What’s better than snuggling up with your family during the holiday season to read aloud a good old fashioned Christmas? not much, I tell you. When your choice of read aloud is a Christmas chapter book, then you’re on your way to Christmas perfection.
This list of Christmas read-alouds includes classic and contemporary options, short novels for speed reading, fantasy novels for those who want as much magical sparkle as possible, and heartwarming stories about families coming together.
You are reading: Christmas chapter books for middle school
In short, there’s the perfect read-aloud Christmas chapter book for every family!
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A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS by Matt Haig
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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Our family loves this book! it’s hilarious and super charming with just the right amount of dahl-esque humor. When Nicolas’s father doesn’t return from a trip at the scheduled time, Nicolas leaves his negligent aunt and goes looking for him. along the way he meets a village of elves and his future changes forever. yes, it’s a netflix movie now.
I’m sure you’ll want to continue with the companion books: The Girl Who Saved Christmas, Santa and Me
WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH by Cornelia Funke
find it: amazon | hearing | your library!
We listen to the audiobook of this quirky story about what happens when Niklas Goodfellow, the last real Santa Claus, crashes after one of his reindeer is spooked by a storm. Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, the leader of the Christmas Grand Council is determined to put an end to the Christmas fun. Niklas, with the help of some children, tries to outwit Goblynch and save the Christmas magic. I love funke’s ability to write evocative descriptive details.
LETTERS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS by J.R.R. Tolkien
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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When I was a kid, there was always a copy of Santa’s letters under our Christmas tree and I loved reading the letters Tolkien wrote to his children every year. I read the book for the first time when I was halfway between believing in the Santa who brought me gifts and the one who only lived in stories. Lyrics detailing the North Pole exploits of Santa, Polar Bear, Goblins, and Goblins, are accompanied by imaginative Tolkien illustrations. totally magical.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER by Barbara Robinson
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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This is a modern American classic! The misbehaving shepherd boys (they smoke, steal, play pranks, and swear!) decide to take over the church Christmas parade. hilarious antics ensue and the shepherd boys reinvent a story they’ve never heard before (the birth of jesus), but in the end it’s the shepherds’ interpretation of the christmas story that teaches the community the true meaning of the holiday . hilarious and touching.
WINTERFROST by Michelle Houts
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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a nisse is the Danish version of tomte (you’ll find many tomten in my list of Swedish Christmas and holiday books), a little creature from Scandinavian folklore who looks after the farm. Families are supposed to leave the Nisse a traditional bowl of Christmas pudding on the eve of the holiday, but this year Bettina’s family is beset with trouble and they forget about the pudding. In a fit of mischief, the local Nisse, Klakke, steals the family’s baby! Bettina goes into the woods to find her sister and meets more mythological creatures and adventures in this story of magic and kindness. she takes out the pepparkakor because you will love this story.
more: books about tomten
THE BOX OF DELIGHTS by John Masefield
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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kay harkin meets a strange man on a train. the man gives him a magical and mysterious box that has the ability to shrink people, allow them to travel through time, and even make them fly. Kay and his friends must protect the box from villains who want to end Christmas. Be sure to get an unabridged version like this one from New York Children’s Book Review. an enchanting adventure.
THE LAST HOLIDAY CONCERT by Andrew Clements
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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clements (author of the hugely popular frindle) has an uncanny ability to capture the school environment. In this story, Nicolas and his music teacher have a little race in which the teacher hands over the reins of the festive concert to the students. Nicolas must learn to be a leader, while the teacher (who recently learned that budget cuts will end his job next year) learns a bit of flexibility. a great story that highlights the dynamics of relationships and cooperation.
more: Christmas audiobooks for everyone!
NANCY AND PLUM by Betty MacDonald
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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This 1952 book by the author of mrs. piggle-wiggle is the perfect recipe for an old-fashioned read-aloud: two orphaned sisters, a greasy boarding-school mistress who feeds them hard oats, a single rich uncle, a Christmassy atmosphere, and a nice ending where evil fails and good triumphs .
THE FAMILY UNDER THE BRIDGE by Natalie Savage Carlson
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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At Christmas in Paris, Armand, a self-proclaimed drifter who loves his life free from responsibilities, takes a homeless family under his wing. The children want a home for Christmas. Armand makes his wish come true, and in doing so decides that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have permanent ties after all. this is a novella, and a newbery prize winner, 1959.
WINTERHOUSE (series) by Ben Guterson
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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elizabeth’s guardians, her aunt and uncle, go on vacation and mysteriously leave her with only a train ticket and $3. The train ride takes Elizabeth to a strange and luxurious hotel. elizabeth loves to read and she has a magical extrasensory sixth sense. She befriends Freddy, who loves crossword puzzles, and the two set about solving the hotel’s mysteries, including an important missing book. a good option for families with primary and upper secondary students.
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS by L. Frank Baum
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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author of the wizard of oz, l. frank baum, tells a fictional origin story of st. Nicholas from birth to old age. This book was the inspiration for the stop motion TV special The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Baum invents wonderful stories to explain traditions like hanging up stockings. We’ve been listening to the audiobook, Santa Claus in Oz, which also includes Baum’s short story, “A Kidnapped Santa Claus.” Since Baum’s work is in the public domain, all sorts of terrible editions exist, so be careful to get a copy with the original illustrations.
THE TRUE GIFT by Patricia MacLachlan
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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This is a short and charming novel. siblings lily and liam are going to spend christmas with their grandparents. liam thinks her grandparents’ cow, the “white cow”, is lonely and sets out to raise money to buy her a mate. she even sells her beloved collection of books. The community comes together to create a wonderful Christmas surprise for both the cow and the children. If you’re looking for a heartwarming story that can be turned into a signature movie, this is it.
THE VANDERBEEKERS OF 141ST STREET by Karina Yan Glaser
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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It’s just before Christmas and the Vanderbeekers will be forced to move out of their beloved Harlem brownstone unless they can change the mind of their grumpy landlord who happens to be their upstairs neighbors. This creative biracial family goes to work to win him over in this heartwarming story the whole family will love. A read aloud for all ages!
more: books for readers who like little women
THE LOTTERYS MORE OR LESS by Emma Donoghue
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
find it: amazon | bookstore
the lottery family is a large, multicultural, blended, adoptive, and homeschooled family. This December, your visitor from Brazil gets injured and has to stay with the family for the holidays. Their addition to the festivities, and the lotteries celebrating everything from Holi to Christmas and Hogmany, as well as citywide power outages, adds a humorous layer to the family’s already wacky antics. great fun to read aloud to the whole family.
THE LIGHT AT TERN ROCK by Julia L. Sauer
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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This very short novel, which received the newbery honor in 1952, is just what you’d expect from a story about discovering the meaning of Christmas, despite the complete absence of Christmas imagery on the cover! Ronnie enjoys spending time with her Aunt Martha at the lighthouse, but hopes to be home for Christmas. However, the lighthouse keeper does not return on time and Ronnie must come to terms with the idea of having to spend Christmas in an isolated place.
THE YULE TOMTE AND THE LITTLE RABBITS by Ulf Stark
See Also: 12 Inspiring Books To Read When You’re Feeling Lonely And Need Some Cheering Up
See Also: Browse By Category: Audio Book, human-read | Project Gutenberg
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This beautifully illustrated book contains 24 short chapters. One chapter should be read each Advent day. grump the tomte is waiting for yule (christmas) when suddenly a wind blows his gloves and his hat and blows them into the hands of a couple of rabbits. The rabbits are delighted with the strange gifts from him, but the tomte worries that he will not be able to bring Christmas to the forest without the necessary garments. a lovely story.
more: diverse and multicultural Christmas picture books
We recommend patronizing your local independent library or bookstore. If you choose to buy books online, consider BookShop, which supports independent bookstores. You can find all of my curated children’s Christmas book lists in a single list in the bookstore here.
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