We’ve decked our halls and trimmed our trees. Our large blue wooden box of Christmas books sits stuffed to the brim and many titles have already passed through little hands.
We add to our Christmas book collection each year and develop new favorites as we revisit old friends. Traditionally our family celebrates the season at a slow pace as much as possible. Several years ago I wrote about 5 Helpful Principles Every Type A Woman Needs to Embrace and I’ve since tried to abide by them. With my husband working in the ministry the Christmas calendar has the potential to quickly fill up with church events alone so we have traditions that we maintain in our home but not always around town. The first and foremost tradition is reading wonderful books!
Christ is the central focus of Christmas in our home and here are the books we read to aid us with that intention:
Most of the books we read embody the spirit of Christmas without telling the Christmas story explicitly. There are many many of these but here are our favorites:
There are so many 12 Days of Christmas books that I don’t have a strong favorite at this point. In fact, I have five or six I want to try out this Christmas and decide which one I love the most. Here is another cute edition by Hilary Knight:
While Santa doesn’t deliver presents to our house (read more here), we have a few that incorporate St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Here are some that we would recommend checking out at your local library or adding to your collection:
Santa Mouse may be the cutest mouse you will ever meet!
I have a few that I’ve introduced to 
The Little Match Girl made an impression on me when I was a child. It is one that I haven’t shared with my children but plan on doing so this Christmas. I think this will open the door for rich conversations around our responsibility to look for ways to help others.
Finally, I’ve posted here about Christmas books that have corresponding movies. Check out the list and see if there are any of your favorites!
Merry Christmas to you and yours. May your days awaiting the celebration of Christ’s birth draw you nearer to the heart of God.
The older kids and I are nearly done with I Saw Three Ships, a new favorite from last year. I can hardly wait to read aloud Holly and Ivy; a book that spurred me on two Christmases ago just after we met our youngest adopted son and were realizing this would be a long journey. Just how long, we had no idea! Finally, The Matchbox Girl is a beautifully illustrated, sorrowful tale that reminds me of our need to not pass people by. We must look to help in each situation as the Holy Spirit leads us and make a difference in the lives of children God puts in our path.
