Festive Holiday Reads for Kids and Teens
There are many wondrous things about the holidays—lights, music, decorations, special foods, and, of course, books. Take a break from the swirl of holiday activities to share a book with a young person in your life or, for older kids and teens, recommend a festive read to get them into the spirit of the season. The selection below includes picture books to read together and suggestions for kids, middle grade readers, and young adults. Most are available in multiple formats and many are available as simultaneous e-books which means they're always available without a wait.
Picture Books
Jan Brett's The Nutcracker
by Jan Brett
Set in wintry Russia, this classic Christmas fantasy features young Marie experiencing the magic of toys and animals and the Snow Princess coming to life.
Carla and the Christmas Cornbread
by Carla Hall with Kristen Hartke; illustrations by Cherise Harris
In this heartwarming tale inspired by her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night before Christmas and tries to make things right.
Green is for Christmas
by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
When Green claims he is the only color for Christmas, the other crayons—Red, White, Silver, and Tan—show him that there would be no Christmas without them either.
The People Remember
by Ibi Aanu Zoboi, illustrated by Loveis Wise
This beautifully illustrated, powerful tribute recounts the journey of African descendants in America by connecting their history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
May Your Life Be Deliciosa
by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Loris Lora
Each year on Christmas Eve, Rosie's abuela teaches her not only how to make a delicious tamale, but how to make a delicious life—one filled with love, plenty of spice, and family.
Santa in the City
by Tiffany D. Jackson, illustrated by Reggie Brown
Afraid that Santa might not be able to visit her, little Deja, with a little help from her family, community, and Santa himself, discovers that the Christmas spirit is alive and well in her city.
The Christmas Owl: Based on the True Story of a Little Owl Named Rockefeller
by Ellen Kalish and Gideon Sterer; illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
The story of a little owl who is found inside the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, her curiosity about what the holiday means, and her time spent healing with the woman who saved her life.
Kids
The Legend of the Christmas Witch
by Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza, illustrated by Julia Iredale
Searching for her long-lost twin brother, Santa Claus, Kristtörn, a powerful and much misunderstood witch, finds instead a confrontation that would leave the fate of Christmas hanging in the balance.
The Christmasaurus
by Tom Fletcher, illustrations by Shane Devries
Countless years after rolling away from its mother and freezing in the ocean, a dinosaur egg is discovered by Santa Claus, who sits on it until a dinosaur hatches and becomes an accidental Christmas gift for a boy who must protect it from a trophy hunter.
The Girl Who Saved Christmas
by Matt Haig
Orphaned Amelia loses everything—including hope—but she may be the only one who can give Santa the extra boost of magic he needs to save Christmas.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
by Barbara Robinson
Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are an awful bunch. They set fire to Fred Shoemaker's toolshed, blackmailed Wanda Pierce to get her charm bracelet, and smacked Alice Wendelken across the head. And that's just the start! When the Herdmans show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids are shocked. It's obvious that they're up to no good. But Christmas magic is all around and the Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, start to reimagine it in their own way.
How Winston Delivered Christmas
by Alex T. Smith
Discovering a lost letter addressed to Santa, a little mouse begins an unforgettable journey to deliver the letter in time, in a heartwarming advent story that provides a chapter and festive holiday activity for every day in December leading up to Christmas.
Middle Grade
The Golden Dreidel
by Ellen Kushner, illustrations by Kevin Keele
Receiving a one-of-a-kind Chanukah gift—an enormous golden dreidel—Sara discovers that there’s much more to the dreidel than meets the eye when she spins herself into a whole new world and must rely on her courage to find her way back home.
A Boy Called Christmas
by Matt Haig
Having received a single beloved toy in his life, an 11-year-old boy nicknamed "Christmas" travels to the North Pole when his father goes missing, where he befriends a surly reindeer and discovers an enchanted frozen world along the way.
And check out the newly published origin story of Christmas's friend: A Mouse Called Miika by Matt Haig, illustrated by Chris Mould
The No-Good Nine
by John Bemelmans Marciano
In 1931, nine naughty children who received coal in their stockings travel from Pittsburgh to the North Pole to plead their case to Santa Claus.
Top Elf
by Caleb Zane Huett
Ollie has always been happy just being an elf and inventing new games for Christmas with his best friend Celia—but then the current Santa (descendent of the original) decides to retire and announces that there will be an open competition for the position of next Santa (his son Klaus is not pleased) and suddenly Ollie and the other elves are vying with the Santa children for the Big Red Suit.
Teens
The Holiday Switch
by Tif Marcelo
Planning to enjoy her last snowy winter break of high school by working at a cozy local inn and moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger, Lily Santos’ plans are upended when the boss’s frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her nemesis co-worker then the two accidentally switch phones, a snafu that may just reveal their secrets and bring the rivals together.
Castle in the Clouds
by Kerstin Gier
Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year's Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways. Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure—and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.
The Resolutions
by Mia Garcia
Four Latinx teenagers that have grown apart revive their New Year tradition of making resolutions, but this year they are making resolutions for each other.
So This Is Christmas
by Tracy Andreen
When Finley Brown returns to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she finds things have changed everywhere and looks to find her own place at home.
The Afterlife of Holly Chase
by Cynthia Hand
Assigned to work as a Ghost of Christmas Past after refusing to change her ways on a fateful Christmas Eve five years earlier, Holly becomes unexpectedly motivated to help the latest Scrooge, who may offer her a fresh start of her own.
Anna and the Apocalypse
by Katharine Turner with Barry Waldo
Anna Shepherd is a straight-A student with a lot going on under the surface: she’s struggling with her mom’s death, total friend drama, and the fallout from wasting her time on a very attractive boy. She’s looking forward to skipping town after graduation—but then a zombie apocalypse majorly disrupts the holiday season. It’s going to be very hard to graduate high school without a brain. To save the day, Anna, her friends, and her frenemies will have to journey straight to the heart of one of the most dangerous places ever known, a place famous for its horror, terror, and pain…high school.
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.