The Best Books to Share with Your Kids This Holiday Season
Although there are many shopping days left before the holidays, it’s never too early to share your cherished holiday books with your kids and help them get into the spirit of things. If you don’t own any yet, now’s the time to visit your favourite online book store and order a few so that you’ll be able to curl up with your young ones and a good book once the snow begins to fall.
Here are ten books that’ll help get your collection started.
If the Charlie Brown television Christmas special is a never-miss staple in your home, what better Christmas storybook to accompany you and your loved ones than A Charlie Brown Christmas. As Charlie Brown gears up for the holiday season with his friends, he finds himself contemplating the true meaning of Christmas. This is a perfect read for those looking for a reprieve of the commercialization of the holiday season.
Though not penned as a traditional Christmas story, it’s hard to ignore the valuable lessons of selfless gift-giving exemplified by the generous mother tree in this tale. So even though it doesn’t contain jingle bells or a jolly guy in a red suit, it offers up a valuable lesson that complements the holiday season nicely.
The nice thing about Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is that the themes that made it a revelation over a century ago still hold true today. Scrooge’s journey from a life driven by complete greed to that of joyous selflessness is a heartfelt reminder that it is not the accumulation of material possessions that make life worth living, but rather, giving and receiving generosity, compassion, and love.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
No book list would be complete without at least one entry from Dr. Seuss. Your kids might already be familiar with the animated and live-action adaptations of this classic story, so why not introduce them to the work that started it all? As he (quite successfully) sets out to destroy Christmas for all the residents of Whoville, the Grinch comes to learn that through the power of the holidays, love and belonging can reside anywhere—even in his previously small heart.
Moishe’s Miracle: A Hanukkah Story
Unlimited latkes. That’s the gift bestowed on the kind, unassuming milkman, Moishe, in this delightful book. The catch? Only Moishe can use the magic frying pan gifted to him, But what happens when Moishe defies these rules, even though his intentions are honourable?
Happy Hanukkah, Curious George
The world’s most beloved fictitious monkey, Curious George attends a Hanukkah party with the Man in the Yellow Hat. Watch how he helps to make latkes and learns all about the many traditions of Hanukkah! This book is often used to both educate and test young children about their knowledge of this sacred holiday.
Beautifully written with poetic prose, reading The Night Before Christmas is arguably one of the most time-honoured holiday traditions families observe. A wonderfully exciting precursor to getting the children to go to sleep before St. Nicholas arrives, The Night Before Christmas is the exciting tale of one man’s experience catching a glimpse of Santa Claus.
The beautifully illustrated picture book that inspired the 2004 animated film by the same name, The Polar Express is a whimsical story of children being whisked away on a mysterious train on Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus in the faraway North Pole. Upon reading this book, it’s easy to see why millions of families the world over make this book a must-read every holiday season.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
It’s safe to say that your children can already recite the song and probably look forward to the stop-motion special appearing on television each year, so why not read the book, too? When Rudolph is ostracized by his peers for being different, he embarks on a journey that makes him realize that not only do our differences make us special, they can also help us save the day when all hope is lost!
As the holiday season quickly approaches and your kids find themselves home from school, there’s no better time to start them reading some of the world’s most celebrated holiday stories. Check out Book Outlet for great deals on your favourite holiday reads.
