens the part of the brain associated with visual imagery, story comprehension, and word meaning. One study found that kindergarten children who were read to at least three times a week had a “significantly greater phonemic awareness than did children who were read to less often.” And the landmark Becoming a Nation of Readers report from 1985 concluded that “the single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”

But reading also strengthens children’s social, emotional, and character development. According to a recently published study, reading to very young children is linked to decreased levels of aggression, hyperactivity, and attention difficulties. The study’s lead author shared this insight with The New York Times, “When parents read with their children more . . . they learn to use words to describe feelings that are otherwise difficult and this enables them to better control their behavior when they have challenging feelings like anger or sadness.”

I hope you will pause each evening to connect with your family and enjoy these stories that can make Christmas more fun and special.

Rebecca Long from The Independent.ie article “Why do we tell Christmas Stories,” says is best, “We tell stories to children at Christmas time because in the glow of twinkling lights, we see how important children are, how deeply they believe in the magic of Christmas.”

She continues to remind us that December is a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the year and gather together as we do each year to share love and hope.

Again, she writes so beautifully,

“It’s the stories that make Christmas because it’s Christmas that makes memories.

That’s what stories are; memories we tell each other over and over again.”

Cheers to many years of Christmas memories with your loved ones.

Best,

Lucy Jo Bowman

Check out some of our Christmas traditions here.